The Mena weekly star., 1906-12-06

to Make Private Investisatio"'
 Brownsville. Tex, Nov. 3o.--becauso of the apparent misunderstandihg in nortions of the country of the iacts which called forth the order dlschai inc the three companies of coiofeu troops recently stationed here anu II view of the resultant criticism ol tIie Presidents course in the matter, lhe citizens Committee of Brownsville re- cantlv requested General A. B. Nettie-. ton of Chicago, formerly assis'ahe secretary of the treasury, now heie m business, to make in his own way thorough and disinterested invest- cation of the Brownsville tragedy oi August 13 and report his conclusions.
 General Nettleton has empodieo his finding in letter to the secretary of war. He says in party:
 "As citizen of Illinois, as an anu slavery advocate when that phrase had a meaning, and as veteran Who served in the Union army throughout tho Civil war, I shall at least not pc suspected of prejudice against men or color.
 without rehearsing details, l wish to assure you that this absolutely un- nreiudiced investigation made alter local excitement had subsided con- firms in every particular the conciu- sions reached by the two army ofii- cers sent here by the war department on the strength of which the Presi- dent took his action, as well as the clear and temperate statement pub lished immediate after the tragedy py Chairman Kelly of the Brownsville Citizens committee"
 After summarizing facts hitherto published as to killing of one citizen, the maining of the chief of police, the firing of volleys into and through hotels. saloons and many private res idences and the terrorizing of the en- tire town, the letter continues:
 "The we'll attested evidence is that the colored troops were treated here with the same consideration that colored soldiers of like bearing are treated in most garrison towns of the Northern states. That on the other hand the street conduct of some of them was often aggressiyeiy and causeIessly insolent toward white men and women; that there was no provo cation for the murderous raid by the soldiers, unless it can be called pro vocation that the drinkers among them were provided with separate bars in certain saloons and that on two occasions. individual insolence was resented by individual citizens. both of winch happened to have been republican federal officials There was no riot" and no street rows" as many newspapers persist Tn calling the occurrence. It was simply a most cowardly conspiracy to terrify. wound and kill unoffending men. women and children at the hour of midnight when defense or resistance was impossible, and was not even attempted. Evident ly not an opposing shot was fired"
 ttHtfdl ANINilttOH $ fttttI SHdi DiJ raises the question. what were the white officers of the garrison doing on the night of the raid and closes thus:
 "In view of the facts as I find them here, the persistent attempt on thu part of some to make martyrs of any portion of the discharged men would be appalling, if it were not grotesque The conspiracy of silence on the part of all members of the battalion pre- vents the government from punishine the previous conspiracy of violence and murder and the separation of all alike from the service which they have disgraced. becomes inevitable. believe no course other than the one which the President has pursued, was. Or is, open to him, unless all sem blance of decent discipline in our army is to be ended and unless every American community North and South alike, is to he given cause to dread the proximity from the garrison as 1t would that of an encampment of arm. ed and uniformed assailants. I sym pathize deeply with the colored peo- pie in their upward struggle in Amer lea; but I believe the most damaging service that can be rendered them as race in their period of test and trans ition Is that of championing or excus. Ing the criminal element in their ranks
 Kansas City Boy shot.
 Fort Scott, Kan, Nov. 25.--A boy, supposed from papers found in his pockets, to be Nord Broten. or Broughton, of Kansas City. was shot here Friday night by A. P. Bridge fords policeman, and died half hour later. The officer had arrested the boy in the railroad yards. As they approached the city prison the boy started to run. The policeman called to him twice to halt and then fired The ball gtrut,x at fha haoa af