The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-12-13
A REVIEW BY TAFT
Of "Shooting Up" Of Browns
vile by Negro Troops.
WAS DOUBLE CONSPIRACY
One to Murder, the Other Silence as
to Perpetrators War Secretary
Makes Strong Arraignment
in Annual Report.


in Annual Report.
The annual report of Secretary OF
War Taft, made public at Washington,
Wednesday, reviews the events lead
ing 10 shooting up" of the town OF
Brownsville, Texas, on August II, last,
oy unidentified negro soldiers of COM
panies 3, c, and D Of the twenty-ffth
infantry, the crime proper. the inyesi-
cation end subsequent discharge, with
out honor, of the members Of the bat
talon.
The report establishes the exist
ence of a conspiracy for the perpetra-
ton Of the crime, and, unequivocally,
a later conspiracy of silence on the
part OF the battalion, whereby the
criminals were permitted to escape.
The secretary justifies the govern
ment's course. and answers criticisms
directed at it.
The report shows that the battalion
was sent to Brownsville, July %, over
the protest of the townspeople, the
department alleging the past good be-
a1avior of negro troops as reason for
not changing its decision.
From the first, it appears, there was
friction between the troops and the
people ef the town, sufficiently fre-
uuent to be the constant topic OF
discussion in the barracks. Many of
the saloon compelled the soldiers to
drink at separate bars, a discrimi-
nation they resented bitterly. The Sec
Tetary says:
sOn the 18th Of August it was re-
ported in Brownsville that white wo-
man was seized by the hair by a
colored soldier and dragged On the
ground. This report among the towns.
people caused great bitterness and
excitement of feeling, which gave ,uch
coacern to the officers of the battal-
ION that 1on the night Of the same
dsy they sent patrols into the town
to bring back their, soldiers to the
fort. A few minutes after II o'clock
midnight Of the next day, August 13,
&. e., on the morning of August II.
shots were fired in the fort toward
the town from the neighborhood OF
each barracks Of the three companies.
The fort is really in the town, and
only separated from the houses by a
wall. The first shots seem to have
been fired in the air. Immediately at
terwards a number Of men, variously
estimated from nire to twenty. climb
! ed over the wall between the fort
and the town. There was much direct
evidence that these men were colored
soldiers in khaki and blue shirts. car
rying the new service rife. From
.seventy-fve to one hundred cartridge
shells and used clips and some un-
discharged cartridges were found upon
Sfhe streets of the town the next morn
ing. and Major Penrose. commanding
tho battalian identified them as
ammunition for the new service rifle,
and reluctantly admitted their con-
elusive weight as evidence that the
shooting was done by some OF his
me?.
The secretary describes how these
men fred into the room of a house
fn which there were two women and
ave children. The raiders next en-
i c0untered the chief Of police. Before
turning to escape, he estimated their
number at fifteen. They fired upon
him, wounding him in the arm and kill
ing his horse. They also fired upon
two policemen, bullet piercing the
hat of one CT them The raiders then
fired into Miller's hotel. six bullets
being found in the building the next
day. The party divided, one squad
going to saloon. the keeper Of which
had insisted on maintaining sepa-
rate bar. The barkeeper attempted to
close the door, but was shot and kill
ed. A competent surgeon with army
experience testified the fatal wound
.ca,na from service bullet.