Newspaper Page Text
THE MORNING NEWS i
Established ISSO. - Incorporated 1888 -
J. H. ESTILL. President
CAPT. HITCH FOUND GUILTY;
TO LEAVE STATE'S SERVICE
TERRELL STANDS
FOR THE FINDING
TWO WILL BE REPRIMANDED.
1,1 HUT. ME LI, SUSPENDED FROM
ALL DUTY FOR A YEAR.
Court-Martial's Finding* nnd Ver
dicts Approved In Every Particu
lar by Gov. Terrell—Lient. Mor
rison nnd Lient. Cone Fonnd Not
t.nilty—Bnt Capt. Hitch SnfFem nt
Hand* of Court and tlie Governor.
Tiro Pnhlie Reprimands.
Atlanta, Oct. 21.—Capt. Robert M.
ITitch. Company T. First. Infantry.
Georgia State Troops, guilty and or
dered dismissed front tlie service of the
State.
First Lieutenant George A. Mell,
Company. I, First Infantry, Georgia
State Troops, guilty of conduct, prej
udicial to good order, and military
discipline and ordered suspended front
all doty for one year, and to be pub
licly reprimanded.
second Lieutenant Henry L. Gritter.
Company A, First Infantry, guilty of
leaving his command without orders,
nnd ordered publicly reprimanded .
First. Lieutenant Charles A. Cone,
Company A, First Infantry, Georgia
State Troops, and First Lieutenant A.
A Morrison, not guilty.
The foregoing was the findings and
verdicts of the court-martial before
which were tried Capt. Robert. M.
Hitch, and the other officers named,
who served at Statesboro, Aug. 15.and
16, last, under orders to prevent mob
violence, and to protect two negroes,
■Reed and Cato from being lynched,
and from whom these negroes were
taken by the mob and burned at the
stake.
Terrell Approves Findings.
Gov. Terrell has approved the find
ings and sentences of the court and
official orders to that effect, by which
the sentences will be carried out, will
he Issued at once by Adjt. Gen. S. W.
Harris.
The history of how the two negroes
Reed and Cato were taken away from
Ihe troops, after they had been tried,
convicted and sentenced by Judge
Raley to be hanged, and then burned
at the stake, bj/ the mob, is every
where well known.
A court of inquiry appointed to in
vestigate the conduct of the troops
fit Statesboro was followed by a court
martial, appointed by Gov. Terrell,
which sat at Savannah during the
week beginning Oct. 10, and before
which all of the officers who partici
pated in the work of the troops at
Ptaresboro, with the exception of Lieut.
Hclntire, were placed on trial.
Governor Offers No Dissent.
With the presentation of its findings
and sentences to the Governor, through
Aijt. Gen. Harris, the court-martial
to-day completed ils work. This has
been approved in every particular by
Gov. Terrell.
it now remains only for the Adjutant
General to carry out the sentences by
the issuance of the requisite orders.
•'apt. Hitch, who was in command
t'i the troops at Statesboro, and who
v as captured and disarmed by mem
bers of the mob, was found guilty by
the court-martial on all but one or
two of the charges, and specifications
dmwn up by Judge Advocate General
George M. Napier.
There Was No Criminality.
An analysis of the findings of the
<"urt shows that he was found guilty
f| f gross neglect of duty and errors of
judgment, but that In no case was
*>y criminality attached to his ac
tions.
Tlie first charge against Capt. Hitch
w ;is conduct to the prejudice of good
pr der and military discipline, in vio
lation of the Sixty-second Article of
War.
Under this Capt. Hitch was found
Xuilty of the first specification. In that
be neglected and failed to obey that
Part of the Governor's order which dl
l' cted him to prevent mob violence to
the prisoners, Reed and Cato, but not
Ruilty of neglecting to obey any other
portions of the Governor's order.
< apt. Hitch Hail Mnilc Plana.
The second specification charged
CPt. Hitch with falling io place a
•ordon about the Court House, and
•• her wise to properly guard the place
of trial.
On this he was found guilty, but the
finding states that no criminality was
• ttsrhed to his fallura to put out a
Borden.
Hitch was found not guilty of
Jiatotmab Utoning ffehig.
XUMRF.R 1,7.819.
