Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22

that the majority of them were in any way
directly connected with the affair IL seems
to have been a dragnet proceeding;
AS late as September MAJ Blockso1h
reported that accused men cannot get ialr
jury trial on account of prejudice
On the same date A.-C. Hamilton. United
States district attorney for the soutlerh
district of Texas, who was sent to browns
vile for duty in this case, telegraphed the
Attorney General here that careful lnves-
tigation indicates impossibility to procure
unprejudiced jury for trial of negro SOL
diers here. No danger of mob violence un-
less. trial resulted in ac9utttal
In mail report to the attorney general
dated Brownsville September 6. 1906, Mr..
Hamilton detailed his efforts Ito feel the
pulse of the entire body corporate so as
to judge of the sentiment existing. He said
he found the officials and citizens frank and
courteous in expressing their views on the
matter, and that he had no difficulty ''in
determining that such a prejudice existed
against the accused negro soldiers that a
fair trial or any trial could not be obtained
in Cameron county
Hamilton. with the officials. we were i'm
pressed with the difficulty of identifying any
of the culprits, and there is great likelihood
that no indictments can be found. The gov
ernor of Texas has offered a reward of $500
for evidence leading to the conviction of
the guilty ones. but it has produced no evil
dence thus far. AS to mob violence, I be-
lieve the hot-heads were governed by the
any overt act. but that this was brought
about mainly by the fact that there was a
battalion of soldiers that would have to be
overcome to reach the accused, / think can
be little doubted. The chances are that I'M
less the soldiers clean up their own quar-
ters. OF turn states evidence. no conviction
can ever be had of the guilty who have
caused the disturbance and trouble"
Innocence Still Reiterated.
1t is now matter Of history that the
grand jury of Cameron county Texas
failed to indict the prisoners for any Of
Tense. and that the court-martial proceed
ings instituted against them were dropped
from lack of evidence. All the prisoners
We're released from custody and like their
comrades were discharged without honor
They have been released by civil court"
reported Gen. McCaskey, .'and there Is no
testimony against them to prove military
charges on which they were held
During the progress of this correspond
ence, most of which was conducted by
telegraph the impression prevailed in GER
tain quarters in this city that the COM
mony from the members of the battalion
against any of the prisoners or against any
of Their own number in connection with
the midnight raid on the town was due to
the belief among the soldiers that he would
be burnt at the stake OF shot to death with
out trial. That was given as a charitable
excuse for the so-called conspiracy Of 81
lence at the time, but it no longer explains
the fact that 167 men have since maintained
a consistent attitude of innocence, despite
the best efforts Of army officers secret
service operatives and officials of the De-
partment Of Justice to get them to convict
themselves or incriminate their comrades.