The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-10
FINAL CHANGE IN
COURT-MARTIAL
MAJ. J. S. DOzIER A MEMBER:
CAPT. w. It. b. WILSON WAS EX-
CUsED BY GOV. TERRELL.

Same Ground as Court of Inquiry,
There VIII BE Fresh and interest
ing TestimOny-Three Members OF
Trial Tribunal Arrived Last Night.
Full Membership for First Time
in Long Term of Years-May Com
cIude Friday.
Another change in the .personel of
the court martial which convenes in
Savannah this morning was made yes
terday. Capt. w. T. B. Wilson, hav-
ing presented reasons why he should
be excused, was relieved by Gov. Ter
rell by wire from New York, and Maj.
J. S. Dozier Of Atlanta was named in
his stead
Maj. DoZier sat on a court of in
quiry in Savannah some three or four
years ago, together with Col. George
M. Napier, the present judge advocate.
constituting the full court of two mem
bers. The matter considered was some
irregularity in proceedings and occu-
pied only a short time. Maj. Dozier
is of the First Cavalry.
For the first time in a long term
of years, and perhaps for the first time
in the military history of the state
there will gather this morning a com
plete court of thirteen members, which
is the limit provided by state and ma
tional law. The present court-martial
is in all probability the most important
in the records of the state troops, and
a full quota of members was consid-
cred advisable.
The court will meet in the Guards
A1mory, at 10 o'clock this morning, and
will hold only two sessions to-day, as
the hall will be used by the Guards
tonight. For the remaining term of
the court three sessions will be held
daily, not less than ten hours being
consumed in the hearing of testimony.
May Conclude Friday.
While there will be more than fifty
witnesses before the court. so we'll has
Col. Napier, the Judge advocate, sift-
ed the evidence to prevent repetition
or irrelevancy, that it is more than
probable that the court will be able
to adjourn Friday night. Sitting ten
hours a day, and with all unnecessary
evidence cut out, progress will be COM
paratively rapid.
Capt. r. M. Hitch, will be placed
on trial first, and the evidence in this
case, which embraces in a way much
of the other cases, will probably con-
sumo all day and a part of to-mor-
row. Subsequent cases will be shorter
notably that of DIR. A. A. Morrison,
who has more concise charges than
the Others against him, and who, will
not employ counsel. His statement
will be all of the evidence offered in his
own behalf.
The three Savannah officers will be
tried first, each case being complet-
ed and finding made by the court
before another is taken up. Lieuts
Cone and Griner will arrive shortly be-
fore noon to-day from Statesboro, ac-
companied by the witnesses summoned
from Bulloch county, to the number
of about fifteen. The witnesses will
be pitid their transportation and a
sum for sustenence while here.
Spicy Proceedings Probable.
While a considerable portion of the
evidence will be in the nature of i
reinstatement of that offered before the
court of inquiry there will be suf-
ficient additions made to the testimony
previously offered to give spice to the
proceedings. The cross-examination by
counsel will also add zest to the trials.
Charges Against officers.
Capt R. M. Hitch is charged with
gross neglect of duty, inefficiency and
misbehavior before a riotous mob, in
that he allowed the mob to take and
burn to death one Reed and one Cato
on trial in the Superior Court of Bull
loch county, whom he had been or
dered to protect, that he did not use
proper and sufficiently forceful efforts
to prevent the lynching. and that after
the capture of the negroes he failed to
pursue the mob and make an effort to
rescue or protect the prisoners or to
prevent the execution of mob violence
upon them, though he had at his COM
mand a sufficient military force to
have saved the prisoners from the
mob.
Lieut.. G. A. Nell is charged with
neglecting to send reinforcements to
the Court House, though knowing of
the aggressive conduct of the mob He
is further charged with failing to in
tercept the mob as they were leaving
the Court House with the prisoners,
and, further, with counseling a junior
officer and men against pursuit of the
mob for the purpose of rescuing the
prisoners.
Lieut.. A. A. Morrison is charged with
interfering with Second Lieutenant
McIntire by counseling him not to fire
in defense of himself and his men, and
with counseling the same officer to
abandon his purpose to follow the mob.
Lieut.. Charles Cone of the States
boro company, it is charged allowed
his men to be dlsarmed at the front
staircase without giving them any
command or direction whereby they
could defend themselves or hold their
position, and further that having been
ordered to hold the staircase he quit
his post without leave of his superior
officer, when II was not a case of ur
gent necessity.
Lieut.. Henry L. Griner of the States
boro company is charged with aban-
doning his post without leave from a
superior officer, after having been or
dered to defend the post and also that
he assumed authority to leave his post
and telegraph for reinforcements with
out being ordered to do so.
Members Arriving.
Last night Lieut.. Col. Charles w.
Griffin of Eastman. Capt. +. ]. Stew
art lif Rome and Capt. James T.
Mann of Albany reached the city. Two
members OF the court, Capt. w. w.
Gordon, Jr., and Capt Davis Freeman.
reside in Savannah. The remaining
eight members Of the court will arrive
this morning. The members of court
will stop at the De Soto.
In preparing the hall for the meeting
OF the court-martial Col. Napier was
greatly assisted by Capt. j. A. Hutton
Of the Guards.
Woman Used Knife.
For stabbing VIII Grant. negro,