New-York tribune., 1906-12-06
NEW.YoRK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY DECEMBER g. 1906

neighborhood. There much evidence OF
expressions uttered by the raiders as they ad-
Vanced and shot, indicating their malicious and
murderous intent The shots fired in n short
space Of ten minutes were variously estimated
from seventy-tive to one hundred and fifty. and
all were fired within three blocks of the fort
The first Volley awakened many of the sleep
Ing garrison and attracted the attention of the
sentinel, who discharged his gun three times and
called the guard. The sergeant of the guard
called out the guard, and then he directed the
call to arms TO the battalion The bugle sounded
ana the men rushed to the gun racks. which the
serBeants ana corporalS in charge say had not
been opened until they opened them with the
Keys which had been in their possession for
more than twelve hours. One gun rack was
nroAeh open In the hurry of the men TO answer
the call 10 arms. The commissioned officers
were awakened by the firing dressed hurriedly
ana came out to call the roll of the men of the
various companies. They supposed that an at
tack had been made upon the barracks by men
IN the town. and did not know until some hours
laIer that the shooting had been done by SOL
diers and that their men were suspected OF any
onence. As soon they were informed OF the
Facts by the Mayor they caused all the rifles Of
the enlisted men to be examined. Every rifle
was then found TO be clean.
The evidence makes 1t quite clear that the fir
Ing had not ceased when the men began to form
IN line, and therefore that all the guns with
which the firing was done could not have been
in the racks when the sergeants in charge of
quarters went TO unlock the racks, although they
>testifled that they were there It is also certain
that during the formation of the companies,
Immediately after, the men who had done the
as TO respond to the rollcall or that some one an
swered for them.
One two enlisted men testified that the first
shooting was done outside the fort that IL was
accompanied by cries indicating hostility to the
soldiers, and that the bullets were directed tow
ard the barracks, but not the slightest trace OF
any bullet holes could be found in the barracks,
ana the great weight Of the testimony indicates
that these witnesses were mistaken
The facts as stated appear from the careful
investigation and report OF Major Blocksom, Of
the inspector generals corps of the army sup
plemented by affidavits and oral examination OF
many witnesses. conducted by a citizens COM
Inittee at the invitation of Major Penrose and
by the report OF Major Penrose Major Block
som began his investigation three days after the
Since the occurrence every effort has been
nade by the commissioned officers and bv COM
petent military inspectors sent for the purpose
t4Foush cToss-examination OF each member OF
the company who was present in the fort that
night, 70 ind some clew by which the enlisted
men who committed this crime could be de-
tected, and not the slightest evidence tending
TO establish the identity Of single man has
been forthcoming. All the enlisted men Of the
battalion We're advised that If evidence was not
forthcoming leading to the identification of
those who planned and committed these murders
and attempted murders, it would become nee
essary TO oischarge all the men present at Fort
Brown that night without honor and to bar
them from re-enlistment in the army or service
In the navy or in the civil service
A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE.
Inspector General Darlington then examined
every man who came within the operation of
the proposed order and entirely unable to
elicit single circumstance leading TO the fdentt-
1cation Of the murderers. He became convinced
that there a conspiracy of silence in the
battalion TO protect the criminals, and while he
conceded that there might be a number Of men
in the battalion innocent both of the crime and
OF suppression Of evidence, he deemed IL neces-
sary in the interest and for the good OF the SER
vice to recommend the Issuing OF the order
which by authority he had told the men would
be made and enforced, unless evidence pointing
to the criminals forthcoming. This depart
ment concurred in General Garlington's recon-
mendation. and the President then directed the
discharge Of certain named members OF the
battalion, which included all the enlisted men of
the battalion who were present at Fort Brown
on the night in question. without honor, and
forever debarred them from re-enlisting in the
army or navy Of the United States, well as
from employment IN any civil capacity under
the government The order OF discharge has
been duly executed
The order has attracted much attention and
has been severely criticised as unjust because II
condemns many innocent men TO undeserved
punishment. 1t is not improper therefore, in
this report to review the and state the
sons which not only justified 1t but made It neo-
essary
First-Out OF a battalion of 40 enlisted men
IN the army Of the United States from 8 20 20
men formed a preconcerted plan to revenge
themselves upon the people OF town In which
they stationed for the insults they felt
that the towspeople had heaped upon them. In
accordance with the plan they left their bar
racks under cover Of the darkness-about mid
highland proceeded TO discharge their weapons
into the houses of the town for the purpose or
killing those against whom they felt griev-
ance. They came very near killing some one or
more OF the three women and seven children
who were sitting or sleeping in two Of the
lighted rooms into which they fired. They, in
fact. did kill one man, wound another, and
seriously inJure the chief of police. They ac-
companied their firing with expressions indt-
eating the malice which prompted their action.
There can be no doubt, therefore. that the
fort to the town and did this shooting were
guilty of murder, and murder in the first degree,
and that If they were discovered they could be
properly subjected to capital punishment The
purpose OF one was the purpose Of all.
Second-Within ten minutes or more after this
crime was committed, when the whole garrison
aroused by the noise Of the fusillade anG
by the call to arms which followed it, the guilty
men returned to their places and must have
been among the last to take their places,
for the reason that the firing continued after the
formations had begun. The absence Of the
rifles from the racks could not have escaped the
attention OF the sergeants who had the keys OF
the racks, If, indeed, they had the keys; and
yet all the sergeants swear that the rifles were
in the racks untouched. Before the next morn
ing all the guns were clean. II is impossible
that many OF the battalion who did not talo
part active members Of the conspiracy to
murder were not made aware by one ctrcum-
stance or another. of the identity Of the persons
who committed this henous offense.
Third-Instead Of giving to their officers, or
to the military inspectors who were directed to
make the examination the benefit Of anything
which they knew tending to lead TO a conviction
Of the guilty persons, there was conspiracy OF
silence on the part Of the many who must have
known something of Importance in this regard
Thus the murderers were taken back into the
battalion and protected entirely from punish
ment.
Under these circumstances the question arises,
Is the government helpless? Must 1T continue
in fits service a battalion many or the members
Of which show their willingness TO condone a
crime of a capital character committed by from
ten to twenty of fits members, and put a
front Of silence and ignorance which enables
the criminals to escape just punishmentT THESE
enlisted men took the oath of allegiance to the