New-York tribune., 1906-08-22
ORDERED OUT OF TEXAS
NEGRO TROOPS TO GO.
President Directs Thorough Probe
of Brownsville Trouble.

Washington. Aug 21.-The Negro federal
troops have been ordered out OF Texas. Instead
Of going 10 Fort Ringgold, which is about one
hundred miles up the Rio Grande from Fort
Brown, the battalion OF the Twenty-ffth In
fantry has been ordered TO Fort Reno, Okla
This action IS in accordance with the direction
OF the President. and also is recommended by
General McCasSey, commanding the Department
of Texas. By direction Of the President also
General ]. Franklin Bell. chief of staff. will make
a thorough investigation of the whole Browns
vile affair and report TO the President
Fort Brown is to be abandoned. The company
OF the Twenty-sixt Infantry which was sent
there to-day will not stay long. Its duty is TO
pack up all the movable government property
which will be shipped TO other posts, when the
troops will be ordered away
AS the language of the order will state, Fort
Brown will be temporarily abandoned and left
in charge of a caretaker, which is the usual
course when any military post is abandoned, but
Il IS understood that the temporary abandon
ment will be permanent.
The investigation under way will be con-
tinued by Major Blocksom. and the War Depart
ment authorities state that every effort will be
made TO find out the facts and fix the RESPONSE
bility for the disturbance. and that any soldiers
found guilty will be punished.
General Ainsworth to-day made public tele-
gram nom Major BlocksoTf III mas Deen tof-
v1arded 70 President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay.
The dispatch is as follows:
Brownsville. Tex, August 20, 1906.
The Military Secretary United States Army.
Washington, D. c.
Causes Of disturbance are racial People did
not desire colored troops here and showed they
thought them inferior socially by certain Sights
and denial of privileges at public bars. etc.
Soldiers resented this. There were several in
dividual encounters between soldiers and citi-
Zens.
About midnight Of August 13 a party Of SOL
diers, proba bly,. nine to fifteen, made raid
through several squares OF town, firing seventy
Ave to hundred and fifty shots, killing bar
tender and dangerously wounding lieutenant of
police They also fired into several houses,
where women and children narrowly escaped be-
ing shot. Raid lasted from eight TO ten min
utes; claim made that citizens fired first, but
believe without foundation; although the act
probably preconcerted. do not think command
ing officer could have foreseen. Citizens cannot
identify individual raiders and authorities have
made no demand for them.
Investigation going has yet dis
covered none. Comma nding officer to-day in
vited committee of three citizens 10 assist in
conducting investigation. People still in
state of great nervous tension and men nearly
all carry arms openly at night. Women and
to remove cOlOred troops; the sooner the better
While now apparently under perfect control an
strain, with little prospect Of relief; differences
between soldiers and citizens are irrecOncilable
Fuller report about investigation will be made
in regular course. BLOCKSOM. Major.
The War Department to-day received dis
patch from General McCaskey, commanding the
Department OF Texas, stating that company OF
the 26th Infantry had left the camp near Austin
Tex, for Fort Brown a special train and
probably would arrive there to-day. The bat
TALON of the 25th Infantry, Negro troops, will
march TO Port Ringgold. which at present is
unoccupied as soon as the company of the 26th
Infantry arrives.