Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-09
By WARD GREENE

(StaH Correspondent Of The Journa1)
FITZGERALD, Ga, July; TT am
not only going to maintain order, but
am going to try to clean out the
1primary causes of bitterness and at
tempt to institute better feeling all
around . '--.
This was the statement of Colonel
Dick Russell, commander Of Geor-
gia's only regiment of militia, when
| he. arrived in Fitzgerald yesterday
to place the town under martial law
because of the exchange Of volleys
between strikers and strikebreakers
on an A, B. & A. switch engine Tues
day night which brought serious
wounds to Engineer w. T. Reed and
seemed likely for a time to lead to
a general riot. -|.
/ Today, Colonel Russell began to
"clean out the sources of bitterness.
He ordered the picket posts of the
arrest of anyone found armed. He
ordered meetings and street corner
discussions disbanded, and he has
patrols in every part of the .commu-
nifty to see that his orders are car
ried out.
All Sides Cooperate
It would appear, too, that he is get
ting cooperation from all three sides
concerned, from the road and it's en-
ployes, from the strikers and their
| friends, and from the business peo-
pie of Fitzgerald who regret more
| than anyone else the necessity OF
martial law and the seeming blot on
their progressive little city. Repre-
sentatives aof the union have told
Colonel Russell they will agree to
| the abolition of picket posts and
the suspension of meetings. AS for
disorders, they tell him they have
always preached good, order ana law
observance to the strikers. Mayor j;
L. Pittman, who is. in close touch
with the union men, also has prom
Used the colonel. his full co-opera-
ton" r. H. Mckay, superintendent
of the A, B. & A. has issued orders
to all employees to obey Colonel
Russell's authority and to cooperate
with him in every way possible:
Thus on the surface, Fitzgerald IS
there does persist throughout the
community the tension that has
grown more and more strained since
the beginning of the strike in March.
p The Georgia national guardsmen
found it so. when they reached mere
| Wednesday afternoon on a speGlal
train from Macon, and pitched their
pup tents near the depot where last
night their camp fires cast a rudy
glow over all Fitzgerald.
1t was the first time troops OF the
| national guard have been called out
on active duty since it's reorganlza-
ton after the war, and from the mo-
ment the train left Macon early yes
erday morning, the boys were keen
for whatever; should lie ahead. Inc
yery uncertainty Of their reception
increased the excitement That was
hiddent momentarily besides crap
games and poker games.
: This excitement became acute when
the special finally arrived at Cordele
and there was transferred from the
Southern railroad onto the A, b. u
4. tracks. .Rumors Of dynamiting,
shooting and bridge burning had been
heard BY these boys for months, and,
as the train cid slowly along past
cornfields and swamps and pine FOR
ests in the mellow Georgia sunshlne,
1 they did not know at what moment
there would be an explosion.
No doubt their anxiety was unnec-
essary, and Of course they showed it
only by Joking about it, but 1t was
very real at the time,. and, belleve
me. they were ready for. whatever
happened.
The members of the Floyd rifles
had their guns, loaded, besides them
in their seats, and leokouts were on
every platform. The machine gun
| ners had their pistols strapped to
their thighs and back in the baggage
car peeping, out through the open
doorway at the pleasant Georgia sun
shine, their cylinders oiled. their
pivots keyed to the proper pitch,
their slender muzzles glistening
DULY, were four of the wicket little
Emma Gees" that played such havoc
at the Marine and along the Argonne.
And the lads who loafed about, jok-
ing of dynamite, but with one eye
on the long strips of clips were the
same lads who worked the Emma
Gees" over there. They and half of
their mates were veterans of the
} A. e. F.
Gradually the tension 1essened. A
!; passenger train came up from the
south. So did freight. It had run