The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-24
ANSWER To HOPE
OUTLINED AT MEETING OF MEM
BEERS OF SEA GIRT TEAM.
COMMITTEE TO DRAFT 1T.
FROM SUGGESTIONS MADE AND
AGREEMENTS REACHED.

Full Attendance at Gathering, over
which Mai. Williamson Presided.
Hope Is to BE Requested to Make
specific His Insinuation That Some
Member or Members of the Geor-
gin Team Requested the Horse
Guards to Shoot Into the Savannah
Targets-RepIy to BE Published ON
sunday in savannah and Atlanta.
State Court of Inquiry May BE
Asked.
A meeting of the Savannah members
of the Georgia team at Sea Girt at the
contests of 1899 was held in the Of
ficers quarters of the Savannah Vol
unteer Guards last night. The essen
tials of the reply that is to be made
to the letter of Capt. George NJ. Hope
were suggested, and a subcommittee
appointed to draft them into form.
Mai W. w. Williamson presided at
the meeting, and most of the members
of the team were present. The Incl
dents of the Sea Grit fraud were dis
cussed in detail and at length, and the
answer that should be made to each
averment and charge in the letter of
Capt Hope was virtually agreed upon
by all present.
One matter there is which it is an
open secret the letter will contain.
This is an invitation to Capt. Hope to
lame the Savannahians he intimated
in his letter had urged members of
the Horse Guard team to shoot into
the Savannah targets on the skirmish,
or else confess il was the wild waves"
that suggested this dishonorable ac-
ton. There is not a member of the
team that does not repudiate indig-
nantly all guilt of the charge, and If
Capt. Hope endeavors to become spe-
cific, it is probable that interesting de-
velopments will follow.
To BE Published sunday.
The letter will be ready in the course
of a day or two, and, it is expected,
will be published in the Morning News
and the Atlanta Constitution stimuli
taneously Sunday. When it is before
the public there will be no opportun-
ity for further doubt as to the posi-
ton and contentious of the Savannah
marksmen and their friends-the latter
embracing, almost without exception,
the military of the state.
Meantime discussion, heated and in
tense of the incident, continues among
the individual members of the team
1t has been suggested that in order to
settle definitely and forever the truth
of the matters at issue, the Governor
of the state be requested to order an
investigation so that the people may
be placed in possession of the facts
and be able to judge whether the con-
duct of the Governors Horse Guard
was in accordance with the demands
of patriotism and the standards of
conduct among honorable men.
1t IS scarcely believed, however that
the Governor will permit such an in
vestigation to be held under his official
sanction. There are, in truth, many
difficulties in the way and these are re-
gretfully acknowledged by those who
are most anxious to have the entire
matter cleared up.
The Georgia Hussars have been
awaiting the return of Capt. Henry
McAlpin to the city to frame their re-
ply TO the criticism of their conduct at
the state shoot of 1900 made by Capt
Hope Capt. McAlpin returned last
night, but as he has retired from the
command of the troop, he stated, he
does not feel he should take the lead
in declaring their position. The Hus-
sars. doubtless, will proceed without
him.