Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-28
MUST HAVE EVIDENCE
The President Will Not Be In
fluenced by Deductions.
DISMISSAL OF BATTALION
Individual Soldiers May Be Restored
to the Service.
BELIEF OF THE OFFICIALS
Difficult to Present New Facts Unless
Some One Turns Informer Under
Promise Of Immunity.

Nothing occurred at the White House to-
day to change the Presidents action In
Diminishing from the army three companies
of the 25th Infantry. The President. as
stated in The Star yesterday, has emphat-
ically made 1t known that II he Is to do
anything In the future he must have evil
dence not deductions, favorable to the dis
missed men. He believes that he has full
authority to restore individual soldiers who
have been dismissed to the service IL It
can be clearly and fully shown that they
were really unaware of the crimes that
were committed by members Of their COM
panies. Secretary Taft was at the White
House today, but did not take the matter
up with the President
The declaration is made that President
Roosevelt Is standing pat" and that I'M
less new evidence is submitted to him the
case will remain a closed incident, so far
as further executive action is concerned.
Warrant for Clemency.
1t is further stated that II evidence can
be adduced showing that individual MEM
bers of the company who have been dis
charged are innocent Of any connection
with or knowledge of the perpetrators OF
the Brownsville outrage the President
would probably take such action as was
warranted, ard II the evidence warranted
the restoration of those particular individ-
ualS to the army that would probably be
done
These statements are accepted at the
War Department as indicating the Presi-
dents position In the matter.
All the members Of the three companies
but nine were discharged These nine were
not included in the order OF dismissal be-
cause 1t was clearly shown that they were
all absent from duty. either on sick leave,
furlough or at rifle practice.
What the Records Show.
1t is not clear to officers of the army what
sort Of evidence would be required to exon
crate the dismissed soldiers in addition to
that already contained in the official rec
ords. These records show that the indi-
vidual members of the battalion were ex-
amined and cross-examined by three in
spectors at different times and places, and
that the only direct evidence adduced show
ed that they were asleep in their hunks at
the time of the shooting up and that they
were in line when the companies were as
sembled for roll call Immediately after the
alarm was given.
The men were asked whom they saw
when they awoke and got in line, and in
each case the soldiers named several Of his
comrades. Absolutely no evidence, either
civil or military, was offered to connect
any individual soldier with the riot
has already established as complete an
alibi as is possible under the circumstances
and, as that evidence has been rejected 1t
is difficult to see what new evidence can
be produced. The only people who know
the facts in the matter are the soldiers
themselves, and the authorities apparently
will not give credence to their statements.
Agreement Of Officials.
Army officials all agree that it will be
difficult to produce new evidence that Ia not
merely cumulative except in the contin-
gency that some soldier who has steadily
denied all knowledge Of the affair now
comes forward and claims to be able to tell
something about it IL promised immunity
and reward. It Is not likely. however. that
the President would show much consider
alton to the evidence Of an informer VINO
testimony. Such a man would hardly be
considered desirable soldier.
It Is further explained at the War De-
partment that the only way that any OF
the dismissed soldiers can get back in the
army Is by re-enlistment, and only then
in case the Secretary of War shall hold
that his past service has been honest and
faithful" despite the fact of his discharge
without honor"
Penrose May Have to Answer.
It was currently reported this afternoon
that the President had ordered that Major
Penrose Of the 25th Infantry, at Fort
Reno, be taken to task for having asserted
in a newspaper interview that the dis
missed battalion of that regiment was the
best battalion in the United States army,
but the rumor could not be confirmed at