The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-22
TOO MANY STORIES.
The Crowd Engaged in the Woods
Vile Riot Discharged.


There are said TO be two sides to every
question. That rule, however, did not
hold good yesterday, in the case Of the
Woodsville rioters, tried in Justice Nc
Dermott's court
a negro and his wife, Ben and Henri
eta Williams, were prosecuted by a
negro woman named Mary Williams. The
prosecution grew out of a riot out in
WoOdsville, in which almost the entire
neigh borhOod took part, an account OF
which was published by the MORNING
NEWS. The trouble started over some
derogatory remarks, which Mary Will
Jams claims Henrietta made about the
Ladies' Aid Society. All the partici-
pants, about twenty in number, were ar
rested and gave bond to stand trial yes
terday.
At 10 O'Clock, the hour for opening
court, there was a gathering Of negroes
around Justice McDermott's Office, which
is rarely seen anywhere, except at the
criminal session of the superior court.
The case was called, and an array Of
witnesses were on hand, some to talk Of
the fight, others about the character of
some Of the witnesses, while a few were
IN reserve to tell about the two factions
which composed the Ladies Aid, and
which was really the root of the trouble.
that they had seen Mary Mitchell, the
prosecutor, force her way into the yard
of Henrietta Mitchell, whom she was
prosecuting, on the day Of the trouble,
and provoke quarrel and that Henri
eta, after repeated persuasions TO Mary
to desist in her abuse, and after attempt
ing to put her from the yard, seized a
club and beat her over the head.
This looked like positive evidence that
Hnn1sinftn I'D rio 70 alt1h
Mary as she did, but there was another
side to be heard from, and it was heard
from in a sensational manner. One swore
TO this, and another swore to that; all
sWore to suit themselves. Mary Mitchell,
the woman who was prosecuting all or
them, more or less, but particularly Hen
rietta and her husband, who were
tried together, swore emphatically that
Henriett, who she says sis one of the
quality" made the remark that ;he
Ladies' Aid Society had a number of bad
women on its society roster, and that she
even made remarks about certain indi-
viduals one of whom she learned from
others was said to be herself. This, she
said, she could not or would not tolerate,
and she paid Henrietta a visit to have an
understanding, but claimed that after she
had been in Henriatta S yard only a few
minutes, and had attempted to either
il"NN h0I dulnlb VI ucuy Wud1 sue udu
heard, Henrietta called to her hus-
band to hold her, while Henrietta pro-
ceeded to do her up with a club.
That was the second side TO the story
already told, but there was another and
several more One woman said the
trouble grew out of a misunderstanding
in society meeting, another that the
two women fought about some man.
Lawyers Rockwell and Lazaron argued
the case, and after stating that the con
flicting nature of the evidence made it
very doubtful as TO which side told the
truth, the judge dismissed Henrietta
Mitchell and her husband. AS the case
was the same against the others-Laura
WEIGH, Sandy Ferguson, Susie Jones,
Mary Williams, Bob White, Ben
Mitchell and Bob Watts. After giving all
hands a reprimand, Judge McDermott
DISCHARGED them all