The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-11-22
A RACE WAR IN TEXAS
Conflict Between Citizens and Ne
gro Soldiers at Fort Ringgold.
TWO REPORTS OF THE AFFAIR.

Military Commander Declares the SOL
. diers Were Attacked by "a Mob. while
County Judge says soldiers Were the
Aggressors-want Troops Recalled.
Austin. Tex, Nov. 22.--Yesterday
Governor Sayres received a telegram
from General McKibben, the command
ing officer of the United States troops
at San Antonio saying that there had
been a race riot at Rio Grande City
Monday night between the federal
negro troops stationed there and the
citizens of that town. General Nc
Kibben telegraphs that the report he
received from the commander at Fort
Ringgold, near Rio Grande City, stated
that all the troops we're in the garrison
when the citizens of the town advanced
and fired upon the guard The guard
returned the fire and the entire gar
rson was at once called to arms. The
citizens continued firing ard the sol
diers finally had to bring their Gatling
guns into play to disperse the at ackers.
The commander asks for more troops
telegram from the county judge
states that the negro soldiers fired
into and over the town for something
like and hour and a half. shooting into
a number of houses, wounding one man
and frightening women and children
so badly that a number of them have
fed. The attack was entirely unpro-
voked. the community is highly in
censed, and further trouble is feared.
Governor Sayers telegraphed to the
county judge of Starr county for fur
ther details. and received in reply
reiteration of the previous dispatch,
with this addition:
"The soldiers fred over 900 shots
Population terrorized. ] fear the peo-
ple may decide to avenge themselves
for this dastardly act Civil authori-
ties would be powerless to control. |
understand that Lieutenant RobottOm
commanding, directed this cowardly
assault. No cause for the act Wire
Washington and San Antonio for
searching investigation and removal
of troops at once"
Governor Sayres, after ordering his
adjutant general to the scene of the
disturbance. sent the following tele-
gram to the secretary of war at Wash
| ington:
''Please direct immediate impartial
and searching investigation into the
conduct of negro soldiers at Fort
| RinggOld, Starr county, Tex. Also is
sue order for immediate removal OF
troops"
Commanding General McKibbin has
ordered troops of cavalry from Fort
Brown to proceed by forced march to
Ringgold, and is taking every possible
precaution to prevent further trouble.
Adjutant General Sehurry started for
the scene of action last night.
Colonel Roberts, post adjutant at
Fort Sam Houston, left San Antonio
yesterday afternoon on a special train
for Laredo with detachment of the
| Twenty fifth infantry to make an in
vestigation of the trouble at Fort Ring
gold and to make a full report to Gen
| eral McKibbin.
Trouble between the negro soldiers
on the frontier posts and the Mexi-
can population has been brewing for
some time. A collision between the
police and negro soldiers at. Laredo
few weeks ago has resulted in the
| abandoning of the post there. A small
| sized riot occurred at Rio Grande City
last month. in which some soldiers
were shot and others arrested and
| fined Since then the Mexicans and
soldiers at Rio Grande City have been
at the bitterest enmity.