The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-28
Some of the Discharged Browns
vile Troops at Wichita
Discuss the Order of Their Dis
missal From the Army.
TREATMENT UNJUST.
Sergeant Syicoff Says He Vas in
Missouri at the Time.
Had Seen "a Years Of Service
Declares His Innocence.

Wichita. Kan, Nov. 28.-The Beacon
A party Of negro soldiers who were
recently discharged by President
Roosevelt from service at Fit. Brown,
stationed at Brownsville, Texas, were
| in Wichita this week. A few of the
discharged soldiers will make their
home in Wichita, while the rest of the
fifteen soldiers now in the city intend
to scatter as did the three discharged
companies when President Roosevelt
notified them of their dismissal from
the army service.
A few of the soldiers state they were
ignorant of the crime of which they
We're accused and which led to their
dismissal, other than that two or tire :
soldiers are under arrest, accused of
asSauling a girl in Brownsville, and
that the president dishonOrably dis
charged the three companies because
he could find no proof from the state
ments of the soldiers which would lead
to the conviction Of the accused soldiers
now in the Brownsville jail.
That the soldiers were crushed by the
presidents message is shown by a few
individual opinions of the matter One
soldier, Sergeant d. A. Sylcoff, who has
seen twenty-four years Of service in the
army, most of his time being spent at
FIT. Brownsville. said today:
Il was in Lexington, Mo-, when read
the first press notice concerning the
trouble at TT. Brownsville. 1 thought
nothing of it and thought the trouble
when I returned to my company I was
faced with a dishonorable discharge.
The charge stated dishonor TO the flag,
and was indeed hard to bear, because
was perfectly innocent of any crime.
IF I had not received the dtshonor-
able discharge, I would have undoubt-
eddy remained in the service of the gov
eminent the rest Of my days. AS It IS.
1 know nothing but army life, and can
turn to nothing by which to make a
wanted to spend my last days in com
fort. but it can never be. am 40 years
old"
w. E. Witten, member of the band
in company c, and a Wichita boy, is
also one of the discharged soldiers. He
belongs to company c.
A soldier who refused to give his
name. and who belonged to company p.
said:
The president Of the United states
which he has showered on the shout
ders of $50 soldiers. The trouble was
started over the supposed guilt OF two
or three men accused of aSsaulting
girl in Brownsville. The men are now in
prison in Brownsville, held on the charge
I have stated. The authorities, power
less to learn anything from the accused
soldiers, by the presidents orders put
all the soldiers in the three companies
in the sweat box The soldiers knew
nothing This angered the authorities,
and the officers advised Theodore 4
to the effect that the SOL
diers were not honorable to the flag
were rebels, and Roosevelt wired back
to discharge dishonorably the three
companies
''As for myself. I will say that the
only man I would like to see is Presi-
dent Roosevelt I believe I could make
him see his error in disgracing honest
men making them semicriminals."
Some Of the soldiers refused to talk.
One soldier stated that Individual trials
may follow, and for that reason he did
not intend to say anything that might
be construed disadvantageousl 70!
himself