The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-11-02
Georgia's Governor is Scored
by Deposed Captain
IN SCATHING OPEN LETTER
Governor Is Accused of Prejudging
Captains Case and Approving
CourtmartIaI Verdict With.
out Even Reading 1t.

Savannah, the officer who was dismiss
ed from the service Of the state by a
courtmartial because he allowed a
mob at Statesboro to take two prison
ers from the troops and burn them,
has written a very stiff letter to Gov
ernor Joseph M. Terrell. In part Cap
tain Hitch says:
Now that l am relieved of that en-
forced silence which military disci-
pine imposed and am at liberty to ad-
dress you as a Georgian and an Amer
lean citizen, l feel it to be the duty
which 1 owe to the state and to the
Georgia state troops, and to myself,
to plainly delineate certain manifesto
tions of your character which have
been brought to public attention since
August Is, of the present year. Be
fore doing so, however, have pur-
posely waited a reasonable time for
elaboration and reflection lest I'M
consciously l might initiate that indie
cent haste which you have lately ex-
hibited on occasions when the reputa-
lions Of good men were lodged in your
keeping.
In military affairs, the commanding
officer is always accountable for the
conduct of his command. For the &C
ton Of the troops at Statesboro on
August Is and 16 | have always an
nounced myself as willing to assume
| R,,I NV
sought to shift the burden on any sub
ordinate officer or enlisted man. AID
neither the people of Georgia nor my
self will allow you to escape your fuI
responsibility for the action of the
court martial convened at Savannah
by your command. Under the law, you
are the commander in chief. Under
the law, the action of that court mar
tial had to be submitted to and pass
ed upon by you before it became effec-
tive On you, therefore, must rest the
blame.
You have never been fond of as
Stunning responsibility. On the coh-
trary. you have persistently pursued
course which always placed others b :
tween you and possible critici7m
Under the military law, you could
have ordered me to Statesboro on Au'
gust Is with instructions to act i'm
mediately under your command and
according to your directions. Yours
would then have been the RESPONSE
bility. Local feeling and sentiment
would thus have been eliminated. In
stead of taking this course, you saw
fit to send me there under instructions
to report to sheriff of Bulloch coun-
ty, who, it now appears, was closely
connected by marriage with the muir
dered Hodges family, and to comply
with such orders as he might give, to
"act in conjunction with the sheriff OF
/ Bulloch county" and to take orders
for duty from the judge presiding at
the trial. 1t therefore became nec99-
sary in your eyes to find scapegoat;
some victim must be found, some one
must be sacrificed in order to relieve
the pressure leveled against the CHIEF
authorities of the state. You know,
I know, everybody knows, that had
one shot been fired during those hours
while I was on that court house stair
way holding back those frenzied pep
| pie at the point of the bayonet pending
the arrival of Colonel Grayson with his
reinforcements, who, l assumed, was
! on the way, the indiscriminate slaugh.
| ter which would have ensued would
have caused me to be branded as q
| murderer and a monster from one en- l
! of the land to the other. | stated
/ to the court of inquiry, | declared be-
fore the court martial, and l now re-
| peat that in my judgment | discharged
nv full duty as a soldier at Statesboro
| as we'll as my duty as man. 1t was
! hard duty to perform, such as has
| never before confronted an officer CT
! the state troops. | did my duty as
| saw it, and each passing day has con
| vinced me more and more that | saw
| it right. l have no apologies TO make.
My conscience is clear, my confidence
in the correctness of my course u1'
shaken, and l am content. You, | am
sure, cannot say as much.
Beyond the statement that every re-
port and all the evidence in the Hitch
courtmartial case was given careful
consideration by him personally, Gov
ernor Terrell declines to discuss the
| letter of ex-Captain Hitch.
Further than this, the governor
merely says: For me to enter into
any discussion of such matters with
parties who feel aggrieved at my off