The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-15


Corpl. Jones: Yes"
John Paul in Receive.
Col. Anderson: rs this ]. P. Jones?'
COL Napier: mo, sir. This is j. /
ID. Jones. We have John Paul Jones |
vet in reserve"
Private D. s. Rogers of Company A |
was on the front stairs He was about |
to stick a member of the mob with |
his bayonet and asked Capt. Hitch, |
Who replied: Don't touch him" He |
saw lots" of men disarmed. He knew |
apt Hitch saw Private Jones dis |
armed, and thought the officer saw |
witness disarmed.
The mob went up just like some
thing was after them,' said the wit
less.
Col. Napier: Did you hear Lieut..
cone rally his men after Capt. Hitch
was seized?"
No Men to Rally.
Private Rogers: HE had no men
to rally and nobody to talk to except
me mob.
Col. Anderson: do you now know
cap. Mallard to be the man who first
came up the steps?"
Private Rogers: Yes, sir, whenever
see him l do"
Col. Anderson: "Who was in the
mob?"
Private Rogers: Il saw Oldham
Robinson, Mr.. Denmark and others
Leroy Blackburn and Dempsy Bonner
got my gun.
The witness saw men struggling with
Lieut.. Cone and trying, to take his
sword. The time was so short between
The Selling of the two officers that
there was no opportunity to issue or
derS Moreover, there was nobody to
talk to, as all of the men had either
been thrown out or disarmed
"Scr0uginG" the Soldiers.
Private ]. D. Fletcher, of Company
A. who was the next witness, describ-
ed the coming of the mob up the
steps by saying that they were
"scrouging" past the soldiers. The
mob rushed up Immediately after Capt
Hitch was taken.
There was too much going on for
me to see all that happened" said the
witness.
Col. Napier: Sort of like watching
q three-ring circus?"
The only time Lieut. Cone had to
issue commands was after the mob
passed Capt. Hitch and before it
reached him. The interval was from
twenty-five to thirty seconds.
Col. Anderson: who seized your"
Private Fletcher: "A man named Joe
0lur caught me. l do not recollect any
others"
Col. Anderson: You do not want to
recolect, do you?"
Private Fletcher: I'd just as leave
as not"
Lieut.. Cone on Hand
Lieut.. Cone. the defendant, then
took the stand in his own behalf. He
related the warlike preparations before
The arrival of Capt. Hitch. Drills had
been held in anticipation of going on
riot duty.
In reply to a letter to Maj Coney
asking for advice, the defendant re-
ceiyed confidential information that a
captain from Savannah would be sent
to command the company in case of
riot duty. After the Statesboro COM
pany went on duty, six cartridges were |
issued, enough TO fill the magazines
Of The guns.
The witness was not assigned to any |
special post, but thought Capt. Hitch |
was in command. Not a soldier was |
i'm front of Capt. Hitch when the lat |
ter was seized. Witness was seized |
almost simultaneous with the capture !
of his superior officer, and was borne /
down stairs.
Il positively deny that I cautioned |
anybody against the use of bayonets,"
said Lieut.. Cone. 1T was directly OPP |
poste to my feelings, for l had talked |
exactly opposite
Answers Specific Charges.
Lieut. Cone then took up the charges |
and specifications seriatim. He had |
heard Capt. Hitch refuse to let a sol |
der use his bayonet and he assum-
ed that was the policy. There was not
time to assume command before he |
was seized. Having no assigned COM
mand, he could not desert his post.
He did not know that Lieut.. McIntire
was on the back stairs and thought
Capt. Hitch was directly in command
of both stairways.
Sergt w. E. Scarboro, of the States
bOpO testified that if his
understanding that he was under the
direct command of Capt. Hitch, while
ON the front stairway. He saw Lieut.
Cone seized.
on the conclusion of the testimony of
this witness both sides announced that
the evidence was all in, and the argu-
ment was taken up.
Discharge Not Asked for.
In opening the case for the state
Col. Napier stated that he did not be-
lieve that the offense of the defendant
merted a fine or Imprisonment, or even
a discharge from the service. Yet he
thought it was a serious offense for an
officer to leave his post. He also urged
that Lieut.. Cone should have assumed
command when Capt Hitch was cap
tured by the mob.
In his argument for the defense Mr..
II. e. Wilson stated first that to all
intents and purposes Lieut.. Cone was
the vigorous steps taken by Lieut.
Cone when his company was called
out on Sunday night to guard the jail
how that cartridges had been issued
and picket lines established. He MAIN
tanned that the whole trouble was that
capt. Hitch exposed himself to cap
lure, and that the defendant was gull
n of no offense against military law.
There had been no time or opportunity
TO assume command, after the seiz-
ure of the commanding officer.
Col Napier urged that Lieut. Cone
had been left In charge of the front
stairs and had absented himself with
out leave.
waterloo Avoided.
III they had had two lieutenants like
McIntire and a few McGuires the mob
would have gotten out of there too
quick to talk about" said Col. Ma
pier. This peaceful Waterloo, where
mo- blood was shed. except by one Off
Ger, would never have occurred
Criticism was made of Capt. Hitch
for putting up the Statesboro boys to
fight their fellow citizens. The speak
% closed by respectfully insisting that
ihe charges and specifications had been
made out.
At the conclusion of the argument,
tho court room was cleared and the