The Washington herald., 1906-12-23
ROOSEVELT WILL
FIGHT TO A FINISH.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE
on the grounds indicated. just as he is
doing in the case of the discharged sol
diers.
The administration attitude toward the
assertion that citizens of Brownsville
BACKED their faces and shot up the
town in order 20 bring about the re-
movaI Of the coIored troops is that such
a thing is conceivable. but very improb-
able. 1t is pointed out that it might be
argued with equal force that Czolgosz was
an ardent friend of law and order. and
killed President Mckinley 10 disCredit
anarchy and anarchists: or that the man
who shot Capt. Macklin was white. and
that he BACKED his face 30 create the
impression that the officers assailaut was
a negro, and thus cast additional stigma
on the colored troops.
The publication yesterday through the
White House Of the correspondence from
the War Department files relating 10 the
discharge OF the Sixtieth Ohio Regiment
in 1862 has furnished fresh fuel for the
quarrel between the President and Scna-
tor Foraker The general impression is
that the case OF the negro troops VIII
he the most exciting question before
Congress-. inasmUch as Senator Foraker
is preparing for the fray after the hol-
days just as assiduously as is the Presi-
dent.
what Other Soldiers Have Done,
In his message accompanying the data
relating TO the discharge of the battalion
OF the Twenty-hfth Infantry. President
Roosevelt referred 20 letter sent him by
District Attorney Wilkinson, Of Louisiana,
as indicating that on many occasions
United States soldiers have assisted their
own officers and the civil authorities in
ferreting out and Furnishing other wear
ers of the uniform who have been guilty
Of crime or misdemeanoT.
Mr.. Wilkinson is attorney for the Twen-
ty-ninth judicial district. and his head
quarters are in New Orleans. His letter
to the President was written in that city
on December 4, and is as follows;
Sir: About six years ago. Harry Melon
aid, white United States soldier. Of Fort
st. Philip. La, while intoxicated, fol-
lowed james Butler. a white citizen, at
night, to his home above Fort St. Philip.
and tried to force Butler to take him into
the house. The latter refusing, Mcdonald
shot and killed him.
After McDonald's return to the fort
news of the homicide having spread the
latter was suspected. arrested. and
searched: his revolver was carefully ex-
amined, its recent discharge discovered
and every soldier, from the commanding
officer to the humblest private, united
I then and there and at the trial in ferret
/ ing out all the evidence in their power
about this crime The accused was con
victed of murder. and is now in the
! Louisiana penitentiary for life.
Again, about four years ago, at the
same fort, Harry Morgan, private il
/ one of the United States artillery com
lpanies. was charged with killing john II
/ McCloskey. in d drunken brawl at night in
one OF the gCOg5 .ries which cause Sc
MANY similar rfmes in this country
Though his Slow soldiers, believing Nor
gan was not guilty Of the crime, raised z
| fund for his defense, every soldier anC
emnIove at the fort volunteered all they
knew. both before and at the trial, on tho
/ witness stand about this case. Morgan
was acquitted by jury of white citizen:
in Plaquemines Parish.
Told Whole story.
Once since then, in my official ca
pacity. / tried and convicted United
! states soldiers of a lesser Ofense-assaul
and battery-oommitted above Fort Jack
i son. on the west bank of the Mississippi
River. and again the white comrades-in
arms of the accused told the whole stor!
Of Ahe trouble. Each of those cases &C
cur4ed out of hearing of the forts. an,
but for the evidence of their brothe
soldiers, either then with the accused O.