The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-22
TERRELL STANDS
FOR THE FINDING
TWO WILL BE REPRIMANDED.
LIEUT.. NELL SUSPENDED FROM
ALL DUTY FOR A YEAR,

lar by GOV. Terrell=Lieut. Nor
risOn and Lieut.. Cone Found NOT
GuiIty-But Capt. Hitch Suffers at
Hands of Court and the Governor.
Two Public Reprimands.
Atlanta. Oct. 21.-Capt Robert NJ.
Hitch. Company I, First Infantry,
Georgia State Troops, guilty and or
dered dismissed from the service of the
State.
First Lieutenant George A. Nell.
Company, ], First Infantry, Georgia
State Troops, guilty of conduct pref
udiciaI to good order, and military
discipline and ordered suspended from
all duty for one year, and to be pub
licly reprimanded.
Second Lieutenant Henry H. Griner,
Company A, First Infantry, guilty of
leaving his command without orders,
and ordered publicly reprimanded.
First Lieutenant Charles A. Conc,
Company A, First Infantry, Georgia
State Troops, and First Lieutenant A.
A Morrison, not guilty.
The foregoing was the findings and
verdicts of the court-martial before
which were tried Capt. Robert NJ.
Hitch, and the other officers named,
who served at Statesboro, Aug. is. and
- - .ao- 1.Ior- - ,oro,,o,,+ ,,,oI,
violence, and to protect two negroes,
Reed and Cato from being lynched
and from whom these negroes were
taken by the mob and burned at the
stake.
Terrell Approves Findings.
Gov. Terrell has approved the find
ings and sentences of the court and
official orders to that effect, by which
the sentences will be carried out, will
be issued at once by Adjt. Gen. S. W.
Harris.
The history of how the two negroes
Reed and Cato were taken away from
the troops. after they had been tried,
convicted and sentenced by Judge
Daley to be hanged, and then burned
at the stake. by the mob. is every
where we'll known.
court of inquiry appointed to in
vestlgate the conduct of the troops
at Statesboro was followed by court
martial, appointed by Gov. Terrell,
which sat at Savannah during the
week beginning Oct. 10. and before
which all of the officers who partici-
pated in the work of the troops at
statesboro, with the exception of Lieut..
McIntire, were placed on trial.
Governor Offers No Dissent.
With the presentation of it's findings
and sentences to the Governor, through
Adjt. Gen. Harris. the court-martial
to-day completed it's work. This has
been approved in every particular by
Gov. Terrell.
It now remains only for the Adiutant
General to carry out the sentences by
the issuance of the requisite orders.
Capt. Hitch, who was in command
Of the troops at Statesboro. and who
was captured and disarmed by men,
bers of the mob, was found guilty by
the court-martial on all but one or
two of the charges. and specifications
drawn up by Judge Advocate General
George M. Napier.
There Was No CriminnIity.
An analysis of the findings of the
court shows that he was found guilty
Of gross neglect of duty and errors Of
judgment, but that in no case was
any criminality attached to his ac-
tons.
The first charge against Capt. Hitch
was conduct to the prejudice of good
order and military discipline, in vio-
laton OF the sixty-second Article OF
War
Under this Capt. Hitch was found
guilty of the first specification, in that
he neglected and failed to obey that
part of the Governors order which di-
rected him to prevent mob violence to
The prisoners, Reed and Cato, but not
guilty OF neglecting to obey any other
portions Of the Governors order.
Capt. Hitch Had Made Plans.
The second specification charged
Capt. Hitch with failing TO place a
Gordon about the Court House. and
stherwlse to properly guard the place
Of trial.
On this he was found guilty, but the
finding states that no crlminality was
attached to his failure to put out a
rordon.
Capt. Hitch was found not guilty Of