The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-27
WORTHLESS, INEFFICIENT
 IS HUNTSVILLE COMPANY

Huntsville, Ala, approximately eigh- teen. strong, at about 5:30 p. rn., their number being increased before o'clock to approximately twenty-five (25) men, Capt. R. l.. Hay in command. and Lieuts. T. P. Hay and S. Morgan Stew art, present. That when Company F arrived at the jail the streets In its inn mediate vicinity were crowded with people.
 sheriff Rodgers states that when the military reported to him. he ordered them, through First Lieutenant Hay. in the presence of Captain Hay. to take charge of the jail and protect the pris- oner,' This is denied by the military officers who. while denying the receipt of these orders. are not clear as to whether any orders were received at | this time from the Sherif.
 That Captain Hay proceeded to have his sergeants clear the streets with de- tails, the people offering no resistance, and to post sentinels to keep the crowd back, giving general orders to these non n-commissioned officers who trans mitted them to the 'sentinels as given them, to keep the crowd back but giving no orders or instructions as to how this was to be done That Cap tain Hay had had bayonets fixed be- fore leaving the armory, but he had not given the command to load, end that the guns of the detail and senti- nels were not loaded. though they had cartridges in abundance That approx imately seven men were posted as sent inels, the remainder being at the jail.
 That Captain Hay utterly failed to make any arrangements looking to support of his sentinels in case they were attacked by the crowd. who were demonstrating that their purpose to this end was growing, and that the sentinels at the post which was finally attacked and overpowered, were not informed. and had no right to believe that they would be supported in such a conting- eney, their orders and instructions be- ing only of that indefinite character as outlined above.
 Wholly Unprepared for Attack.
 That this condition of affairs con tinued until about p. m., when an attack was made upon the post at the corner of Clinton and Washington Streets. and one of the sentinels was overpowered and rendered unconscious by the mob, which. however. hesitated for an appreciable time. when two or three sergeants and men came to his aid, long enough, in fact. for the sent incl to be sent to the jail. and then rushed by this post and to the jail. That there was no effort on the part of Captain Hay or other military off, cers to support this post when 1t was attacked, and the attack found the men at the jail out of military formation, sitting around on the steps of the jail and on the curbstones eating supper. That thereupon Lieutenant Hay. at the Jail, gave command to the men there to fall in. Captain Hay then gave them a command to go In the jail, and then ordered them on the second land | ing of the steps. The military claim | that these orders were given in obedi- ence to instructions from Sheriff Rod gers, who denies that he gave any or ders here save to get inside the door and keep the crowd. out
 That as the mob, having overpow- cred and passed the post as above out lined, approached the jail. Captain, Hay asked if he should fire. Sheriff Rod gers said: Not yet There had been no order given by Captain Hay to the men at the jail to load. The distance from the jail to the post which was attacked was about one hundred yards.
 That after the military went into | the jail rocks and other missiles were thrown through the windows and other openings and some of the military were | SUI uCh htIc lS lcSllIHOHS lHdt guns were fired in the mob. both at the time the post was attacked. and at the time the military were In the jail. Captain Hay testified that several shots were l fired into the jail, one breaking a win dow and wounding him with splinters of glass. We examined the inside of the jail but found no bullet marks. i Captain Hay testified that during this time he repeatedly told the Sheriff that he was ready to shoot and shoo, to kill, but was as often told not to do so. Sheriff Rodgers denied this, and i testified that the only order he gave of this character was one to an indi- vidual soldier. who asked if he should ! fire through a door on which the mot was hammering. saying, No. don't shoO, to try to scare the mob
 That during the whole time no or ders to fire were given the military and no shots were fired by them. Nc general order to load was given. Lieu tenant Hay gave a few individual or ders to load. when issuing additional cartridges in the jail
 The jailor testified that some of the military were in his room, some beine i in the closet and some under the bed while others sat on the floor smoking This is denied as to any soldier beine under the bed.
 Soldiers Were Stampeded.
 That thIs was the condition of af. fairs until finally the jail was firec and some of the men overcome by tn, smoke when they started under order. to march out of the Jail Upon theIi getting into the mob, they were sep arated. cursed and assaulted. and los
 their identity as a military organiza
 tion, no attempt made to form or rall,
 them either before or after the pris
 oner whom the mob was seeking wa! hanged; the prisoner jumping. or be
 ing thrown by some one unknown tC
 us, out of the second story of the jai
 shortly after the military made theii exit or just at that time.
 Lieutenant Stewart showed som. familiarity with the duties of an off. cer on an occasion of this character and he testified that he had read Ar. ticle of Chapter 176 of the Crimina Code of 1896. but Captain Hay and Lieutenant Hay seemed entirely tpnor