The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-10-27
HITCH IS DISMISSED
Captain of Troops at States
boro Fired From Service.
COURTMARTIAL VERDICT
Lieutenant Nell ia Suspended for
Twelve Months, While Lieutenant
Griner Gets Repr;mand and 9th
ers ars Acquitted.

Captain R. NJ. Hitch, who was IN
: charge of the troops at Statesboro,
Ca, upon the occasion Of the lynching
of TIE negroes Reed and Cato, convict.
ed , of numbering the Hodges family,
has been dismissed from further SER
vice in the state militia. The verdict
! of the courtmartial was opened at At
; lanta Friday afternoon By Governor
, Terrell, and in addition to dismissing
Captain Hitch. contains the following
/! provisions: -. "t','i '@s'
Lieutenant L.. A. Nell, who was In
charge Of the camp while Captain
Hitch was at the courthouse, is sus-
! pended for a year and publicly repri'
! manded. '.. ,..t -" =
! Lieutenant Griner, who was in
charge Of the reserves and left his
command without authority, was pub
licly reprimanded.
! Lieutenants Cone and Morrison are
acquitted. ..
; Governor Terrell approved the find
ings and sentences Of the court and Of
fetal orders to that effect will be is-
sued at once to Adjutant General S. W.
Harris. -... :,
Captain Robert NJ. Hitch was order
ed on August 18th last by the COVER
! nor to select fifty men from the COM
panies of the First infantry at Savan-
nah, and two officers, and report to
Sheriff q. Kendrick, Of Bullock coun-
ty, in the Jail in Savannah, for the pur-
pose Of escorting to Statesboro the
two negroes, Reed and Cato, who were
to be tried for the murder Of the
Hodges family, and who were in Sa-
vannah Jail for safe keeping.
Captain Hitch took with him Lieu
tenant George A. Nell and Lieutenant
j. w. Mcintyre, Jr. and the fifty men
as directed and the prisoners were es-
corted to Statesboro. There Captain
Hitcvh took command Of all the troops,
!. including company A, stationed at
Statesboro and in command Of First
Lieutenant Charles A. Cone.
The history Of how the two negroes
were taken away from the troops after
they had been tried, convicted and
sentenced by Judge Daly to be hanged,
and then burned at the stake by the
mob, is everywhere we'll known.
A court of inquiry appointed to in
vestigate the conduct Of the troops
at Statesboro was followed by court
martial appointed by Governor Ter
rell, which sat at Savannah during the
week beginning October 10th, and be-
fore which all Of the officers who par
ticipated in the work Of the troops at
statesboro, with the exception of Lieu
tenant McIntyre, were placed on trial.
With the presentation Of its findings
and sentences to the governor, through
Adjutant General Harris, the court
martial completed its work, and this
has been approved in every particular
by Governor Terrell. 1t now remains
only for the adjutant general to carry
out the sentences by the issuance of
the requisite orders. D.. = =
OFFICERS Refuse to Talk.
A Savannah dispatch says: Captain
Hitch and Lieutenant Nell refuse to
discuss the findings of the courtmar-
tial, each saying:
81 have nothing to say at present"
It was reported some weeks ago that
a round robin was circulated pledging
the signers to withdraw in case the
findings were unfavorable to Captain
Hitch.
It is certain, however, that he will
disapprove any such course. The dis
charge of Captain Hitch without mod.
flying words debars him from holding
state or municipal Office. The suspen-
sion does rot effect in any way Lieu
tenant Nell, who is employed In the
Savannah city fire department as
c1ark