The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-19
THE Ell PASO TROUBLE
AdjuIant General Corbin Orders an
Investigation of the Affair.
Steps to BE Taken to Punish the Of
fcnd-es-Othcr Cases of Negro Sol
dicrs RiotinE Recalled - Repre-
sentntivcs From Texas Desire the
CoIorcd Troops Removed mt Once.

The War Department received by tele-
graph yesterday from Capt. Robert II. r.
! Loughborough. of the Twenty-fifth Infan-
I try. commanding the garrison at Fort
| Bliss. near FL Paso. Texas, a report of the
! fight in the FL Paso jail. in which a ser
geant of the Twenty-ffth Infantry and a
jailcr were killed during an attempt of
scme soldiers of that regiment TO rescue
comrade. Adjutant General Corbin said
last night that the report agreed with the
newspaper account. He said also that the
| necessary steps to punish the offenders
were being taken by Captain Loughbor-
| ough. The Twenty-ffth Infantry is a
negro regiment. which did gallant work
at Santiago.
This Is the third clash that has occurred
in the Southwest in the last three months
in which the negro troops were involved.
At Fort Ringgold, Rio Grande City. Tex,
! about two months ago, the troops and the
] civil authorities had trouble, and the citi-
, zens were preparing to attack the sarTi-
son. but were persuaded not to do SO by
| the city officials.
In New Mexico. only a short time be-
fore that. the negro cavalry attacked a
peacable band Of Indians. and in the aght
which followed an Indian was killed and
several Indians and one or two troopers
badly hurt. For several days an Indian
upr sing was threatened.
The trouble between the troops at Fort
Bliss and the El Paso authorities. 1t is
said, may result in some of the negro
troops being withdrawn from Texas and
white troops being sent to take their
nlarpg Nnmprnug nlaiUtg said
have been received by the War Department
from citizens of Texas pro- esting against
the actions of the negro troops, who, 1t
is alleged. have frequently gotten drunk
and created disturbances in the towns near
which their garrisons are located. Four
troops of negro cavalry recently brought
back from Cuba were sent to the Depart
ment of Texas, and, while there have been
no complaints regarding them received by
the War Department. the citizens OF Texas
are said to he anything but pleased with
the Departments action in senc'ng SO
many colored troops into their Stsre.
Representative Stephens. of the Thir
teenth Texas district. in which Fort Bliss
is located. said last night:
81 shall see the Secretary OF War tomor-
row and protest against the negro troops
remaining any longer at Fort Bliss; they
have been there only about six months. and
III ludt tlIlt nave nhl Nnu stEious
with the citizens. beside a number OF
smaller troubles. and IL they are not taken
away there will be a number of dead
negroes. and no one to blame but the
negroes themselves. We have lots of
negroes In Texas, and they get along with
the whites very peaceably, but the negro
soldiers being sent into Texas are not
the best class of their race, and as soon
as they get guns in their hands and
little authority they begin 20 make trouble.
The citizens OF Ell Paso never had any
trouble with the white troops stationed at
Fort Bliss. and they like to have troops
there, but the negro troops cannot get
along with the people of Texas. and the
sooner the War Department officials learn
that the better it will be for all concerned.
1t would be the best move the Department
has ever made to take all the negro troops
out of Texas and keep them out. The negro
cavalry recently brought from Cuba to
Texas had hardly landed in the State be-
fore they began making trouble, and when
they passed through Texarkana fired out
of the railway car windows endangering
the lives Of the citizens Of that town"
Representatives Burke and Sheppard OF
Texas both said that while they had no
troops stationed in their districts they
heartily endorsed Representative stephens
statements regarding the necessity OF
transferring the negro troops from Texas
and replacing them by white troops.