The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-13
ROUTED By THE POLICE.
4 Squad Charges The Court House
HeeleTS al Midnight.


tire to Await the Opening of the Days
Battle The Mayor Takes a Hand in
the Fight-The Entire Police Reserve
Ordered on Duty-The Mylrs Men
Charge the Mayor With Parti sanship.
The battle at the court house wakes
hotter as the time for the close OF the
registration approaches. The Duncan
workers camped at the court house door
att O'Clock yesterday morning. where they
entrenched themselves twenty or thirty
strong. Their numbers were increased
during the early hours Of the morn
ing.
The Myers workers arrived on the
ground before daybreak. but were afraid
10 attack the strongly entrenched pha-
Ianx opposed 10 them. They preferred TO
await the appearance Of the police. when
they could push for places without fear
of being severely handled by their op-
ponents. The Duncan crowd was mus
cular one. however. and could not be
budged out of line. The result was that
when Lieut.. r ily opened the Drayton
street door all of those who entered first
were Duncan men. The first thirty
seven men in line were all Duncan men,
il was claimed.
At / O'Clock yesterday a man about
twelfth in line from the tax collectors
door was pointed out as the first Myers
man in line, and at the rate the line was
moving he had no show Of getting in.
on this account the Duncan men claimed
TO have paid all the poll taxes that were
paid during yesterday. The Myers men
admitted that they had been bested, but
claimed to have gotten in some taxes,
nevertheless.
It is the early bird that catches the
worm, and this is the principle that the
workers on both sides are going on. The
Duncan men intended to repeat their per-
Torrance Of thenight before and had
things arranged to arrive at the court
house at midnight last night. The Myers
men had prohtted, however, by their les
son of yesterday morning. At 1890
O'Clock Maurice Buttimer arrived with
gang of about sixty, about two-thirds
white. They proceeded to bank them
selves in the alcove at the Drayton street
entrance. Most of the crowd inside APP
peared white, and there were some tough
looking citizens in the lot. too. 1t was re-
ported that a gang of heelers had been inn
ported by the Myers men from other
cities to enable them to contend with
the veterans who have enlisted under the
Duncan banner. Buttimer was asked
about this.
These are all Savannah mem" he
said. I'VE have forty-two white men
banked in against the door here. Next to
them we have about a dozen negroes.
Outside of them we have a breastwork
of twenty heelers We shall bank about
thirty negroes outside of them. BY day
break our force will be doubted. You can
see that our crowd is quiet and orderly.
Any man who gets boisterous will be put
on the outside at once. We do not want
trouble. We have secured our places in
line and we shall endeavor TO keep them.
The chief of police has been notified
and asked to send men here to see that or
der is preserved. We shall do our best
TO stay here until the doors open in the
morning"
A number of Duncan workers were on
the outskirts of the crowd quietly taking
notes. They saw that their plan TO take
possession of the door at midnight had
been frustrated but they intimated that
something would be done to turn the ia
bles before morning. The Duncan crowd
was expected to arrive shortly after mid
night
Chief Green complied with the request
for police protection and notified all the
police on duty in the neighborhood of the
court house to see that order was main
tanned. The Duncan men intimated that
an effort would be made to rout the Myers
crowd away from the Drayton street door.
The indications at midnight are that there
would be trouble before daybreak.
The Myers men were compelled to give
up their positions and move across the
street by the police at / o'clock this
morning, acting under orders of Mayor
McDonough. The crowd was behaving
very quietly and some of them had prob
~ packed alcove, half doz-
en- police officers standing guard
over them, when they were surprised by
the appearance of Assistant Chief of
Police Reilly at the head Of the entire
police reserve, numbering nearly forty
men, shortly after midnight.
Lieut.. Reilly announced that he had or
ders from Mayor McDonough to move
the crowd and allow no persons in and
around the court house. The Myers mer
were so amazed at this order that it al
most took their breath away. Then there
was chorus of indignant protests. They
declared that this order was the work OF
Detectives Kavanaugh and Bossell, anc
was only a scheme to get the Myers meT
away, in order that the Duncan men, who
were organized at McBride's corner, coulC
come down and take possession as sooT
as the police should leave.
At the request Of Mr.. Harry Willnk
chairman of the Myers campaign com
mittee, Lieut.. Reilly agreed to defer tn,
execution of his order until Mr.. Wilinl
could see Mayor McDonough and endeavo
to secure some modification of the order
Mr. Willink secured a hack, and in com
pany with Mr.. B. O. Rogers, drove on
to the mayors house. They were gon
some time. The police were drawn up il
double rank on Drayton street by Lieut.
Reilly, while the Myers crowd RENAME,
banked in the door of the court house
The prospect of being removed made then
hug their places all the closer. Many wei
known members of the Citizens Club VIII
heard of the order, came up and joine
in the discussion. They protested I
Lieut.. Reilly that the order was evidentl
unfair, that the Myers men had take
their positions at the door. which they ha
perfect right TO do, and were disturbin
no one and creating no disorder; that tn
Duncan men had pursued these tactics o
the two previous nights and had not bee
interfered with by the police, and that t
compel them to give up the places the