LIEUT. GEORGE A. MELL.
the third specification under the first
charge, which charged him with fail
ing to formulate any plans for the
protection of the prisoners, with fail
ing to consult with his junior officers
as to such plans and with failing to
take any steps to prevent being sur
prised by the mob.
On the fourth specification, under
charge one, he was found guilty of
failing to order up available rein
forcements, and failing to make fur
ther efforts to prevent mob violence
after he had been surprised, captured,
and beaten by the mob.
He Had Taken Precantlons.
But he was found not guilty of the
charge that he neglected to take prop
er precautions to prevent himself be
ing surprised and captured.
Caipt. Hitch was found guilty of the
fifth specification, under charge one,
which charged him with giving im
proper and misleading commands while
on riot duty, and failing to take prop
er precautions in regard to the neces-
P'” ?
IJEIJT. A. A. MORRISON.
sily of loading and firing in order to
prevent mob violence.
Upon the first charge as a whole
the court-martial found Capt. Hitch
guilty.
lie l>!l Nol Misbehave.
The second charge against Capt.
Hitch was "gross neglect of duty and
inefficiency (and misbehavior before a
riotous mob) in violation of the sixty
second article of war."
Upon this charge as a whole the
court found Ca|t. Hitch not guilty.
But it declared him "guilty of gross
neglect of duty and inefficiency In
violation of the Sixty-second Article of
War.”
' The court’s finding concludes with
t.hess words: "And sentences him.
Oept. Robert M. Hfctch, Company I.
First Infantry. O. 8. TANARUS., to be dis
missed from the service of the atate.”
Sentence nl tint. Well,
Firs* Lieut. Oeorge A. Mell, Com-
"Continued on Fifth
CAPT. ROBERT M. HITCH
DISBARRED FROM
HOLDING OFFICE
CAPT. HITCH’S SENTENCE.
DISCHARGE FROM SERVICE WITH
OUT QUALIFYING WORDS.
Neither He Nor Lieut. Mell Has Any
thing to Say About Verdict at
Present—Statesboro Officers N'oti
llcd by Telephone—Effect On Ogle
thorpe* Mutter of Speculation.
General Opinion That Findings
Against Capt. lliteh Were Harsh.
Lacking the modifying words "with
out disqualification” the sentence im
posed on Capt. fi. M. Hitch by the
court-martial, that he be dismissed
from'the service, carries with it a dis
barment front the holding of any office
in the state, civil or military. The
prohibition covers state, county and
municipal offices.
In the case of Lieut. Mell, who was
ordered suspended front military serv
ice for one year, there is no disquali
fication front holding office, even dur
ing the period of the suspension. As
he is at present holding an office un
der the city, this was a very pertinent
question.
Nothing la Soy.
Capt. Hitch was seen by a represen
tative of the Morning News late yes
terday afternoon, and asked for a
statement on the findings. The news
had been telephoned to him from At
lanta.
"I must decline lo make any state
ment whatsoever at the present time,”
was the only reply made. He did not
seem greatly disturbed.
Lieut. G. A. Mell also declined to
make any statement. ,
“I haven't anything to say now,”
was his answer.
The finding in the case of Dr. A. A.
Morrison, who was acquitted, had al
ready been forecasted.
In the case of Lieut. Chas. E. Cone
and Lieut. Henry L. Griner, the In
formation was telephoned to Staites-
I.IEI T. t HAHLES E. CONE.
boro last night by Mr. H. E. Wilson,
counsel for Lieut. Cone. Mr. Groover,
associate counsel In the case, was
reached and the findings In the ease
of Lieut. Cone communicated to him,
ns was also that In the case of Lieut.
Griner. It waa ithe first Intimation
of tho results received at Statesboro.
There uro rumors that an effort will
be made to bring the findings of the
court-martial, and the action (hereon
before the civil eourtg. for the purpose
of having the findings reviewed.
Effect On Oglethoriies,
Just what effect the findings of the
court-martial will have on the Ogle
thorpe Light Infantry, of which Capt.
Hitch was the commanding officer,
and Lieut. Mell Is first lieutenant, re
mains to be seen.
(Some weeks ago there was a paper
In circulation, it is reported, in the
nature of a round robin, the signers
of which agreed to withdraw from the
military service In the event that the
findings of the court-martial was ad
verse to Capt. Hitch. Cooler counsel
prevailed and the paper waa with
drawn, It being urged that Capt.
