The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-29
DEFENDANTS GET
COPY OF CHARGES
OFFICERS AT sTATEsBoRo.
COL. NAPIER, JUDGE ADVOCATE OF
COURT, IN SAVANNAH.

Lieut.. Cone, as Next in Rank ia
Capt. Hitch, Failed to Assume
Command When Latter Was Seix-
ed by MOb-Commanding Officer
Charged With Failing to Take
Proper Precautions, Making Mis-
leading Statements to Men and
DereIiction in Pursuit.
Copies of the charges against five
of the six officers on duty during the
lynching of Cato and Reed at States
boro were served yesterday The off,
GERS were: Capt. r. M. Hitch, Lieuts.
Cone, Nell. Griner and Morrison.
The charges were served on the three
Savannah officers, Capt. Hitch and
Lieuts. Nell and Morrison. by Adjt.
Horace Brooks, of the First Regiment.
Lieut.. Cone and Griner were served
with copies by the first sergeant of
the Statesboro company.
Col. George NJ. Napier of Monroe,
who had been named as judge advo-
cate of the court martial, reached Sa-
vannah yesterday morning bringing
with him copies of the charges. Act
ing under instructions from the Ad-
jutant General, he did not serve them
in person, but delegated the task to
Capt. Brooks and the first sergeant
of the Statesboro company.
In each case return was made on
the back of the original charge, show
ing that service had been made. A
copy of the charges was also left with
each of the defendants.
Statesboro Officers Charges.
Considerable interest conferred in the
Statesboro officers. Lieuts. Cone and
Griner, the evidence against the three
Savannah officers having been pub
lished in detail and being familiar to
the public.
The first charge against Lieut.. Cone
IS that he allowed his men to be dis
armed without giving them any COM
mand or direction whereby they could
defend themselves, or hold the position
he had been commanded to guard.
The second charge is more grave and
is to the effect that after Capt. Hitch
had been seized and disarmed and car
ried down the stairway he failed to
assume the command which devolved
upon him as the next officer in rank.
The last charge is that having been
ordered TO guard the front stairway
OF the Court House, he left his guard
without leave from his superior off,
Ger when it was not a case of abso-
lutte necessity.
second Lieutenant Griner is charged
with leaving his guard at the Jail
without leave from his superior officer
and that he "shamefully abandoned"
ms post; and further, that he assumed
the authority to leave his command
and to telegraph for reinforcements
without any order to do so.
Capt. Hitch,s Arraignment.
Capt. r. NJ. Hitch is charged with
failure to consult with junior officers
as TO plans for loading and firing, for
bringing up reinforcemnets, for sig
nails in order to prevent surprise and
dor a determined defense in case the
commanding officers might be sur
pr1sed or captured by the mob.
another specification charges that
ne did not take Noper precaution to
prevent his surprise and capture, and
mat after being surprised and cap
tured he failed to order available re-
Ahioreements. He is further charged
with giving improper and misleading
commands to the men under him and
aalllng to make proper precautions in
case necessity should arise for loading
and firing.
The last charge is that Capt. Hitch
eailed to pursue the mob after the
capture of the prisoners, and endeavor
20 prevent the execution of mob vio-
fence, when he had ample military
aorce to have both rescued and pro-
tected the prisoners.
Failed to Send Detachment.
Lieut.. George A. Nell is charged
with failing to send his detachment to
the Court House, though having knowl-
edge of the aggressive conduct OF the
mob and the need of achievements,
and further that when the mob was
making off with the prisoners he made
no effort to intercept them. Lastly, 1t
is charged that he interfered to pre-
vent Second Lieutenant ]. w. McIn-
tire and a number Of men from follow
ing the mob.
First Lieutenant and Assistant Sur
geon A. A. Morrison is charged with
interfering with Lieut.. McIntire by
counseling him not to fire in defense
OF himself and men. end further with
attempting TO dissuade Lieut.. McIntire
from following the mob.
Each copy Of the charges delivered to
the defendants was signed by Col