The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-28

stragglers all going in one direction.
and did you not know in reason that
this was the direction taken by the mob
leaders?"
Lieut.. Nell: Yes. I thought that
the negroes were in ice wagons. as 1
had been told So"
Inquiry was made at this point re-
garding the whereabouts of Lieut..
Griner of the Statesboro company.
Witness did not see him Tuesday. but
had seen him in uniform on Monday.
Capt. Hitch was then recalled to give
information regarding Lieut.. Griner.
Col. Wooten: please state what or
ders Lieut.. Griner was acting under
at Statesboro?"
Capt. Hitch: 81 left instructions
with Capt. Cone Tuesday that I would
want him and Lieut.. Griner to take
charge of the camp that morning.
did not see Lieut.. Griner again until
after the lynching."
Col. Brooks: You knew that Capt.
Cone had left the camp and yet you
did not inquire as to the whereabouts
of Lieut.. Griner, then or subsequent
ly?"
Capt. Hitch: ct do not remember.
1 had little time before we left States
boro.''
McIntire Would Have Fired.
Lieut.. James McIntire asked leave
to make an additional statement. He
said he got hurt and got mad. The
/ only way to clear the corridors was 10
shoot. L would have shot the man
| pursuing Capt. Hitch had Capt Hitch
not given me orders not to shoot at
the present. l begged him before that
to let me shoot, but he refused. I had
no idea that l was in an independent
position, and if 1 had thought SO I
would certainly have given the order
to shoot"
News of the whereabouts of Lieut..
Griner was furnished by the witness.
He saw Lieut.. Griner fighting single
handed and knocked down three times.
Lieut.. Griner seemed to be trying to
get to his men.
The witness said he tried to get the
men TO follow him, but Lieut.. Nell
and DR.. Morrison interfered. 1t was
| this confusion which was on when
Capt. Hitch came UP.
Il wanted to rescue the men because
1 thought we were beaten by a crowd
led by drunken men, and 1 think yet
| we could have taken the prisoners
| away"
Col Barker: DO you think that
you had time to get the prisoners if
| you had followed them?"
Lieut.. McIntire: Il think so. All
the men except those with Capt Hitch
| were there. The men were crying and
| appealing to the officers to take them,
and it was up to somebody. l thought
the officers oughtn't to hesitate when
| the men We're so ready. We wasted
| fifteen minutes in arguing with Lieut..
| Nell, and later with Capt. Hitch"
Col. Barker: Did you have any
| plan of attack outlined?"
| Lieut.. McIntire hesitated before re-
! plying, but being urged by the court,
said; MY idea was to break into
platoons and come up in double quick.
We would have fired one volley just
to let them know we were coming. 1
intended to tell the men to get behind
trees and shoot as fast as possible"
Col. Brooks You had determined
to recapture them?"
Lieut.. McIntire: Yes, sir"
Col. Wooten: And Private Mcclure
! did more good with his billet of wood
than the men did with their guns?"
Lieut.. McIntire: Yes, sir.
Private John Wiehrs testified as to
the identity of the man who had seized
| Capt. Hitch. While he did not see him
| attack Capt. Hitch, he had recognized
the man from the descriptions given.
He saw the man apparently melting
the crowd. Witness did not report
the matter to his superior officers.
Notified of Danger.
Private Falligant desired to add to
his statement of the previous day. He
had been in store at Statesboro when
he heard that the mob was going to
| lynch the prisoners as soon as the trial
| was over. He ran as fast as he could
to the camp and found Sergt. Eason.
| He asked Eason to go to Lieut. Nell,
and told Eason how straight he had
| fIaa sY,cy
was certain to be a lynching unless;
| great precautions were taken.
In reply Eason had said that Lieut..
Nell had received many such reports,
and that ne would not carry such a
message again. Though witness was
| suffering from carbuncle, and had
been told that to use his arm might
cause its amputation. he Immediately
asked for a. gun, as he believed there
was going to be trouble. He was finally
| given place to support the sentinels.
While there he shouted back news
that guns taken from the company
| were in the possession of passersby,
but no attention being paid to the in
| formation, he stopped.
II saw the negroes nearly a block
before they got opposite the camp"
said Private Falligant, land shouted
the news to commissioned officer I
saw GOWN tne street. L asked MIN 10
bring men. The mob had not then
passed the camp. Some of the men in
| line started to break away and come
to me, but were restrained by an Off
| GER"
There being no further statements
forthcoming, Col. Wooten thanked the
Court House officials for the use of this
court room and for the uniform cour-
tesy of the witnesses and court attend
ants.
1t was then announced that the court
would adjourn to meet at Statesboro
Tuesday, at 10 o'clock in the morning
Court than ID iOpryad