Hitch would heartily disapprove of
euch a course, and that the company
could not show their loyalty more ef
fectively than by obeying hi* wtahe*.
~ glouuuuMU uu MUUi
SAVANNAH. GA.. SATURDAY. OCTOBER 22. 1904.
DRYING OF THE ROADS
WILL BETHE SIGNAL
Besultory Cnunonuillnu mill In
iiuportant Skirnilslin in Min
chnria.
Military operations in Manchu
ria are awaiting the drying of the
roads and plains, rendered impas
sable for artillery and even for
infantry by the recent heavy
rains.
Meanwhile the correspondents at
the front have only desultory can
nonading and unimportant skir
mishes to record.
The report that the railway sta
tion at Shakhe has been retaken
by the Russians, and that railway
traffic betweeen that place and
Mukden would be restored at once
was erroneous, the place still be
ing in the hands of the Japanese.
The Russian government is
hastening the dispatch of troops
to the Far East to constitute the
second Manchurian army.
HEAVY FOG PREVENTS
EFFECTIVE FIRING
Hnt St. Petersburg Tell* of Minor
Victories of ItUNSInnK.
St. Petersburg, Oct. 21.—The gen
eral staff to-day received the following
dispatch from Gen. Sakharoff, under
to-day's date:
“The Russian troops. Oet. 19, made
a reconnaissance in force against the
enemy south of the village of Sindtapu.
"The enemy's outposts were driven
back.
"A Japanese battery which opened
fire was silenced and compelled to re
tire.
"There was no fighting Oct. 20.
"This morning the Russian volunteer
sharpshooters, under cover of a fog,
closed up on the enemy and brought
in another gun and limber which were
left from Putiloff hill, (formerly Lone
Tree hill).
“The Japanese opened a. heavy fire,
hut on account of the fog the firing
was Ineffective.”
FOG NOW LIFTING "
BOTH SIDES ARE READY.
Mukden, Oct. 21, 1 a. m.—Towards
evening yesterday the fog lifted and
some of the Russian guns at various
points opened lire against, the Japa
nese defenses, but they did not re
spond either from scarcity of muni
tions or the desire not to reveal the
location of their batteries.
The weather and the condition of
tlie roads have made extensive oper
ations impossible, but the roads are
now drying hard which forecasts
events In the near future.
The war correspondents in the field
are kept In the dark, and it is diffi
cult to say when and how this dread
ful slaughter will end.
SOME OUTPOST FIRING
BUT NOTHING SERIOUS.
Huansian, Manchuria, Thursday, Oct.
20, by Courier to 'Mukden, Oct. 21.
Wednesday passed quietly.
Along the Russian center there was
some desultory outpost tiring, but
nothing serious. Last night also was
without incident.
This morning the plain was covered
with a blanket of fog as thick as the
darkest night. In the afternoon the
weather cleared.
The chief obstacle lo a resumption of
the advance continues to be the bad
state of the roads.
RUSSIANS ARE FIRING
BUT JAPS DON’T REPLY.
Mukden, Oct. 21, 5:20 a. m.—The
Russians on Thursday opened an ar
tillery fire upon Shakhe station, where
there seemed to be a Japanese outpost
watching the Russian movements.
The guns were then trained ujain the
village of Larnatung, a little east of
the station.
The Japanese replied languidly.
The weather to-day Is fine and sun
ny, with a cold, biting wind. There
was a severe frost last night.
NEW PEACE CONFERENCE
TO BE HELD AT HAGUE.
Roosevelt Will Issue Forntnl Invita
tions to tile Powers.
Washington, Oct. 21. —In the course
of two days the President will dis
patch formal Invitations to the INiw
ers to name delegates to the new peace
confrence to be held at The Hague.
The Powdrs are Invited to suggest a
date or dates for the meeting of the
conference. Secretary Hay submitted
a draft of the Invitation to the cabinet
to-day. The date of the meeting was
left open, because It Is stated that
any one of the Powers has as much
right to suggest a date as the United
States.
Consequently there must be consider
able correspondence on this subject be
fore an agreement Is reached. Jt is
not expected that the conference will
meet during the continuance of the
present war unless it should be con
tinued Indefinitely. It cannot be
learned that any consideration has yet
been given to the personnel of the dele
gation which will represent the United
States nt the congress.
