The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-15
SOLDIERS READY
To MOVE AT ONCE
TO BULLOCK COUNTY.
If FOUR TAPS ARE REPEATED
FIVE TIMES ON BIG DUKE.

Lieut.-COI. GraysOn Has Picked
Detail of Men for the Trip Under
Capt. Hitch-The Report That
Everything Is Quiet at StatesborO
Keeps the Soldiers Here-May BE
sent for il Negroes Are Strung Up.
Wholesale LynchinE Was Persist
entity Reported During Yesterday
Afternoon.
-Four taps on the Big Duke. re-
peated five times. will be the call for
the members of the First Regiment
Infantry who have been detailed to go
to Statesboro in case there is any
trouble.
Although advices from Statesboro late
last night stated that there was
no open move for the lynching of the
negroes charged with the murder and
burning of the Hodges family, a picked
company from the First Regiment of
Infantry is ready to move in an hour
after receiving notice.
AS is indicated above, the signal for
the men to assemble at the armory
will be the striking of four taps on the
Big Duke, to be repeated five times.
Lieut. w. L. Grayson, in command of
the regiment, heard nothing yesterday
from Bulloch county, but, acting I'M
der orders received from the Governor,
is prepared to get his men away with
out delay.
Men Have Been Picked.
The members of the various COM
panies that have been summoned to
hold themselves in readiness are:
Twelve members of the Emmett Rifles,
eight of the Irish Jasper Greens, five
of the German Volunteers and thirty
of the Oglethorpes. The command is
vested in Capt. r. NJ. Hitch of the
Oglethorpes, while either Lieut.. James
McIntire of the Emmets or Lieut.. G.
V. Hohenstein of the Greens is slated
for second in command.
The decision of the calling out of
the local company has been left with
Judge Daley, who will try the cases.
Inquiry was made of the Seaboard
Air Line about noon regarding the
roads ability to handle "A special to
Statesboro in haste. The officials an
swered that there would be no trou-
BILE in starting a train on an hours
notice to carry troops.
capt. Hitch stated that he
would not be surprised if the call
came about noon to-day. after the
crowd had gathered for the trial. If
the temper of the Bulloch county peo-
ple is bad and the local company is
unable to cope with the situation then
the Savannah troops viii be called on
for aid. he believed.
RumOrs of Lynching.
In some way the rumor became cur
rent in Savannah during the after
noon that there had been a wholesale
lynching at Statesboro. and that all
of the alleged murderers had been
summ'arily disposed of. The rumor al
so had it that the wires out of States
boro had been cut in order that any
outside interference might be prevent
ed
The rumor started early in the aft
ernoon and in a short time was the
talk all the way from the Bay to
Fortieth street. 1t was taken for
granted that it was true. on account
of the lynching sentiment that has
been reported from the country dis
tricts around Statesboro, and in the
adjoining counties.
While the telephone lines to States
boro were not working, the Western
Union. which usually does not open
its Statesboro Office on Sundays, was
in communication there all day.
Everything Reported Quiet.
AS soon as the rlmor became cur
rent. the Morning News wired its cor
respondent at Statesboro. The reply
was that there had been no lynching
and that everything was quiet around
the Jail and in the town. Sheriff Ken
bricks was then in the Western IN
ions Statesboro office and said there
had been no lynching, or attempt. at
lynching.
The Morning News telephones
were kept busy most of the
afternoon and during the early night
answering inquiries as to the truth of
the rumor.
People who know the feelings of n
large element in Bulloch county say
that the chances of the murderers be-
ing legally hung are very slim. and
that the avenging of the killing of the
Hodges family will be at the hands
of those in the community where the
crime was committed. They look for
something to happen as soon as the
negroes have been tried and sentenced,