The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1906-09-05
THE TRUE STORY
OF THE OUTRAGE
(CoNrINUED FROM FIRST PAGE)


repair to their homes and await
the action OF the authorities, who
would see justice done, they quiet
ly dispersed, and from that date to
this not a shot has been fred in
anger. The self-control and law
abiding conduct of our citizens. in
the awful situation in which they
found themselves are beyond all
praise. The United States troops,
quartered here for our protection,
in case of international difficulty,
suddenly, without warning, with
out provocation or excuse, at the
dead of night, while our citizens
were peacefully asleep in their
homes, emerged from their quar-
tiers, armed with the rifles and am
munition furnished by the govern
ment, and commenced an indis-
criminate shooting up" of the
town; they murder one citizen and
severely wound Our most efficient
peace officer; they fire into our
houses wantonly, endangering the
lives of our women and children.
The previous day one of them
attempts an atrocious assault on
the wife of one of our most respec-
table citizens.
What they could do one day
they could do or attempt to do the
next. The officers appeared to
have no control of them, and con
fessed the following day that they
were unable 10 point out any of
the guilty ones, or furnish any in
formation that would lead to their
conviction.
What was the situation of the
people of Brownsville? It became
necessary to keep a large force of
our citizens on guard night and
day to protect our women and
children from attack of the Ma
tional negro soldiers stationed at
Fort Brown. So great was their
hysterical terror, that until the
white troops arrived, no lady
would leave her home, even to do
shopping, without al escort. To
all argument they had one reply:
What these negroes did yesterday
they could do today; we can not
keep this armed guard forever,
and if it is relaxed we must leave
for other homes.
Hence their demand that the
negroes be taken away. Tie Citi-
zens' Committee, appointed at a
mass meeting the morning after
the outrage, insisted on this in
behalf of our outraged people; first,
move all the negroes, next follow
the guilty ones and spare no efforts
to have them identified and pun
ished as their crimes deserved.
Fort Brown has been garrisoned
by negro troops before, and no
trouble has arisen between them
and the citizens of Brownsville
Gems. Shafter, Merriam, Double
day, Corbin, Clous, Gilmore,
Wade, Hatch and many others of
high rank have commanded negro
troops here. There is probably less
race prejudice in this community
than in any part of the South, but
when it becomes question be-
tween the peace, comfort and safety
of our mothers, wives, daughters
and sisters, and the presence of
armed negroes among us, the arm
ed negro must go.
The Citizens Committee was Sc
lected from our best citizens; the
chairman is post commander in
the Grand Army OF the Republic,
and companion of the military
order Of the Loyal Legion of the
United States; one of its members
is a vice commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic, another is
quartermaster of the local Grand
Army of the Republic post; the re-
mainder of the membership is COM
posed of three doctors, four lawyers,
three bankers, three merchants,