The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-11-23
SOLDIERS.
IN CONSPIRACY
DISCHARGE TROOPS ENTERED
COMPACT TO PRESERVE SEC
RECY. .
Opinion of Maj Blocksom- Great Pres
sure Brought to Bear to Have
A Rehearing of the Case.

troops ordered diminished at Fort
Reno:
"In the matter of the order dis
charging the enlisted men of three
companies of the Twenty-fifth infan-
try issued by the president, applica-
tlon was presented to the secretary of
war by number of persons of stand
ing nskin" a rehearing by the presi-
dent on the ground on which the ac-
tlon was taken. The secretary tele-
"raphed the president Of the applica-
ti"n and delayed the proceedings of
the discharge until the president could
Indicate his wishes. The secretary was
meantime called out of town. No an
swer WAS received from the president.
The secretary on his return didn t feel
justified in further dclayin" the exc
cution of the order of discharge. espe-
cially in view of the fact that the see
retary then learned that the president
had fully and exhaustively considered
the argument against the order, of the
persons who now applied for re-
hearing. Accordingly. the secretary
directed yesterday, Tuesday, that The
proceedings for discharge be continu-
ed without dclay.'
The INVESTIGATION Of the conduct of
nrGr" troops "f companies B. { and
ID. TwcntN-fi;thy infantry. as report
rd upon by Mai. Blnckson, Inspector
general : department. Lieut.. Col. Low
crin". Fourth infantry. actin" inSpcc-
tor general, and Brig. Gen. Garliny-
ton, Inspector general of the army,
was made public at the war depart
mcm today in a volume entitled "Thc
Affray at Brownsville. Tex.'
Maj. BlockSom declares that the af
fair was prccnncerted and both he an l
Gen. Darlington cN0ncrate the officers
from blame. Gen. Darlington says it
was evident from the first that the
three companies had entered into a
compact to give no information about
the affair." Secretary Taft said to-
day that no steps will be taken to
make Il further investigation Of the
conduct If the officers.
In his summary of the report made
by the other officers and Of his own cf-
forts to discover the guilty soldiers,
Brig. Gen. Darlington declares that
every means of gettin" evidence con-
ccming the Shooting was exhausted.
MI the men Of the three companies
were talked with individuality on diff
fercnt occasions. he says. and the
, dire consequence Of their failure to
give np the Gnilty soldiers were poin-
ted out. All the soldiers avoided mcs-
tions and even refused to discuss the
events at Brownsville. which were
| known to have cnragcd The negroes
before TN riot.
"The sccrctivc nature of the race,
| where crimes are charged to members
of their color, is we'll known"
Gen. Garlington's Report.
Gen. Darlington says: "Unler such
circumstances self-protccion or self
interest is the only lever by which the
caskct Of their minds can be pricd
open. Acting upon this principle, the
history and record Of the regiment to
which they belong, the part played by
these old soldiers in this record, were
pointed out and enlarged upon. The
odium of discharge to the battalion
, and its individual members by this
Hl.ll nj. l,I
fort upon the individuals and upor
the battalion as II whole was referred
to; and, finally, the concern of the
president of the United States in the
matter. his desire and the desire OF
the war department to separate the in
noccnt from the guilty were explain
ed, but without cffcct'
Continuing Gen. Garlington's s re
port says:
"No absolutely accurate verifica
ton Of the rifles and the men of tn,
battalion was made on the night O.
Aug. 13 in time to account for tn
rifles and men at the beginning of tn
firing or Immediately on its concl,
sion. The failure is explained as fol
lows: The commanding officer and hi
associates, when the alarm was sound
ed and they heard the firing assumed
that it came from the city Of Browns
vile and that the guns were in tn
hands of civilians; in other words
that the garrison was being fired int
|