The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-09
CAPT. SNEED OF CHARLESTON
REPLIES TO CAPT. COPE.

The cat has been let out of the bag,
so to speak, relative to the informant
or informants of the Charleston Even
ing Post, in its issue of Jan. 2, in
which the Savannah football team, Sa-
vannah. and especially it's ladies, were
attacked for alleged unfair treatment
of the Charleston players in their game
here New Years Day, and whether or
not the information, first published,
emanated from a member of that team,
it is verified and seconded by Capt.
Sneed and his men.
In the Post is a second article re-
plying to Capt. Cope's statement that
the Charleston players were not badly
treated. and quoting Capt Sneed as
authority that the first statement is
correct. The statement, the Post SAYS,
bers OF the Charleston football team
and was verified by them. CaEt
Sneed's statement as quoted in the
Post, is as follows:
Rooster started the fight by hit
ting me several times. l, of course,
returned the blows. 1t is impossible
for me to say. that l saw every man
on the Charleston team as he was hit,
but the bruises on the men will speak
for themselves. AS regards Savannah
saying that no sticks were used, l beg
to say that it is a falsehood. l was
not struck on the head myself with a
stick, but our quarterback and Others
were struck, our quarterback having
had one stick broken over his head. AS
regards the statement about RoSsiter
and | shaking hands, and my accept
ing his apology, it is falsehood. Not
only were the football players struck
and assaulted, but the Charleston men
who went to Savann;Sl to attend the
game as well. l can find no Charles
tonian who attended the game who es-
capped without being insulted or as
saulted.
Every man who wore Charleston
coiors had them torn off and destroy
ed. l repeatedly heard females cry
ing, Kill Sneed.' And taking all in
all ] can say that the treatment we
received was not such as is accorded
gentlemen by gentlemen.
"A Charleston rooter while making a
bet before the game was informed by
Savannah friend that he was vast
ing his money, as the game was pre-
arranged, and that Savannah was
bound TO win. either by fair means or
foul.
The measuring five-yard line. was
repeatedly cut by Savannahians, and
TINS Is only an instance of Savannah S
conduct.
As regards hotel accommoda tions,.
the stories were very much eXaggerat-
ed-the proprietor treated us as ceilr-
leous as was in his power; in fact it
was the best treatment received in Sa-
Ndnnan and we owe him our thanks
II necessary we will mention the
names OF the men who cut the five-yard
hhc. There are lots of instances of
rough treatment received by Charles
ION men which can be quoted and we
,,pst emphatically say that a buggy
"Hlp was used on one of our boys
Capt. Cope and several of the Savan-
nan players, is well as number of
cltlzens who read the statement from
capt. Sneed yesterday, were at a to-
tai loss how to further reply to the
statement of the Charleston team. and
the spectators from that city who at
tended the game. They We're amazed.
Capt. Sneed's statement, they classed
as untrue, the only truthful assertion
in the whole business being the fact
that the five-yard line was cut several
times. Admitting this fact the Charles
ton captain and his men, Capt. Cope
said, fail to realize which team, if
either, would be benefited by such an
act.
Would not Charleston be the gamer
of the two, as the ball was all the time
being forced towards and forwards in
their territory? Such being the case,
WHO would likely have cut the line, a
savannah enthusiast or a Charleston
spectator? 1t would seem to an I'M
biased mind that a Charleston man
was guilty, for certainly, no Savan-
nah man would commit such an act
which would probably keep his team
from getting all the advance coming
to 1t, by the line being cut and a rec
ord of distance lost
The rest of Capt. Sneed's statement
Capt. Cope and others deny in toto,
and in the future will pay no atten-
ton to statements emanating from
the Charleston players, leaving the
question of correctness and fairness
in the situation to those who witnessed
the game