The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-11


mob was running little when they
got OUT on the road with the prison
ers. He denied making any statement
TO Capt. Hitch about the shedding of
blood. He saw no symptoms of riot
ing Tuesday morning.
He was sure his blood had not been
made to curdle by the remarks of
Z Judge Daley, in sentencing the prison.
ers, which had seemed to him nothing
out of the ordinary, except that it was
perhaps shorter than usual.
In answer to questions by the court.
the witness thought a messenger could
have gotten through the crowd to the
Jail, in fact he thought he could have
carried such a message. He was one
of the committee who sent a telegram
to the Governor Monday. to the effect
that he thought there would be a
lynching after conviction. He did not
remember if he had communicated his
fears to Capt. Hitch, but thought he
must have done so.
Col. Toomer asked the witness if he
had not seen Capt. Hitch stop Judge
Daley from saying anything about
bringing the prisoners back to Savan-
nah. He had not. though he could
not undertake to say that such thing
had not occurred.
Noticed Downward Tendency.
DR.. A. A. Morrison, first lieutenant
and assistant surgeon, was, called. He
had sent a telegram for Capt. Hitch.
He had free access to the crowd as he
had on civilian clothes. He first went
to Judge Daley about asking for help,
and was referred to Capt. Hitch, who
told him that it was not needed.
About thirty minutes later he made
the same round and was told to call
fnN Irl9 Il tnl, he Il u Nv sA1o NH,
The witness was standing not far
from Capt. Hitch when the latter was
seized and hustled into the crowd. AS
Capt. Hitch struggled with his assail-
ant, Lieut.. Morrison noticed tendency
Ito go down the steps," The men
tried to defend the stairs after Capt.
Hitch was taken. He thought that any
of the soldiers had strength enough
to thrust a man fatally with the bay
onet. Witness only took one message
for Capt. Hitch.
Thought He Was OutranI&ed.
Lieut.. Cone was recalled. In reply
to a question he stated that he was
second in command, but did not know
it, having beer of the opinion that
Lieut.. Nell outranked him. Capt.
Hitch had not promulgated any plans
for protection nor for signals for re-
Inducements, or for any succession of
commands from one officer to another,
Nothing had been said to him about
loading and firing. The witness told
of the disposition of the troops on
Tuesday.
AS the mob crowded up the steps
and soldiers started to use the bay
onets as they were driven UP the
stairs. On one occasion he had seen
Capt. Hitch stop Private Rogers from
using his bayonet when he was being
crowded on the stairs.
The witness was sure that mes
senger could have been sent to the
camp or to the telegraph office, even
though in uniform. He saw the men
disarmed climb back into the Court
House The force at the camp was en-
tirely available as reinforcements.
Cone Also Seized.
Col. Napier: What became Of you
after Capt. Hitch was seized and
dragged out?"
Lieut.. Cone: II was also seized in
a similar manner by members of the
mob and dragged out of the Court
House"
Lieut. Cone estimated that from
fifty to seventy-five men took part in
mob violence and that not over 200
men were with the prisoners.
Col Napier: Did you hear Capt.
Hitch say anything about his orders
from the civil authorities being salts
factory?'
Lieut.. Cone: Yes, he said that his
orders We're satisfactory and that he
would take charge of the situation. !"
1t was further stated that Capt.
Hitch saw some of witness command
dsarmed, and that the former was
on the staircase for the most Of an
hour. On cross examination, the wit
ness stated that the soldiers could
have saved the prisoners from the at
lacking force, even without firing.
Photographs Introduced.
Just before the court adjourned at
7 o'clock for the day, Col. Napier in
troduced as evidence ten photographs
of scenes about the Court House and
Jail and two diagrams and a telegram.
An adjournment was then taken UNI
til o'clock this morning. Capt.
Hitch, Lieut. Nell and a number of
other witnesses will be examined at
to-day's sessions. The hearing of the
evidence against Capt. Hitch will prob
ably be concluded this afternoon. The
court will agree on a verdict at the
close of the trial and before the ar
raignment of Lieut.. Nell. The finding
will be sent to the Governor at the
close of the courts sittings.