The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-12
STATEMENT OF THE CASE.
The Advertiser Furnishes Further
 Oata.

OdJhs
 The Advertiser published statements
 concerning conduct of soldiers of the 3d
 Infantry after a complete and intelligent
 investigation and with thorough under
 stadine of it's own responsibility. 1t ap- pears that a committee has investigated these statements without requesting in formation from a single person connected with The Advertiser.
 Through consideration for the regiment as a whole The Advertiser did not pub- fish numerous incidents of disorderly con- duct in the city,
 These were the things The Advertiser | referred to generally. Reporters of The Advertiser charged with the duty of watching the conduct of the soldiers would have informed the committee. They will make afidavits that the incidents of dis orderly conduct transpired. Names were not given. The Advertiser did not seek names It was enough that the men wore the uniform of Alabama guardsmen. If the committee of officers had sum-
 moned Capt W. H. Taylor of the Mont gomery Police Department. the commit tee would have ascertained that an ofa- cer of the Guard, believed to have been Lieutenant Robert Gregory. did asK in the name of Colonel Mcconnell | for twenty policemen to go to Camp Gra- ham about 2 o'clock and aid the guard
  diers. -./
 What Capt. Taylor Says. | Here is what Police Captain Taylor said about 1t last night:
 The young officer. accompanied by a bueler, came to police headquarters about 2 o'clock Thursday morning. He said about twenty soldiers and two civilians were creating great disorder at the camp and that he had been directed by Lieu | MnCnpnoIl h fhe city and ASK the Chief of Police to send l twenty policemen to the camp at once to help them control the situation. He said | he had come in on a special trolley car | which was waiting to take the policemen | to the camp. T told the officer continued Captain Taylor, that the camp was outside the
 city and we could not send our men there ] I suggested to him that with camp ful | of soldiers 1t ought to be an easy matter l to control twenty men even though 1t be l came necessary to bind and gag them I The officer inquired for the Sheriff of the county and I directed him to the jail
 He left me under the impression that ht
 would appeal to the Sheriff for assist l aDce."
 l The visit of the officer to Police Head | quarters was duly reported to The Ad- l vertiser, and one of it's most careful mer was sent to the camp immediately to in I yestigate the reported disorder. This rep resentative found the situation to be just as it was reported by The Advertiser l The representative of The Advertiser talked with the officer who had visited Police Headquarters. This officer. the jul
 nior officer of the guard, said with the guardhouse practically torn to pieces ths officers could not control the men and the officers were then trying to locate tht Night Marshal of Highland Park with 8 view to locking the men In the Highland Park prison.
 Officers Could Not Control. Soon after The Advertiser representa-. | five reached the camp-about 2:i5 a. n.- he saw Captain R. L.. Hay of Huntsville oficer of the day. Captain Hay certainly said he was powerless to control the sit. uation. He did not seem to appreciate l the gravity of the Offense committed by the men and laughed several times at re- newed outbreaks of the dtsorderly sol diers.
 It was suggested that the disorderlS | ones should be bound and gagged ant | one of the officers replied that Colone | Mcconnell disliked to adopt such ex ! treme measures; that some of the mef ! were from the best families of the Stat'
 and that Colonel Mcconnell would be SC | verely criticised if the men were harshlS 1 treated.
 Due Notice Was Served. | It was then and there suggested to thi: officer that The Advertiser would expose the conduct of the men and the lax dis I clpline and that this exposure would | bring reproach upon the regiment. 1 Thursday morning it was reported ir \ thA cIty that fin order to queii the disor l derly soldiers they had later In the morn | ing been bound and gagged. With th' view to presenting Colonel Mcconnell 1T a proper light he was asked if this repor | was true. Colonel Mcconnell certainly authorized The Advertiser to say tha l none of hls men was bound and gagged | The Committee found upon investigation | that the riotous conduct was not quelleC | until the men were bound and gagged. As to complaints having been made o 1 conduct of the soldiers The Advertiser ii l willing to rest upon the complaints o