Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-09
RETENTION OF TROOPS
IN FITZGERALD ASKEn
BY WARD GREENE
(SfaT C0rra 0f The Youl,,n a I Y

FlTZGERALD, July with Fit2.
gerald under martial law, peace and
it would not take great deal I'd.
start afresh the flame that almost
led to a riot Tuesday night.
Law and order returned under the
presence of the troops. AS long az
they are here everything will be al
soon as they leave, disorder, may bI
renewed.
Such was the statement made to
Colonel Dick Russell last night by
J. H. Mayes, president of the cham
Der of commerce, and a delegation
of citizens. They appealed to Colo
mel Russell to hold the troops here
as long as possible.
Colonel Russell has reported this
request along: with complete review,
of the situation to Adjutant Genera
J. Van Holt Nash. 1t depends on
General Nash whether the troops
stay here. or leave.
Although conditions were serene on
the surface last night, there was "a
Rumors were thick about the streets
of possible violence. Sheriff Dor
miny said SOMEONE telephoned a hos
pital early in the evening to clean
it out because it was going to be
full of wounded men before morning.
L
of armed men in automobiles riding
around the streets.
Anxious to Solve Problem
But all of these bear stories" came
to nothing. One man, ). A. Killings
worth, told the military that his life
had been threatened last night. A
squad of soldiers went to his house
and waited for trouble, but trouble
never came.
W. 7. Reid, the engineer who was
shot Tuesday night, is doing we'll
this morning and probably will re-
cover A collection has been started
in local drug store on his behalf.
1t already totals about hundred
dollars.
Stronger than coal strike feel
ing, stronger than an anti-strike
feeling, there is growing in Fitz-
gerald on the part of her people one
supreme emotion-distress with all
of the trouble. They are tired of
it; and they would like to solve their
other question. Troops may end it
temporarily, but the national guard
doesn't want to stay here until
Christmas. This is no border
Fitzgerald is one of the livest
business town in the state 1t was
founded after the civil war by a
northern general. Half of it's streets
are named after northern generals
and half after southern generals. One
street is named the Monitor, and an
other the Merrimac. Its principal
hotel is the Lee-Grant. 1t is, in
short, combination of the best in
the north and the best in the south.
1t has never had martial law before.
1t has never had any trouble before.
1t wants to go about it's business and
be happy ~
But it can't so long as present con-
ditions obtain. An absolutely un-
biased opinion may be that it is
neither the fault of the strikers or
the strike breakers.
When taken separately they are
harmless, but mingled together,
they'are bound to cause an explosion.
And so bitterness. quiescent while
troops are here, may erupt without
their presence. Wherever one goes
he runs into it. 1 saw two men al
most come to blows in a drug store
last night. I heard that the mem
Oers of one preachers congregation
had called on him to protest against
his attendance at strike breakers
meeting. Other people have with
drawn from churches for the same
"oason. Every body is disgusted. but
hey are still partisan in spite of it,