LIQUOR PRObITm IN
INDIAN TERRITORY.
Dieeaseed at Lake Mohank Indian
Cesft renee.
Lake Mohonk. N. Y., Oet. 21.—Con
sideration of the liquor problem In
Indian territory and especially the
proposal to incorporate In the
enabling act admitting the territory
Into the Union as one nr two atatea,
a clause forever excluding the sale of
Intoxicating drinks In the new state
or states, was taken up at to-day’a
session of the Indian conference,
CLEVELAND HITS REPUBLICANS;
PARKER'S THEME EXTRAVAGANCE
IS HUMILIATING
AND STARTLING
ASPECTS OF THE CAMPAIGN
HEFUHI.ICAN APPBAI. Is SATt'IIAT
KU WITH CONCEIT.
Grover Cleveland, Cor First Time,
Turns Ills Guns On Roosevelt mid
Ills Party—Former President
Cheered I.ualily Cor Seven Min
nies— Speaks nC the It epil city ol
the Trusts—llnur S.inrs Are
Flourishing;—Kent Ctrl, n lile t Ini ms
oC Opposition.
New York, Oct. 21.—Attracted by (ho
presence of Grover Cleveland, thou
sands of people struggled to gain en
trance to Carnegie Hall to-night, where
the former President of the United
States delivered his (list and only
speech of the campaign.
John G. Carlisle, Secretary of the
Treasury under Cleveland, was also a
speaker and shared with Mr. Cleveland
the great burst of enthusiasm at the
meeting. Every seat in the big audi
torium was taken while corridors and
aisles held their scores.
Still hundreds were unable to gain
entrnace. This big Democratic rally
was under the auspices of the Business
Men's Parker and Davis Association
and J. Hampden Robb, president of
the organisation, presided.
Grover Populnr ns Ever.
Mr. Cleveland arrived al the hall
shortly after 8 o'clock and immediate-
''' EX-MESIDENI GROVER CLEVELAND.
ly upon his entrance cheers burst
forth; the demonstration lasted seven
minutes; It died out and began again
with renewed vigor. Again and again
Mr. Robb attempted to quiet the
crowd, but was forced to his seat.
When Mr. Cleveland saw that Mr.
Robb's efforts were fruitless In quiet
ing the demonstration, he arose and
held up his hand for silence, but the
people could not be quieted for two
full minuteH afterward.
The former President was chairman
of the meeting. In his address he said
In part:
Mintling anil lliinillladng.
"There are in my mind to-night,
some aspects and Incidents of this
campaign tvhlch seem to me so star
tling, and so humiliating, that thy
should arrest the • attention of ev
ery thoughtful citizen and arouse the
anxious solicitude of every patriotic
American.
“In a country like ours, where par
ties contest for the direction of the
government, we must, of course, ex
pect party advocacy and honorable
personal ambitions for political hon
ors; but who, among those indulging
in the farthest retrospect of political
campaigns, can recall one In which
the advantages of present party con
trol have been so palpably and un
hlushingly used for its perpetuation,
or In which the functions belonging
to the entire American people have
been more Insolently forced to do par
tisan service?
tin lin AII the Vlrtnea.
"When before haw It been so distinct
ly claimed that all the virtues, all the
patriotism, and all the governing abil
ity of our citizenship are found among
the members of one political party;
and when before have those of our cit
izens, not among the chosen, been so
boldly considered as aliens In their own
land, who should be east Into outer po
litical darkness a* unworthy to be en
trusted with the power and resjmnwl
blllty of a government established by
the people and for it he people?
"When In all our history has a party
so presumptuously as now, claimed to
be the donors of the gifts of God, or
when has one so persistently plumed
Itself upon the creation of all the pros
perity that has fallen to our country'"
Islaralrrt With Conceit.
“Never before have our people ben
so belabored with party deliverance*,
which In every line and every word,
from platform doclaratlon* to the last
appeal of party advocacy, are so sat
united with conceited and tiresome
Continued on Fifth Png*.
BROTHER AND SISTER
MEET FATHER’S LOVE.
She tlliuku Them With lint Pin
nml Her Hentti Follows.
