The San Francisco call., 1906-12-20

and children were sleeping. two of the shots
Is b,cb 9a of tbe house and her
two children were lying Several other houses
tbe Streets o tbs fn are noorv iirhted SO
that none OF the individual raiders were rec
ognized, but the evidence OF many witnesses
Of all classes conclusive to the effect that
the raiders were negro soldiers. The
tOwnspeople were completely surprised by the
unprovoked and murderous savagery OF the at
start start to Fl fnish. iDi0'e'' were INC
They met with no substantial resistance, and
one and all who took part in that raid stand
as deliberate murderers. who did murder one
man who tried TO murder others aTa VINO trreo es
one Of horrible atrocity. and so far as sm
aware. unparalleled for infamy in the annals
OF the United States army.
The President said the white officers
of the company were completely taken
by surprise, and it was not until or
o'clock in the morning that any OF
them became aware of the truth He
had directed an investigation, he says,
to see If any OF them were blame
worthy. and he had approved the. rec
ommendation of the War Department
that two of them be brought before a
courtmartial. He adds:
As to the non-commissioned officers and en-
listed men, there be doubt whatever
before the attack. to the conduct of those who
took actual part in this murderous riot.
There is no question to the murder and the
attempted murders: there Is question that
some OF the soldiers were guilty thereof; there
is no question that many of their comrades.
privy TO the deed, have combined to shelter the
criminals from justice These comrades OF the
murderers bv their own action have rendered ii
necessary either to leave all the men, including
the murderers, IN the army, or to turn them
all out; and under such circumstances there was
would be at an end were we TO permit such an
outrage TO be committed with impunity.
In short, the evidence proves conclusiyely that
number Of the soldiers engaged in deliber-
ate and concerted attack, cold-blooded as 4
was was cowardiy; the purpose being TO terrorlze a,
and children in their homes and beds. on the
streets, at an hour OF the night when concerted
effective resistance or defense out of the
question and when detection by Identification of
the criminals in the United States uniform was
well nigh impossible. SO much for the original
crime. blacker record never stained the an
nails Of our army. II has been supplemented by
another. only less black in the shape OF sue, e.
shielding those who took part in the original
conspiracy Of murder.
DISCIPLINE AT ALL HAZARDS
The President expatriated on the ne
cessity of maintaining discipline in
the army. and training the soldier so
that he shall be protection and not a
menace TO his peaceful fellow citizens,
and above all to the women and chill
dren of the nation. Unless this was
a mere dangerous mob.
Many of the commissioned off,
GERS and men of these companies. he
said, must have known the circum-
stances which would have led TO the
conviction of those engaged in the
murderous assault. They have SOL
idly and as one man. he says. broken
their oaths of enlistment and refused
to help discover the criminals"
,f 1nu 1fcar, cad
the efforts made to induce those SOL
diers who may have been innocent to
help bring the criminals to justice He
added that the soldiers OF longest SER
vice and highest position who suffered
because Of the order, so far from being
those who deserve most sympathy, de-
serve least. for they are the very men
upon whom we should be able especi-
ally to rely TO prevent mutiny and
murder"
The President slid there were plenty
of precedents for the action taken, and
called attention to memoranda sub
mitted by the War Department In
several of the incidents cited every
soldier in the army organizations in
volved volunteered evidence and testi-
mony which resulted in bringing
to justice their comrades guilty of
crime, thus declining to identify them
selves with criminals. The President
continues:
During the Civil War numerous precedents
for the action taken by me occurred in the shape
Of the summary discharge of regiments because
Of misconduct the part of some or all Of
their members. The Sixtieth Ohio was summar-
lily discharged on the ground that the regiment
Was disOrganized. mutinoUs and worthless. The
Eleventh New York was discharged by reason Of
general Generalization and numerous desertions.
Three companies of the Fifth Missouri Cavalry
and one company OF the Fourth Missouri Cavalry
were mustered out of the service of the United
States without trial by court-martial by ason
OF mutingus conduct and dsafection ian almost
exact parallel to my actionl. Another Missouri
regiment was mustered out OF service because IT
Other examples. including New Jersey. Maryland
and other organizations. are given In the in
closed papers.