Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-31
The President Notified.

Subsequently the acting secretary of war
informed the President at Oyster Bay Of
what had been done in the matter as fol-
lows:
1.-The twelve enlisted men Of the 9th In
fantry, warrants for whose arrest were is
sued by the civil authorities at Brownsville,
ars now in confinement at Fort Sam Hous-
ton, Texas. The judge who issued the
warrants for the arrest of these men with
drew the warrants before the men were re-
moved from Fort Brown, thus leaving them
free from any charges SO far as the civil
authorities are concerned. The command
ing general, Department Of Texas, was
thereupon directed by telegraph to prefer
charges against the men under the articles
of war, and to hold them for trial by court
martial subject to orders from the War De-
partment. He was also directed to hold all
the other enlisted men of the three COM
panies of the 25th Infantry that were at
Fort Brown as witnesses in the cases of the
men against whom military charges had
been preferred. He was also directed, in
case warrants or Subpoenas should be is
sued for any of these men by the civil au-
thorities, to make return thereto to the eff
feet that the men are held by the United
States for trial by court-martial, or as wit
nesses at such trial, and to continue to hold
the men until the receipt Of further instruc-
lions from the War Department"
Gen. McCaskey's kilograms.
If Gen. McCaskeys replay to the latest
inquiry has been received, Of which there
is not much room for doubt, It's character
is a well-concealed official secret. 1t Is a
fair inference, however, based on the
records Of the case already made public,
that Gen. McCaskey reported that the mill
tary charges referred to were not formally
preferred for the reason that up to the
time the three companies were discharged
without honor in November last no evil
dence had been adduced by any of the
Investigations conducted by the War De-
partment, the Department Of Justice or the
authorities or citizens of Brownsville i'm
plicatlng single member Of the three COM
panies concerned.
Gen. McCaskey's known views on the SUBJ
5ect are contained in three brief kilograms
to the War Department, forming part of
the correspondence sent to the Senate In
a telegram dated August 20 in reference to
the twelve enlisted men for whom war
rants had been issued by civil judge at
Brownsville and who were taken to Fort
Sam Houston for safe keeping, Gen. Nc
Caskey said: Some Of these men are I'M
doubtedly innocent Of any participation in
Brownsville affair. The mode by which the
civil authorities selected these sneciaI
names Is not known but believed fo he
guess work.
On September a. again referring to these
prisoners, Gen. McCaskey said:
1t is noted that most of these men were
on DUTY as members of the guard or in
charge OF barracks at Fort Brown during
the hours of the disturbance The reasons
for the selecting Of these men, or the man
ner by which their names were procured, is
mystery. AS far as known there is no
evidence that the majority Of them were
In any way directly connected with the ar
fair: II seems to have been dragnet pro-
ceeding.''
On the Sd Of October Gen. McCaskey re-
Quested instructions regarding the DISPOSE
ton OF the prisoners at Fort Sam Houston
and said: They have been released by
civil court, and there Is no testimony
against them to prove military charges on
which they are now held"
The War Department subsequently or
dered the discharge of the prisoners. as
well as all the other members of the three
companies, and since August ~ nothing