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NORTH GEORGIA—KILLING OF LIEUT. tyclNTTRE.Correspondence TtUyrapk and Messenger Atlanta, Ga., May TSynopsis of the report Prepared bv Colonel Jam C. Williams by order of the lt;»•in pursuance of the act of the 2nd February. 1877, which empowered the Governor to appoint a commission of one or more discreet persons to proceed to North Georgia and investigate the killing of Lient. Mclntyie of the Lnited States army, and the troublesmaking arrest for of the reveune laws of the United States.This report is exceedingly lengthy anddetailed, and is comprised in a thick in of manuscript of about 104 pages closely written. Colonel Williams has been most iudefatigable in his efforts, and has sifted the matter thoroughly and impartially. The first part of the report np to the 88tb page, is taken up with the evidence and ailidavits taken by Colonel Williams from both sides. From these statements he draws the following conclusions. 1 quote from his manuscript:“These statements, with more than one hundred which I have taken orally, force me to come to the following conclusion in regard to the causes of the recent arrests made in the counties of Fannin, Gilmer and 1’n ken.s.1. That while there may l«.i\c been a large number of persons in ti: unties,who had. knowingly or unknowingly. io-latcd the reveuie laws of the United States while befo:government, a long while before or immediately preceding the recent arrests, there has never l»eeu a time when an officer of tlie government eonld not have executed a legal warrant upon any one who was au offender.2. That any troubles that may ha ve arisen there, were counseled not by an open resistance to the laws or the executors of the same, but by the character of the officials employed to execute them, ami tlie manner iu which tlie}' have discharged that duty.In support of the first conclusion, lie has drawn, lie shows plainly that a majority of the recent arrests made in the said counties, were on old warrants, extending back two or three years, that there had been 110 increase of violations of the revenue laws, that would have justified the calling out of jting the United .States Marshals in the discharge of their duties, thereby putting the United States Government to a very heavy and unnecessary expense, and causing the loss of the life of one of its most valuable army officers.As to Colonel Williams’ second conclusion, ho supports it as follows. We condense fiom the report:From the statements already referred toill be seen that there was no oik ny United States officialing any arrests, more than which were made in the night time, and but, one man out of more than one hundred was ever shown the warrant on which .In* was arrested.The only trouble which arose during t hat i raid, as termed by tlie authorities, occurred at the house of Ayers Jones, at Frog moun- , tain, in Fannin county.At this place Lieutenant McIntyre losti:r.. ti... ..........his life. The circumstances briefly......follows: United .States Deputy Marshalr-claim to have had iu their possession a warrant for the arrest of Jones for violating United States internal revenue laws. They approached his house between 1 and *j o clock at night, about the 10th day of Fcb-f thisThe attacking party lt;jenod the door andtered the house, and found tin Ayers Jones, with live or six children uu-lcr eleven years of age. They proceeded to search the house, which was a rude log rabiu, about 12x14 feet, not chinked or laubed, with a few boards nailed over some of the erackson the inside. They then lighted a lamp, went around the house, and finding no one iu sight, a Deputy Marshal by the name of Blacker, Lieutenant Mclntire, Corporal Calloway and two guides re-entered and closed the doom; the lady remonstrated with them, telling them that her husband was absent, and requested them to leave the house, and not annoy her or her sick children. It seems that Lieutenant | Mclntire, appreciating her situation and realizing that the only object for which they ; had entered the house (to-wit: tlie arrest of Mr. Ayers Jones, had been accomplished., ; at least that they bail found that the bird ; had flown) joined in the request of Mrs. Jones, and was answered by the man Blacker that he had gotten there first ami intended to remain there as long as he pleased, and do as be damned pleased. Consider- ! able cursiug and swearing ensued, and t while it was going on some one approached |_ . Inch, after some holloopened by Blacker, who took his position | behind the same. The two guides rushedout at the back iloqr, leaving only two y? f the man winthe door from tlie outside—Corporal C iling betwmd the fire place, within live or six feet of | he door, and Lieutenant Mclntire. who j cas standing near the door on the opposite | ide. Tlie Corporal’s uniform wits entirely | xposed; that of the Lieute?aled by a waterproof coat, entirely hi party wli1 two or three shots, one of j which struck Lieutenant Jfclntiru and re- t suited iu his death.The entire report shows most plainly that the killing of this unfortunate officer I was the result, not of any intention to re- I sist officials in the discharge of their duty, . but was the. act of a maddened man. who i approached liis home, expecting to tin .‘very thing quiet, but found it occupied b itrangers to him, and, hearing his wife am children lieing cursed and abused, resorte to the only means iu his power to protec them.The eliaracter of the house, will, rack from three to four inches wide, \‘ i' h lt;isrlit burning in it, and the uatural surruuudiug which would have enabled oue or two me to have killed the entire party inside with out beiug discovered, and the addition:i fact that, on the road approaching th house, for four miles and a half, (the dir tance of the nearest residence to the Join settlement.) five men could have killed tiff without chances of discovery or capture i more than a down different places, go J prove the Until of the conclusions arrive at in this report.As to the bust part of Col. Williams m cond conclusion. “Tlie character of th United States officials employed in this sei vice, and the matter of its discharge.” Th report is filled with the statement lt;good and reliable citizens, that those mn m the discharge of their duties, have be* guilty of acts (such as killing stock, abu? lug women and children, and unkind treal incut generally) as would cause a mm milder people than the hardy mouutaiiieei of North Georgia to take the law in thei own hand, and mete out red-handed justilt;XT, ____________ — concluding his repodesires it to l»e understood that where has used the words United States officii he does not in any case refer to the ollic of the United States army, as these gent men are solely charged with accompanyi the Marshals to ]erfo;ailed on. and that their comb doing so, as represented to him. has a been kind. In po instance hits the cot been reported to him, oither as to tin* cers or to the soldiers midertheirconu Col. Williams concludes hisrciM.rt suring the Governor that, notwit list a he visited the counties referred to, some of the arrests were being made, t stranger to all, he was always retwith kindness, and after ha .. known the object of his visit, was siirauccM by State, couuty officiab vate citizens, that they would gh iu their power to onabfe him to fo rect idea of the true state of affair midst. Cap
Newspaper Details
Milledgeville Union and Recorder
Milledgeville, Georgia, US
Tue, May 15, 1877
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Andrew W.
USA 03 Mar 2025
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