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AS TO MISREPRESENTATION
The Sun was glad to make room in its
columns yesterday for expressions of opinion
by Eastern Shore newspapers on the lynching
and burning of the Negro Matthew Williams
at Salisbury. No particular comment on these
editorial expressions is necessary, save in one
respect. The Daily Banner, of Cambridge, in
an effort to exculpate an Eastern Shore mob
by attacking city newspapers which had told
of the danger of mob violence in recent
weeks, makes the following statement on an
editorial in The Sun: u^. Lt^C. 1 -S'f
The editorial today states that the court and the State's Attorney petitioned Governor Ritchie for troops and police armed for any emergency. That statement is like many of the others that have appeared in that paper in connection with the Lee case and has no foundation. The first the court or the State's Attorney heard of troops and police was when on November 13 Governor Ritchie sent letters to the court and the State's Attorney advising that he had directed General Keckord to hold one or two companies of the Maryland National Guard in readiness for the Lee trial at Cambridge and had directed Commissioner Baughman to have a large number of the State police force present for the trial. The suggestion of the militia and of the State police came from the Governor and was not in response to any request or petition from the court or the State's Attorney.
That is a definite, categorical denial of statements in The Sun that officials on the Shore had petitioned for troops. It should be read in juxtaposition to a letter which Governor Ritchie addressed on November 30 to Chief Judge John R. Pattison, of the First Judicial Circuit. Judge Pattison lives in Cambridge, where the Daily Banner is published. In this letter Governor Ritchie said to Judge Pattison:
I have before me your letter of November 13 last, advising me that if Jones was to be tried with Ades as his attorney then you considered it u necessary precaution to have Jones accompanied to Cambridge and guarded there by a detachment of State militia, "with the necessary guns and ammunition," supplemented by the State police. I also have before me copies of State's Attorney McAllister's letter of the same date to Adjutant-General Reek-ord confirming your opinion and specifically asking for a company of the Maryland National Guard and a detachment of the State police. I have before me also a copy of Mr. McAllister's letter to Colonel Baughman to the same effect and suggesting that the State police "be properly armed to meet any emergency."
In compliance with these requests it is well known that I made the necessary arrangements for both the National Guard and the State police to furnish adequate protection at the trial, which was then expected to take place in Cambridge on November 19 last. The court's order today recites that the court finds nothing to indicate that Jones cannot have a fair, impartial and orderly trial in Cambridge, but 1 am not advised whether the protection requested by you and the State's Attorney on November 13 is still required. ... I am asking you, therefore, to advise me whether the court thinks that the military and police protection which you considered necessary two weeks ago is still necessary. . . .
That tells the story. Anything more would
be superfluous.
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