Peoria, HI.. Oct. 21.—Mrs. Nellie
Thomason, wife of a former prominent
real estate dealer in this city. Is dead
at her home in l.acon, as the. result
of Injuries received in a sensational
encounter with Richard and dunnto
Higgins, son and daughter of John G.
Higgins, a prominent member of the
board of supervisors of Peoria county
ami prominent in Republican polities
on Saturday last.
Young Higgins is 24 years old, and
his sister is 29. They intercepted a
letter written lo lligglus, senior, by
Mrs. Thomason, in which she asked
the older Higgins to meet her la the
depot of tlie Kook Island Railroad In
this city. Higgins was at SI. Louis
and his son opened the letter. The
missive asked Higgins to be in the
waiting room.
When Mrs. Thomason arrived, she
was confronted by young Higgins and
his sister. Mrs. Thomason is said to
have attacked Higgins with a hat pin,
whereupon Higgins struck her In the
face. Later the woman asked tlie
ticket agent to assist her to 'the train.
lie did so and when she was gone,
discovered the floor of tlie waiting
room covered with blood. The woman
lingered In great agony nt her home
ill l.ueon until she died.
Higgins is under arrest on a state
warrant charging him with murder.
The case lias created it sensation.
That Detective William K. Murphy,
who was murdered under such sensa
tional circumstances in this city last
June, was connected with the Hig
gins- Thomason case wuh a startling
development of the afternoon.
It appeals that on the night Mur
phy was killed he was shadowing John
H. Higgins, at the instance of the
mem tiers of the Higgins family. Young
Higgins says that either on that night,
or on the following night, Mrs. Thom
ason called up the Higgins residence
by telephone and said:
"Murphy was a good friend of yours.
Well, he got his to-night. Kelrans fa
fellow detective of Murphy), is your
friend, too. He will get his next."
Richard Higgins says that the fam
ily had made frequent efforts to break
up the attachment between the elder
Higgins and Mrs. Thomason and had
In vain offered her large sums of
money.
He declares that she frequently call
ed up the residence by telephone and
taunted the family upon the failure to
break off the relations between the
elder Higgins and herself.
mother "killsman ~
FOR COURTING DAUGHTER.
Warned Him to Keep A way and
Shot When He Didn't.
Tampa, Fla., Oct. 21.—Last night
Mrs. Loflcy, who lives near De Soto
I’ark, shot and killed Joe Wood, who,
It Is alleged, was paying too marked
attention to her young daughter, after
having been repeatedly warned to keep
away from the premises.
He was found there last night by
the mother of the glr.l, and she put
an end to his life with revolver.
Wood was tried for bigamy some two
years ago, convicted and served part
of his time, when he was pardoned.
CUT THE THROATS OF
MOTHER AND YOUNG SON.
Hnlf Brother of Woman’* lln*hnnd a
Prisoner nnd Lynching Feared.
Hhrevcport, La.. Oct. 21.--A special
to Ihe Times from Athens, 1,a., says;
Mrs. Ike A. McGee, wife of a farm
er and her 10-year-old son. Ham, were
killed to-day hy an unknown person,
who cut their throats.
Posses are out hunting for a negro
who Is supposed to have committed the
crime.
Tho sheriff has arrested a man named
Craighead, the half-brother of MeGe*.
who was on the place at the time.
Craighead Is in the pariah jail at
Homer
A lynahlng la feared.
5 CENTS A COPY
DAILY. $8 A YEAR.
WEEKLY 2-TTMEB-A-WEEK.fi A YEAR
MONEY SPENT BY
THE REPUBLICANS
PARKER GIVES FIGURES.
SHOWS HOW ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN WASTING MONEY.
New Jersey Delegation* March
Through llnada Converted Intis
Brook, hy lleavvy Ilnln, to Kaopna
to Hear llemoerntle t andtdnto
Speak—Stand With llateed Umltrel
liin While Judge Parker Talks.
Will Hedure < ost of the Army.
Eeopus, N. Y., Oct. 21.—Judge Par
ker to-day addressed a delegation from
Hudson county. New Jersey, on tha
subject of administrative extrava
gance, answering n. speaoh mad* by
Secretary of War Taft, In which the
Secretary called upon the Democrat* to
give a bill of particular*.
