Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-11-09
ksoo SssueS0 Order Which May Amount
'Te ceurtmartial Of High White
oMclal OF Army.

troops. The story OF both actions is
told In oficial correspondence made
public today by the military secretary.
The correspondence follows:
The report Of an investigation made
by Brig. Gen. E. A. Darlington, In
spector general of the army, relative
to the, riotous disturbances that oc-
CURED at Brownsville, Tex, on the
night OF August IA, 1906, and which
resulted In the death of one and the
WOunding Of another citizen of that
city, has been considered and acted
upon by the president. Following are
his instructions with regards to the
matter:
'aThe White House, Washington, D.
G.. Nov. 6, 1906.-The Secretary Of
War: I have received General Car
lington's report dated October 20, sub
mitted TO me by yon. I direct that
tho Recommendation OF General Car
lingtOn be complied with and that at
the same time the concluding portion
Of his report be published with our
sanction as giving the reasons for the
action.
Theodore Roosevelt"
Following is the concluding portion
OF General Carlington's report, which
embodies the recommendations that,
by direction of the president, will be
carried into effect Immediately by the
war department:
Discharged Without Honor.
Il recommend that orders be issued
as soon as practicable, discharging,
without honor, every man in Compan-
les B, C and D of the Twenty-fifth in
fantry. serving at Fort Brown, Tex,
on the night Of August Is, 1906, and
forever debarring them from re-enlist-
ing In the army or the navy of the
United States, as well as employment
In any civil capacity under the gov
eminent In making this recommen-
dalton. recognize the fact that a
0umher Of men who have no direct
knowledge as to the identity of the
men Of the Twenty-fifth infantry who
actually fred the shots on the night
OF August 10, 1906, will incur this ex-
trelne penalty.
st has been established by careful
Investigation beyond reasonable doubt
that the firing into the houses of the
citizens CT Brownville while the in.
habitants thereof were pursuing their
peaceful yOcations or sleeping, and by
which one citizen was killed and the
Chief of police so seriously wounded
that he lost an arm, was done by the
enlisted men of the Twenty-fifth in
fantry. belong ing to the battalion sta
toned at Fort Brown. After due op
pOrtunity and notice. the enlisted mer
Of the Twenty-ffth infantry have
failed to tell all it Is reasonable tt
believe. they know concerning the
shooting. II they had done so, if they
had been willing to tell all it is rea
s0nable to believe they know concern
Ing the shooting. If they had done so
II they had been willing to relate al
the Observation-Disclosures prelim
\ mary to the trouble, 1t is extremely
probable that a clew sufficiently def
mite would have been disclosed. The,
appeared to stand together in de
termination to resist the detection o
the guilty and therefore they shall
h stand together when the penalty falls
"a; fprceful lesson should be given Il
In Prmy at large, and especially t.
tha non commissioned officers, tina
their duty does not cease upon thu
drill grounds, with the calling Of the
company rolls. making check inspec
tons and other duty of formal char
acter: but that their responsibility o.
once accompany them everywhere and
IT all times; that It is their duty ia
become thoroughly acquainted with
. the individual members OF their re
spective units and to know their char.
acterisucs";; to be able at all times
70 guage their temper, In order to
dfscOyer the beginning Of discomfort
Of mutinous intentions, and to antici.
pate any organized act OF disorder;
that they must notify their Officers at
once Of any such conditions. More
over, the people OF the United States
wherever they live must feel assured
hat the men wearing the uniform OF
the army are their protectors and not
midnight assassins or riotous disturb
ars Of the peace of the community in
which they may be stationed on.
ION October 5, 1905, a squadron of
the Ninth cavalry, an organization of
colored troops, reported at Fort Saer.
ldan. near Chicago. Ills under orders
from the war department assigning
them to duty there. Soon after this
assignment, there appeared in the
public press the following account OF
q statement alleged to have been
made with regard to the matter by
Col. William +. Pitcher, Twenty-sey-
enth infantry:
The negro troops would never have
been quartered at Fort Sheridan with
out protest II was to remain IN COM
Eand here said Colonel Pitcher. Il
never liked them and the farther away
from me they are kept the better it
.pleases me. For the life ofme 1 can
not see why the United States shnnld
try to make soldiers out Of them. Ger.
fAinly there are enough fine white
young men In this country to make
soldiers OF without recruiting from
such a source
This alleged statement by Colonel
Pitcher having been brought to the
attention OF the president. the follow
Inc communication in regard to it was
rent to the war department by Secre-
larry Loeb:
The president directs that an I'm
mediate report be called from Colonel
Pitcher to know whether or not he Is
correctly quoted IN the enclosed clip.
ping; and II he Is correctly quoted,
~ president directs that proceedings
= taken against him for such punish
nent ~ can be inflicted. The presi-
lent thinks that such conduct ~ but
lltf3s eettsr thzn fhAt Of the ofEendingl