New-York tribune., 1906-12-20

rs he stated. We're about fifteen colored sol
fiers They instantly started firing upon him.
81. turned and rode on and they continued nr-
Ing upon him until they had killed his horse
They shot him in the right arm dt was after
ward amputate6 above the elbow NUMBER
uf shots were also fired at two other policemen
The raiders fired several times into a hotel
rome OF the shots being aimed at guest sllIns
by a window. They shot into saloon, klAitls
the bartender and wounding another man Al
fhe same time other raiders fired into anotner
house in which women and children were sleep
ing, two Of the shots going through the mos
quito bar over the bed in which the mistress Oh
Several other houses We're struck by bullets: IL
was at night and the streets OF the town are
raiders were recognized: but the evidence or
many witnesses Of all classes was conclusive 10
the effect that the raiders were Negro sololers
srhe shattered bullets shells and clips OF tae
government rifles which were found on the
ground are merely corroborative. SO are the
bullet holes in the houses some or MlliGh n, -
appears must from the direction, have been
fired from the fort just at the moment Wheh
The soldiers left il Not bullet hole appears
3n any OF the structures OF the fort
TowNsPEoPLE SURPRISED.
The sownspeople were completely surprised oy
the unprovoked and murderous saVasefy OF I Lne
attack. The soldiers We're the aggressors rom rom
start 10 finish. They met with no substantIal
resistance, and one and all who took part ia
that raid stand as deliberate murderers VINO
did murder mar, who tried 10 murdeE Ctn- ON
ers and who tried TO murder women anu cnl5- I
dren The act was one of horrible atrocity ana.
SO far as I am aware, unparalleled Tor lhA@IH5
50 the annals of the United States army.
The white officers Of the companies were coIn- I
Tlletelv taken by surprise, and al nrst eVluehuy
believed that the firing meant that me lo'1is .
people were attacking the soldiers II MaS not
until . or 3 o'clock in the morning IIat any
90 them became aware of the truth. nave ul-
,-ected q careful investigation into the cohouct
OF the officers TO see II any OF ,lein I roeo,
saendation of the War Department that t"o De
brought before court martial -,
-afArg,rf aiGEaD "a
~rsfed men. there can be no doubt Whatever Ihat
many were necessarily privy after, II not before
The attack 10 the conduct OF those who TOOK
actual part I'm this murderous riot. / reler 10
Major BlOcksoni's report for proof or ule Iact
thai certainly some. and probably ali, or the
non-commissioned officers IN charge OF quaI
sers who were responsible for the gun racks
and had KEYS thereto in their personal posses
sion knew what men were engaged IN the at
Major Penrose. in command Of the post, in his
etter dncluded in the appendix) gives the rea-
sons why he was reluctantly convinced that
some Of the men under him--as he thlnKS' from
seven 10 ten-got their rifles, slipped out OK
quarters 10 do the shooting, and returned 10 inc
barracks without being discovered Inc shoounS
an occurring within two and half short blocks
Of the barracks. II was possible for the raiders
% 20 from the port TO the furthest point of
firing and return in less than ten minutes, tor
the distance did not exceed 800 yards
Such are the facts Of this case. General Net
Eeton in his letter herewith appended, states
that next door to where he is writing in Browns
Vfue is a small cottage where a children's party
had lust broken up before the house was RID
dled by United States bullets, fired by Unlted
States troops from United States Springfield
rifles at close range, with the purpose or killing
or manning the inmates, including the parents
end children who were still in the well lighted
lSouse, and whose escape from death under such
circumstances was astonishing. He states that
sn another street he daily looks upon fresh
bullet scars where VOlley from similar gov
eTnment rifles fired into the side and win
lows OF q hotel occupied at the time by sleep
fng OF frightened guests from abroad who could
saoTr0 gi
ssilants. He writes that the chief OF the
Brownsville police IS again on duty from hos
5Jltsl, ana carries empty sleeve because he
was shot by federal soldiers from the adjacent
harrison in the course of their murderous foray;
Ind not far away is the fresh grave OF an un-
Offending citizen Of the place. boy IN years,
who was wantonly shot down by these United
States soldiers while unaTmed and attempting
to escape.
no QUESTION OF OUTRAGE
The effort 10 confute this testimony so far has
tsbnsisted In the assertion implication that the
tourspeople shot one another in order TO dis
credit the soldiers-an absurdity too gross 10
need discussion and unsupported by a shred OF
evidence. There IS question as to the muir
der and the attempted murders; there is no
question that some OF the soldiers We're guitty
thereof there is no question that many of their
comrades privy 10 the deed have combined 10
shelter the criminals from justice These COM
fades Of the mur6erers by their own action,
have rendered il necessary either leave all the
men, including the murderers, in the army,
10 surn them all out; and under such circum-
stances there was no alternative, for the useful
ness of the army would be al an end were we to
permit such an outrage to be committed with
ampunity.
IN short the evidence proves conclusivey that
a number OF the soldiers engaged in a deliberate
and concerted attack as cold blooded as il was
rowardly, the purpose being 10 terroriZe the
community, and TO Kill injure men, women
ana children IN their homes and beds or on tho
streets, and this hour Of the night when
concerted or effective resistance or defence was
nut OF the question. and when detection by
Identification of the criminals in the United
States uniform was well nigh impossible. So
much for the original crime. A blacker never
stained the annals Of our army 1t has been
supplemented by another. only less black IN the
shape Of a successful conspiracy Of silence for
the purpose Of shielding those who took part in
the original conspiracy of murder. These SOL
diers were not schoolboys on a frolic. They