From midnight until afternoon to
day the rain fell In torrents. Streams
overflowed, the roads were converted
Into brooks and made nearly impassa
ble for pedestrian*. Nevertheless the
New Jersey delegations formed a pro
cession at the Hsopus station of the
West Shore Railroad and marched to
Rosemount.
Reaching Judge Parker's house, the
delegation surrounded the veranda.
Though the rainfall had ceased, tho
trees were dripping, and umbrellas had
to be raised. When Judge Parker
stepped from Ihe house he was greeted
by cheers nnd hatidelapplng.
Extravagance Is Bi Irlent.
Judge Parker said:
"The expenditures of the govern
ment —says fhe administration—have
been managed in a spirit of economy
as far removed from waste as from
niggardliness. That the expendi
tures of tho government have been
free from niggardliness cannot, T
think, he successfully denied, hence it
should he and Is frankly admitted.
With the claim that the expenditures
have been managed in a spirit of
economy, we must take Issue. The
facts presented in support of the
charge of extravagance have not been
answered. '
Judge Parker gave figures to show
thst It cost about $186,000,000 more to
run the government last year than It
did aeven years ago. "That atate
mertt." he said, "on Its face raises th
presumption of extravagance and
waste, a presumption which requires
evidence to overcome.
Pensions Will Not Slop.
"None has been presented. By way
of indirect answer to the Democratic,
charge of extravagance the Inquiry
has been put by the administration
w hether we propose to cut off the pen
sions. We. answer, certainly not. And
we further assert that the inference
suggested by the question is not in
genious.
"The amount paid out in pension*
has been decreasing every year since
1898. Hut for the unwarranted order
No. 78. which was fully considered In
my letter of acceptance, the amount
paid for pensions in the seventh pre
ceding year would have exceeded the
amount paid last year.
"The Inquiry Is further made hy the
administration whether we would dare
to reduce the cost of the army. We
answer that most assuredly we would,
and we ask the people to deeldfi be
tween the administration and the
Democratic convention on that point.
Would Iteiliacc (nil of Army.
"In tho year 1897 the War Depart
ment cost loss than 149.000,000, which
was about the average cost per year
lor the preceding twenty-six years.
This last. year, a year of peace, the
cost of 'the army was $115,000,000.
"One of the questions we now ask
the people Is: 'What is the use of
spending more than double on the army
now than we deemed wise to spend
previous to the Spanish war?'
"A large standing army Is unneces
sary, so our statesmen thought, and so
the result proved. lit Is alike unneces
sary, unless militarism Is to become
part of our policy. It we are to play
the role of the 'big policeman' in the
South American states, requiring each
to act according to some administra
tions conception of ‘decency In indus
trial and political matters,' and fur
ther require It to ‘keep order,’ and pay
Its obligations,’ according to the stand
ard which may be set by each suc
ceeding administration: and If, in ad
dition, the administration may at
pleasure see to It that the states 'gov
ern themselves well, and be prosper
ous and orderly,’ according to the erlt
terlon which may be set by each ad
ministration, then we should readily
admit that we should have an army
costing $115,000,000 a year.
In South Aiimrlinn State*.
“But the people have not as yet ap
proved the administration’s policy In
dealing with the South American
states. They have not yet said by
their votes that they are In favor of
conferring upon the President the pow
er to Interfere with the Internal affairs
of a South American state at pleasure
"The President ha* not the power to
declare a policy equivalent to a threat
of armed Intervention whenever he
shall decide the circumstances Justify
It. An attempt to exerclae such a
power would constitute a usurpation
prohibited by the constitution of the
United States.
“Hence It is safe to assume that not
withstanding the letter to Secretary
Root, which waa read at the Cuban
anniversary dinner, no administration
will dure attempt to establish a uni
versal protectorate over South Ameri
can states, or to become responsible
for their misdeeds.' __
What Monroe Dnrtrtae I*.
"Mr. Olnsy admirably started the
purpose of the Monroe doctrine In hie
address at Harvard College. March 2.
189* 'The vital feorture of the Mon
ro* doctrine le that no European Pow -
er *h*n forcibly poeseaa tlartf of
Amerlcsn soil and forcibly control th*
political fortune* and defftlnl*# of Its
people.’
"That ta the national position, and
It wfll be maintained
"But how South American state*
shall hhav# toward each other, or
Continued ea Wifi q