The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-23
THEY WILL NOT GO
GEORGIA TROOPS WON'T BE REP
RESENTED AT SEA GIRT.
OFFICIAL CONDEMNATION.
STAMPS THE PRESENT MANAGE
MENT AT SEA GRIT.


MENT AT SEA GRIT.
Col. George T. Cams Spicy IndOrse.
ment of the Invitation Sent the
Governor of Georgia by the Gov.
ernOr of New Jersey-InvitatiOn
Had Been Referred TO Col. Cam
Inspector General of Rifle Prac-
tice-Adjutnm General Endorsed
as Did Col. Cann-The Governor
Will Doubtless Approve the In
dorsements.
That no team from the Georgia State
Troops will enter the contests at the Sea
Girt Range this year has been settled
officially. Col. George T. Cam, inspector
general, George State Troops, has sent
to Atlanta his Endorsement upon the in
vitation from the Governor of New Jer-
sey to the Governor of Georgia, inviting
Georgia teams to enter the contests. The
following is the Endorsement that was re-
ceived yesterday morning by the Gov
ernor:
THE within invitation of the Governor
of New Jersey to the Governor of Geor-
gia for the Georgia State Troops to par
ticipate in the rife contests al Sea Grit
n. j., this August. 1901 is respectfully
returned to the Adjutant General, state
OF Georgia. with the recommendation that
the invitation be declined for the follow
inS reasons:
THE Georgia state team of 1899 are
convinced that they were defrauded in
the. Hilton trophy match at Sea Girt, 1899
They asked an immediate investigation 20
prove it. This investigation was prom
Used. but not given. Gross insinuations
were made against certain members of
the Georgia team without any attempt to
prove the rightfulness of the insinuations
The injustice done the team in many
ways has not been rectifed, nor attempt
ed to be rectifed When, after months
of delay, hearing was given, it was not
properly conducted. Since that hearing
the team has been offered voluntarily,
evidence which confirms the opinion that
the team was deliberately defrauded. The
then mana cement of the Sea Girt range
had ample opportunity to investigate, as
certain and repudiate the fraud and by
so doing, establish in the minds of every
hcdy that the conduct of the range mus;
be above reproach, of which opportunity
dNdu
Until the injustice done is rectihed or the
then management of the range changed,
no member of the Georgia State Troops
can, with self respect, contest on said
range"
The members of the team long since de-
cided that they would not compete again
at Sea Girt so long as the same man
agement was in charge By the same
management they mean Gen. Bird W.
Spencer. whom they regard as having
been to blame in the entire unpleasant
ness. They believe that he was absolutely
opposed to the GeoIgians getting justice,
and there are many of the team who do
not hesitate TO say that he was aware
of the injustice that had been done them
in the marking.
Letters have been received in Savannah
from men who were employed as markers
at the time of the contests at Sea Girt
in which the Georglans maintain that they
were defrauded. One of the men said that
he had since been discharged, and that,
accordingly, he was no longer afraid to
speak out the truth as he knew it, He
said that the markers had their instruc-
tions to falsely the scores made by the
Georgians. The 600 yards target, he said
unknown to the Georgians. was really 612
yards from the firing point. which meant
that the Georgians would have insufficient
elevation. and that they would fall lust
out of the bullseye into the four ring.
Savannahians have seen some of the
notices which have appeared i'm the North
ern papers relative to the contention made
by the Georgians that they were defraud-
ed and their determination not to shoot
again on the range long as it is under
the present management. 1t has been in
timated in those notices that the right is
conclusively upon the side of the New
Jersey people, as might be shown, If they
only cared to publish evidence I'm the case
That, the Georgians say. is just what
they would like to see done.
The New Jersey people forget.
the Georgians say. that the
board of inquiry, consisting of Gov
VOORHEES, and Gen e. P. Meany. that in
vestigated the charges made by the Geor-
gians at a hearing %1eld in New York in
November of 1899, found that the Geor-
gians were entirely justified in having
taken that action. In fact, it will be re-
membered. the board found that Col Jor-
dan F. Brooks, who was vice captain of
the Sea Girt team. would have been dere-
lict in his duty had he not taken cogniz-
ance of the matter as brought to his at
tention and formulated the charges The
members of the Georgia team. who were
first suspended for having gone to the
pits 10 examine the falsely marked tar
get were reinstated. showing that they
had done nothing wrong, The Georgians
wanted the press admitted to the hear
ing, but objection was raised.
report from Atlanta says that the
adJutant general Endorsed the invitation
as did Col. Cam. and 1t is confidently ex-
pected that the Governor will approve
With their Invitation receiving sucn a
reception, IL is thought not unlikely that
the Jerseymen, If they have anything to
publish, will not delay. The Georgia
team is assured OF its position and con-
fident in its right, however. and fears no
publication.