Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-21
ALL REMAINED SILENT
CoIored Soldiers Did Not Fur
-. nish a Clue.
GEN. GARLINGT0N's TRIP
Says He vainly Pleaded With the
Men.
EFFORTS FULLY REPORTED
Pamphlet Rehearsing Facts in Connec-
ton With the Brownsville Affair
Given Out by Department.
EFFORTS FULLY REPORTED

In support of the Presidents action in dis
missing the 18th Infantry battalion. the
War Department today made public the
reports of Maj. a. p. Blockson. Lieut.. Col
L. A. Lowering and Gen. E. A. Darlington,
all OF the inspector generals department,
of their Investigations of the conduct or
the troops at Brownsville. These reports
make document of H. pages and include
the examination of soldiers and citizens.
Maj. BIockson declares that the affair was
preconcerted, and both he and Gen. Gar
lington exonerate the officers from blame.
Gen. Darlington says it was evident from
the first that the three companies had en-
tered into a compact to give no information
about the affair. Secretary Taft said to-
day that no steps will be taken to make
further investigation of the conduct of the
officers.
Major Blockson's Report.
The causes of the ARRAY are stated in
Maj. Biockson's report He says that the
colored troops knew that the people did not
want them near Brownsville The sold ers
were not allowed to drink with the tie
people at the principal bars in town. In
some cases separate bars were set up for
their use. The barkeeper who was killed
met his death in such saloon. A party
of ladies standing on street. Sidewalk were
rudely jostled by two coiored soldiers. Mr..
of the ladies'. knocked down one of the SOL
diers with his revolver. Two colored SOL
disrs were at the ferry landing. having re-
turned from Matamoras. Mr.. Baker, in
drunk and told them to move. Finally he
pushed one. who fell off the plank walk
into mud and water about knee deep
The facts in the two cases were exagger-
a hzNth ,rI ,1I H. III
Ter fee ings between soldiers and citizens.
Mrs Evans was seized by the hair and
thrown to the ground by tall negro sol
der. who ran away. This tended to further
inffame sentiment.
Gen. Garlington's Inquiry.
Inspector General Gariington's report
shows the personal interest taken by Presi-
dent Roosevelt In the proceedings and is
practically summary of all the reports.
1t Is dated October % and a portion of 1t
was made public November when the
Presidents action was announced Gen.
Darlington acted In accordance with In
structioHs from Acting Secretary Oliver
dated October 1. as follows:
The President directs that you proceed
to the places named in the accompanying
letter and endeavor to secure Information
that will lead to the apprehension and pun
tshment of the men of the 18th Infantry
believed to have participated in the riotous
disturbance which occurred in Brownsville.
Tex,s On the night of the 18th of August
1906, resulting in the death of one and
the wounding of another citizen of that
city,. - - =
Examination of Prisoners.
After proceeding to headquarters at Okla
hona City and finding that nothing new had
been developed. he went to Fort Sam Hous-
ton and examined soldiers in the guard
house there. He says:
II examined each of the prisoners very
carefully. first. in the form of general con-
versation. referring to the personal history
of the man. Including the place of birth.
home. former occupation and relations in
civil life. l found several of them had
lived in localities with which / was more or
less familiar. one having lived at my own
home. and then subjected them to a rigid
examination AS as the subject of
the trouble at Brownsville was introduced
the countenance of the individual being in
terviewed assumed a wooden, stolid look,
and each man positively denied any knowl-
edge OF the circumstances connected with
or individuals concerned in the affair
Under close inquiry 1t was admitted by
each man that he knew of the discrimina-
ton made by saloonkeepers against the en-
listed men of the 18th Infantry; lat lie
knew Newton had been hit by a revolver
in the hands OF citizen of Brownsville.
and that Reed had been pushed iato the
mud by another citizen. Each man admit
ted that these occurrences had been talked
of and discussed within their hearing in
the barracks OF their respective companies,
but could extract no admission from any
man that this discrimination ard these acts
OF violence had caused any feeling of ami
mostly on TIE part of the enlisted men of
the 18th Infantry against citizens Of
Brownsville. 4
When this attitude on the part OF the en-
listed men under examination was devel-
oped it became apparent that l could get
no information from them that would as
%f,Nsx
of the firing on the night Of the 18th of
August. 1906. l spent several hours in this
interview with the men. taking each sep
arately and Immediately afterward separat-
ing him from the rest OF the prisoners so
shat there might be no communication
between tn n during the examination. The
next morning ] called the men before me
again. four at time, beginning with the
m 'r Of the longest service. | again talked
with them. endeavoring to elicit informal
ton. and upon failure to succeed notified
them Of the orders Of the President in the
case and gave them until o'clock that
efternDn 10 consider the matter. At the
time set received nothing from them.
The men confined in the Fort Sam Hous-
ton guardhouse were the HOncommissioned
officers holding the keys of the arm racks
of the respective companies. the sergeant
of the guard. and the sentinel on post in
rear of company barracks on the night of
the 18th of August. 1906; an enlisted man,
part owner of saloon in Brownsville; a
man whose cap was alleged to have been
found in the city on the night of the 18th
of August mot substantiated); Private
Newton. who had been assaulted: Private
Reed. who had also been assaulted, and the
men who were with him at the time.
Inquiry at Fort Reno.
From Fort Sam Houston / proceeded
to Fort Reno. Okla. l called together the
officers present at the station who were
on duty with the Fort Brown battalion
on the night OF August IL. 1906 I dis
cussed with them the means and methods
employed by them contemporaneousiy
with the occurrence and subsequently, to
locate the guilty individuals / found
that absolutely nothing had been discoy-
cred; that they had found no enlisted
men who would admit any knowledge of
the shooting or OF any circumsts Eces
immediate or remote. Connected with the
same
Il then called before me- individually, a
number of the enlisted men. non-commis-
stoned officers and privates. Of long service
in the 18th Infantry. ranging from twenty
six years to five or six. / proceeded with
them practically along the same lines as
with the prisoners at Fort Sam Houston
and found the same mental attitude on their
part. could discover absolutely nothing that
would throw any light on the affair and
received the same denial that any feeling
of animOSity or SDirff revenQe iSfe