The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-17
MILITARY BACK
FROM STATESBORO
RETURNED LAST NIGHT
CAPT. HITCH WON'T TALK UNTIL
HE REPORTS OFFICIALLY.

That Could Have Been Done with
Union Station AppIauded Capt.
Hitch's Company as it Marched in
Inst Night-Capt. Hitch Was seiz-
ed, Disarmed and Elected From
Court House, But Fought Way
Back.
Not until the Adjutant General has
received his report will Capt. r. M.
Hitch discuss the over-powering of
himself and company by the Statesboro
mob early yesterday afternoon.
The Savannah soldiers who were sent
to Statesboro returned to Savannah last
night shortly after o'clock. The pick
ed company under Capt. Hitch of the
Oglethorpes that had been on duty
since Monday and was overpowered by
the mob, was applauded by a number
of ladies. who were at the Union Sta
tion when the troops arrived.
The regiment under the command of
Col. Grayson was marched to the First
Regiment Armory and there dismissed.
The picked men were worn out. They
time of their arrival at Statesboro.
That the soldiers put up a good fight,
and did everything possible, to save
the negroes. except to fire on the mob,
there is no doubt. Capt. Hitch was
asked for a statement of the affair. but
he declined to discuss it at all this
time.
Has Dictated His Report.
IT dictated my report to the adju-
tant general on the train coming
back" he said. at covers the entire
trip, from the time we left here until
we returned.
This report will be transcribed to-
day and forwarded. Until it is made,
I cannot discuss the matter at all.
After it reaches the adjutant general,
it will become public property and
any one will be at liberty to discuss
it,"
Capt Hitch would not discuss any
feature of the affair at all Many of
the men in the company, however,
bore evidence of the resistance they
had made. A black eye here and
there, or some other bruise, testified
to the fight that had been made.
Made ~ Hard Fight.
For an hour and a quarter or more
the soldiers fought off the mob with
bayonets. AT the conclusion of the
sentence of the negroes, there was
yell from the mob surrounding the
Court House, and a call was sent for
most of the soldiers at the Jail to re-
port at the Court House. The soldiers
had difficulty, they say, in reaching
the Court House. There were about
nifty soldiers in the Court House, when
the forces Joined.
There are two stairways leading TO
the second story of the Court House.
one at either end of the building. The
soldiers were arranged on each of these
with fixed bayonets. The mob surged
back and forth through the hall. charg-
ing first one stairway and then an
other BY pricking the men with bayo-
nets, the soldiers kept them back for
a long time, though there were numer-
GUS fist fights continuously in progress.
Lieut.. McIntire's Courage.
Lieut. McIntire, stationed at the foot
of one of the stairways, fought. when
attacked, like q demon. Many blows
were rained upon him. but he stood his
ground and gave back good or better
than he received. Some one in the
crowd kicked him in the stomach, and
il was thought for a time that he was
seriously hurt, but such was not the
case.
1t was reported that the crowd was
raising a ladder to the second story
window to get to the prisoners that
way, and a heavier guard was sent to
the room, where they were held. Up
until that time only two soldiers had
been with the prisoners.
Capt. Hitch OverDOwered.
Capt Hitch was down almost at the
foot of the stairs encouraging his
men, when several Of the soldiers were
jerked out into the crowd.
A big member of the mob seized
Capt. Hitch, pinning his arms to his
sides. He was carried out through the
crowd, his pistol taken away and he
was thrown out of the door.
BY the time he had fought his way
through another entrance and gotten
back to the soldiers, the prisoners had
been taken.
After the first repulse, some of the
members of the mob, the soldiers say,
retired few PAGES, and pulled OFF
their coats, thereby displaying pistols
in their hip pockets.
The Guns Were Loaded.
The guns of the company from Sa-
vannah were loaded, reports to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
The men had been told on the way
up not to shoot under any circum-
stances, unless ordered to do so. and
they obeyed their instructions under
the most trying circumstances.
Though the men were very tired last
night, most of them appeared to be in
the best OF humor.
When the mob reached the room
where the prisoners We're located
rope was thrown over the head of each
OF them, the soldiers say. Cato made
no show of resistance. but Reed tried
TO escape. He was overpowered,
thrown to the floor and roped.
other Soldiers Sent.
At 1870 o'clock. when it became
known that the mob was preparing to
storm the Statesboro Court House. the
special military cali was sounded on
the Big Duke, and once more the First
Regiment Armory became a scene of
hustle and excitement.
The men who answered the alarm
were enough to make three companies,
and under command of Lieut.. Col
Grayson, marched to the Union sta
tion, where a Seaboard Air Line special
was in waiting. The Guards were also
ordered on this special. but did not
make the trip. They were delayed a
few minutes in reaching the station
and the train went without them.
The special pulled out at 1903 o'clock,
and Just four minutes later the Guards
were at the depot. A message was
hurried TO the Adjutant Generals Of
fee, but information of the taking Of
(sato and Reed had already bpau 10