The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-16
Green VILE News

Al the request OF Col. James A. Hoyt
cheerfuIIy publish the following explanation
OF the circumstances surrounding the dis.
patch which he sent out from GTeenvilie on
Monday night, con csrning the assault made
upon the editor fThe G.eenviIle News:
On Tuesday morning read the account In
embody a true and complete account OF the
transaction between Evans and the editor Of
The News on Monday night.
I went 10 Col. Hoyt on Tuesday after read.
Ing his account In The State, and told him
that he had done tho editor OF The Green.
willie News grsat injustice by publishing y
story so full OF palpabIe MISREPRESENTATION,
and so calculated TO bolster up the side OF the
assailant.
Col Hogt replied that he had sent his dis
patch TO The state upon Information receiv.
ed solely from Evans himself and his friend.
He told me that he had wished 10 obtain
Information concerning the other side of the
story. but that the hour was too late: copse-
quently he sent the Evans report Of the
affair.
remarkable piecs OF Journalism, that be
should have fathered the untrue statement OF
Evans aud his friend without making any
effort to get the facts Of the other side. and
thought II only fair that he should send a.
The State true statement Of the trnnsaction.
Col. Hoyt cheerfuiiy acQuiesced In sending
10 The State any statement on the other side.
Accordingly had the statements Of myself
and Mr.. BIackma made out and handed
II w,Il be seen by the above that Col. Hoyt
sent his report as The states accredited cor.
reap0ndent on Information furnished solely
by Evans and his friends, and that he made
absolutely no effort 10 obtain further infOr-
nation looking TO- the verifcation OF Evan r
siaism ments, owing. 80 he says. 10 the lateaess
OF the hour.
published m "ipse dix,t' from Mr. Black
man and one from myself There statements
were sent by Col. Hoyt TO The State. not NJ
representing facis-which was the supposed
nature OF hIs first commun icatiOn-but sim.
piy as a sort of aftermath, for which he did
not assume responsibility. In other woids he
sept the hrst story M iacts ON his own respon.
.ibIllty. thu subsequent evidences which wss
which he knew was relinbis and corroborated
by eye.witues.es, he sent TO The State. not
over his own signature; not accepting u as
controversive Of his first com nmunicatioD, bot
simpIy as IptsrestIng addepdR.
ON the evening OF receiving his frat infor.
nation Of the affair. Col. H0yt could easily
have rung up The News Office over the tsie
phone and obtained the other and proven
story ofthe occurrence; and !, IL interrsnng
10 ask the question here: Would not this
have beer the right and fair and only proper
way Of fulfilling the duties Of an accredited cor
respOnrient nj q reputable newspaper?
Yet. In spite n this Information having
he printed In bis own paper on Wednesday
morning suhstantiH " the same account OF
,he sffsIr as he had first sPnt 10 The state
Even II he had moi been given this informa
lion in time for hIs Wednesday Issue, he
could most certainly have printe the true
and we'll corrObnrated verslOn In his Saturday
issue Bat he did not do 20.
Naturally, the nrst account of an affair OF
This kind ~ the one TO receive most publicity.
Yet this firsi nccount was sn extraordinary
In tta insinuaIinns and Incompetence tiia,
many nf the newspapers In the state did NOT
credit u.
The pnhiic. being familiar with the details
of The affair, can draw It's own conclusions.
J. +. Richardson.