The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-12-28
WORSTCRIME IN
ARMY ANNALS
Says Roosevelt Anent Acts Of Ne
gro Troops In Brownsville.
AN ANSWER TO SENATE
Special Message Sent Congress in Com
pEance With Resolutions "A Siren
uous and Virile Document.

Velt was read before congress We'd
ness relative to the discharge Of the
negro troops in Texas, charged with
Shooting up" Brownsville.
The president is so prompt and
thorough in his response to the sen.
ate resolutions calling for the facts
about the Brownsville affair that there
is room for the Slight suspicion that
he abetted II he did not inspire the
resolutions. His response came in the
shape OF bulky document of 1876
pages, or about $4,000 words, Of which
1000 words form his message TO the
senate, the rest including the report
of Secretary Taft and additional doc.
uments bearing upon the case
The president in his message says,
in part:
Il ordered the discharge Of nearly
all the members of companies B, G
and d OF the twenty-ffth infantry by
name, In the exercise Of my consti-
tutional power and in pursuance Of
what, after full consideration. found
TO be my constitutional duty as com
mauder in chief Of the United States
army. am glad TO avail myself Of
the opportunity afforded by these res
olutions to lay before the congress
the following facts as to the murder
GUS conduct of certain members Of the
companies in question and as to the
conspiracy by which many Of the
other members OF these companies
saved the criminals from Justice. to
the disgrace of the United States
uniform
AN effort has been made, to dis
credit the fairness Of the investigation
into the conduct Of these colored
troops by pointing out that General
Garintgon is a southernet, Precisely
the same action would have been talk
en- had the troops been white
ut appears that in Brownsville, the
city Immediately beside which Fort
Brown Is situated, there had been con-
siderable feeling between the citizens
and the colored troops of the garrison
companies. Difficulties had occurred,
there being a conflict of evidence as to
whether the citizens or the colored
troops we're to blame. MY impression
IS that, as a matter Of fact, in these
difficulties, Ehere was blame attached
to both sides; but this is a wholly
unimportant matter for our present
purpose. as nothing that occurred Of
fered in any shape or way an excuse
of justification for the atrocious con
duct Of the troops when in lawless
and murderous spirit, and under COW
er OF the night they made their at
tack upon the citizens,
"rhis attack was made near mid
night on August l3 The following
facts as to this attack are made clear
by Major Bloollsoms investigation,
and have not been, and, in my judg
ment. cannot be successfully contro-
verted,
"From 8 to lis or 20 OF the colored
soldiers took part in the attack They
leaned over the walls from the bar
racks and hurried through the town
They shot at whomsoever they saw
moving and they shot into houses
where they saw lights. In some Of
these houses there We're women and
children, as the would-be murderers
must have known.
an one house in which there were
two women and five children some ten
shots went through at height 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 It,.
He met the raiders, who, as he stat
+ ed. we're about fifteen colored soldiers.
They instantly started firing upnu
him He turned and rode of, and
they continued firing upon him until
they had killed his horse They shot
him in the right arm-it was after
ward amputated above the elbow.
"a number of shots were also fired
at two other policemen, The raiders
fred several times into a hotel, some
of the shots being aimed at a guest
sitting by a window They shot into a
saloon, killing the bartender and
wounding another man. At the same
time other raiders fred into another
house in which women and children
were sleeping, two OF the shots 60
ing through the mosquito bar over
the bed in which the mistress of the
house and her two children were ly.
ing, Several other houses were struck