The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-21
White Regiment is Sent to
Brownsville, Texas
HOW THE TROUBLE STARTED
Citizens of Town Were Shot BY Ne
gro Troops, But Officers Have
Not Yet Located the
Guilty Men.

Washington August 20.-Orders were Is
sued today by the military secretary,
Maj. Gen C. f. Ainsworth, for the trans
fer of the colored troops from FIT. Brown,
Tex, where there has been considerable
trouble between the citizens and soldiers
to FIT. Ringgold. Tex, which is about 100
miles above FIT. Brown, and is also on the
Rio Grande.
Another company of the Twenty-sixth
infantry regiment is ordered to FIT.
Brown to take the place of the colored
troops.
The company ordered to Ft. Brown is
made up of white men. This shifting
about of troops was made subsequent to
a report from Maj. G. w. Penrose on
the situation at FIT. Brown and after an
appeal by Senator Culberson to President
Roosevelt.
Killed BY the Soldiers.
In his report Major Penrose says he
was persuaded that the killing of one cit
izen in Brownsville and the wounding
of another were the work of the SOL
diers although he has been unable as yet
to discover who the guilty men are.
OF the attitude of the citizens of
Brownsville toward the negro soldiers,
Major Penrose says:
THAT the enlisted men have been sub
here, there can be no doubt, and this
has caused a good deal of feeling among
them. The one case to which 1 attribute
this outbreak I will make the subject
of an official report as soon as John w.
Vann, the collector of customs, returns
to the city"
Major Penrose then outlined briefly the
case in question. Privates Newton and
Iipscomb were passing along n walk on
August where some women wele q and
ing engaged in conversation with a man
named Tate, who is employed in the GUS
toms office The negro prlvates walked
single file between the women and a
fence. Tate knocked Newton down with
the butt of a revolver and is reported to
have said: "I'll teach you to get on the
sidewalk when there is a party of la
dies on the walk
! When Newton rose Tate is said to have
covered him with the revolver, command
ing, Damn you, leave. or I'll blow out
your brains"
| This account of the affair Is corroborat-
| ed by Lipscomb Major Penrose sought
an official investigation of the affair but
as the collector of customs, Mr.. Vann,
Is out of the city, 1t has not been pos
sble to have the affair looked into.
Seized BY Negro Soldiers.
| On August 10 Major Penrose says a Mr..
Evans and DIR. Combe, Mayor of Browns
Vile, called on him. Mr.. Evans said his
| wife was seized while entering her home
| by negro supposed to be a soldier, as
| he wore a khaki uniform.
| Mrs. Evans was unable to identify the
man but both she and her husband COM
planned that the soldiers gathered near
| their home and annoyed them. That even
| ing Major Penrose made attempt to
get all the soldiers into the reservation
early All but two men who were out
on passes, were gathered in the post. but
shortly after midnight the engagement
which resulted so disastrousy took place
and the whole garrison was awakened by
fusilade.
AS soon as the shooting ceased, and it
seemed safe to make an investigation all
but two soldiers answered roll call, and
the rifles were all in places and showed
no marks which indicated that they had
been fired Cartridges and shells made at
government arsenals were found near
where the shooting took place, and Ma
jor Penrose expresses the opinion that
eight or nine soldiers who had keys to
the gun racks got their weapons, slipped
out of the post and engaged in the battle
with the citizens. and managed to clean
their guns, replace them In the racks,
and regain their places in the barracks
during the excitement which prevailed In
the post.
~