The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-12-27
CREED NOR COLOR
Considered by Roosevelt ias
Discharging Negro Troops.
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS-
Evidence Of Guilt, Says President,
Cannot Be Disputed-A Riacker -
Crime Never Before Dis
graced Army Annals.

Shs NSvSs% os'S'S S'S 49, ~
graced Army Annals.
A message from President Roose-s
velt was read before congress We'd
ness relative to the discharge OF the
negro troops in Texas. charged with
Shooting up" Brownsville. 80 q;
The president is SO prompt and
thorough in his response to the sem
ate resolutions calling for the facts
about the Brownsville affair that there
is room for the slight suspicion that
he abetted If he did not inspire the
resolutions His response came In thes
shape Of bulky document OF 1861
pages, or about 50,o0e words, of whiche
1900 words form his message to sthea
senate, the rest including the report
Of Secretary Taft and additional doe-s
uments bearing upon the case.
The president in his message sayssf
in part:
Il ordered the discharge Of nearly
all the members Of companies BE
and D of the twenty fifth infantry By
name, In the exercise OF my constts
tutiona1 power and in pursuance
what, after full consideration, u found
to be nay constitutional duty as COM
rnander in chief Of the United Statssf
army. am glad to avail myself oE
the opportunity afforded by these ress
olutions to lay before the congress-
the following facts as to the EHrdeEs
Gus conduct Of certain members of the
companies In question and as to the
conspiracy by which many Of tlls
other members OF these oampaniea
saved the criminals frem iustic t6s|
the disgrace of the United statel
uniferm. ss
aAn effort has been made To dis
credit the fairness Of the investiga tign
into the conduct OF these colQfe
troops by pointing cut that GeAes
Garlintson is "a southerner Preeia
the same action would hare been s!
en- had the troops been white
ut appears that in BroWnsyfne. l
city Immediately beside which
Brown Is situated, there had been cosls
siderable feeling between tie citisei1i
and the colored troops of the gaik
companies. Dif1culties had occgrae
there being conflict Of eYidenee as
whether the citizens or the coIcFf
troops we're to blame. My impression
Is that, as matter OF fact
difficulties, there was blame.
to both sides; but this is q WHISKY
unimpertants matter for our ar s.;
purpose, as nothing That occurred
fered in any shape or way on 81 4;
OF justification for the atrecioas cal
duct of the troops when, 10 laseleps I:
and murderous spirit and under
er OF the night they made thetf 81 sS4
tack upon the citizens. $fSI
$ aTlHs attack was made near MID;
night on August l3. The foll0vfn M
facts as to this attack are made cieas
by Major Baocksom's inyesttgatten y
and have not been, and, in my jud
ment, cannot be successfully contEo
verted: ss q ssss1Ts;sS
From 9 to Is or 90 OF the colefefts
soldiers took part in the attack Eheg
leaped over the walls from the bar
racks and hurried through the towls
They shot at #homsoever they sas
moving and they shot into houses
where they saw lights. In some az
these houses there were women aad
children, as the would-be murdsreTs
must have known. - ss;s
"In one house in which there We're
two women and five children some ten
shots went through at atshetght OF
about 4 1-2 feet above the floor, one
putting out the lamp upon the table.
The lieutenant of police OF the town
heard the firing and rode toward at
He met the raiders. who. as he stat
ed. we're about afteen colored seldierg
They instantly started firing uDDn
him. He turned and rode Oh, and
they continued firing upon him until
they had killed his horse. They shot
him In the right arnl-it was after
ward amputated above the elbow. 8
"a number of shots were also fred
at two other policemen. The raiders
fired several times into q hotel. some
Of the shots being aimed at asguests:
sitting by window. They shot into g,
saloon, killing the bartender andS
wounding another man. At the same
time other raiders fired into another
house in which women and cliiesen
were sleeping, two Of the shots go-
ing through the mosquito bar: over
the bed in which the mistress OF the
house and her two children were "
Ing. Several other houses were strucks
by bullets"