The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-19
CAPT. HITCH COMMENDED.

Statesboro, Ga, Aug. 1S-Editor
Morning News: l have just read the
statement of Capt. Hitch and know
that every word of it is true, except as
to the loading of guns and orders
which he may have issued and what
occurred on the Court House steps (of
which 1 know nothing) to be true.
was among the last citizens except the
court officials to leave the Court House
after the prisoners were sentenced.
had been an anxious observer from
Sunday night until the mob made the
first effort to secure the condemned
negroes. I had been expecting the mob
to attempt to lynch them at any mo-
ment from Sunday night until Tues
day morning, when 1 felt sure there
would be no further efforts made to
secure them.
When 1 left the Court House and
came to the southeastern corner tof it,
saw men gathering at the eastern
entrance, but even then / had no idea
of their purpose to secure the negroes.
thought their only purpose was to see
the prisoners as they passed out to the
Jail. After a large crowd had gather
ed there I still had no apprehension of
their purpose until they gave a wild
YELL
At that time the few soldiers in the
Court House, numbering l thought
twenty-five or thirty, were all that
were in sight, except about a half
dozen who were on guard a few steps
away.
1 feel sure that law abiding citizens
and the military were completely sur
prised. At that time / knew that if it
was a determined mob the military
could not save the prisoners without
the shedding of much blood. To this
l did not believe that the law-abidng
citizens would submit without array
ing themselves against the military
There were great many peace-loving,
law-abiding citizens who earnestly de-
sired the law enforced, so far as the
legal hanging of those condemned ne
groes was concerned, but who would
have fallen into the midst of the fight
if the military had shed one drop Of
our citizens blood, trying to protect
those incarnate devils. / feel, and
there are many here, who feel thank
full to Capt. Hitch for his eonserva-
tive course. The young men
who are so much enraged
great humiliation had better thank
their God. as long as they live, that
they had no orders to shoot. | verify
believe that if one gun had been fired
the dead would have been in heaps
all over the Court House square They
would have killed and been killed by
their best friends, and who would have
desired such a state of affairs about
two of the meanest demons out of the
internal regions, all to support the
majesty of the law, which had no ade-
quate punishment for such incarnate
devils.
took no part except to beg that the
law take its course.
If the military and the quiet citi-
zens had not been completely surprised,
and the mob allowed to get in such
close quarters and in so large num-
beers, the disgraceful. humiliating af-
fair might have been prevented, but
as ii was, l doubt very much whether
the whole First Georgia Regiment
could have saved them without the
shedding of barrels of blood.
/ have heard Of men being between
the devil and the deep blue sea-" IL
the poor soldiers, called upon to pro-
tect those brutes against an injured.
insulted, bereaved people were not in
that predictment, ] cannot imagine a.
case where they could.
They are brave and good and do not
doubt but that many, IL not all, Of
the Statesboro and Savannah soldiers
would die in the last ditch il they had
just cause, but in this case they
had no cause 10 she'd blood. Then "a n
praise to Capt Hitch for not allow
ing them to loHl guns nor use bayonets.
They fought brayely with the means
they were permitted 10 use.
Let all the people praise and honor
Capt. Hitch and all the brave States
boro and Savannah boys i.