Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-12-20
Sends Message 10 Congress Civ.
Ing all The "Details Of The
Brownsville Riots.
THEY WERE C0WARDLY MURDEREFS
Tells Senate He Exercised His Con-
stltutional Prerogatlvc for Good of
the scrvlce-Evidence Was concIu.
slve and There Was No other
Course to Pursue.

WASHINGTON Dec. 19.-Today
the President sent to the SENATE n
message on the discharge of the ne
gro soldiers concerned in the riot Mt
brownsville, Texas. Tho report Is
accompanied by detailed reports from
Major Augustus p. Blocksom Brign.
dier.General Ernest A. Darlington. In
SUPERINTENDENT and Lieutenant.Co Col.
oncl Leonard a. lowering. The Pres.
ident declares that precisely the same
action would have been taken If tho
troops involved had been white. He
resents the suggestion that General
harrington. as South Carolnian, IS
pre1udiccd, and points out that his
report Is agreed with by the other two
OFFICERS who are from New Hampshire
ana Ohio. respectively. General Gar
hngton. he says. tried to shield tho In.
nocent men by discovering the guilty.
Tho President adds:
II resent with the keenest indlgnn.
ton any effort to draw any line
among them based upon birthplace.
creed. or any other consideration of
me Kind, should put the same en-.
ire taith IN these reports if It had
happened that they were ull made by
men coming from some one state.
the East or the West. as now do
when, as II happens. they were made
by OFFICERS born In different States"
Reviews Facts of the Case.
He then reviews tho facts, concud
Ing thus:
'As to the non.commissioned off.
GERS and enlisted men. there can be
no doubt whatever that many were
necassarilv privy, after II not before
the attack, to the conduct of those
VINO TOOK actual part in the murder.
GUS riot. | refer To Major Blocksom's
report for proof of the fact that ccr-
tatnly some and probably all of the
non-commissioned officers IN charge
or quarters. who were responsible for
the eun-racks and had keys thereto
In their personal possession. know
what men were engaged in the at.
tack"
"SISsix are The facts of this casc.
a~HTrM Nettloton, In his letter hero.
with appended, states that next door
TO where he Is writing In Brownsville
is small cottnge whore chiIdrcn,s
party had Just broken IN before tho
mouse was ridalcd Ivy United States
bullets, fired by United States troops.
from United States Springfield rifles.
w close range, with the purpose of
Killing or manning tho inmates I'm.
Guiding the parents and children who
were still in the wel.lightcd house
ana whose escape from death under
such circumstances was astonishing
re states that on another street he
daily looks upon fresh bullet scars
where volloy from similar govern.
ment rifles was fired into tho side
and windows or hotel ocupted at
the tine by sleeping or frightened
guests from abroad who could not nos
sibly have given any offcnse to the
assailants"
is Not Punishment
People have spoken as If thls dis.
charge from the service was mn.
ishment. I deny emphatlcally that
such Is the case. because as punish
ment 1t is utterly Inadequate. The
punishment meet for mutineers and
murderers such as those guilty of the
BROWNSVILLE assault Is death: and n
punishment only less severe ought to
We melted ont to those who have aided
and abetted mutiny and murder and
treason by refusing to help in their
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