Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-20
NO RETRACIION
ON DIernss;ssssssa s :
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PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SUBMITS
MESSAGE ON THE BROWNS
WILLIE AFFAIR

MESSAGE ON THE BROWNS
WILLIE AFFAIR
Secretary Says Claim That Whites
Could Have Worn Cast Off Clothing
of the Soldiers and Committed Of
fenses Is Ridiculous.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 19.IThe
question of whether the senate should
make an Independent investigation of
the Brownsville raid was raised in the
in the senate by Foraker today imme-
diately after the reading of the Presi-
dents message. He offered resolu-
ton giving the committee on military
affairs authority to make such an in
vestigation if deemed necessary, after
consideration of the testimony trans
mitted by the President. The mes
sage is in part as follows:
in response to senate resolution
of December addressed to me, and to
the two senate resolutions addressed
to him, the secretary of war has, by
my direction submitted to me report
which I herewith send to the senate,
together with several documents, In
cluding a letter Of General Nettleton
and memoranda as to precedents for
the summary discharge or mastering
out of regiments or companies, some
or all Of the members of which had
been guilty of misconduct.
II ordered the discharge of nearly all
the members of Companies B, c. and D
Of the Twenty-ffth infantry by name,
in the exercise Of my constitutional
power and in pursuance of what, after
full consideration, found to be my
constitutional duty as commander in
chief of the United States army. am
glad to avail myself of the opportunity
afforded by these resolutions to lay
before the congress the following facts
as to the murderous conduct of GER
tain members of the companies in
question and as to the conspiracy by
which many of the other members of
these companies saved the criminals
from justice, to the disgrace of the
United States uniform.
Faith in Reports.
''I call your attention to the accom-
panying report of Major Augustus p.
Blockson, of Lieutenant Colonel Leon.
ard A. .Loy erangy and Of Brigadier Gen.
eral Ernest A. Darlington. the inspec-
tor general of the United States army
of their investigation into the conduct
of the troops in question. An effort
has been made. to discredit the fairness
of hn INV i,,t0 11,o
that General Darlington is southern.
er. Precisely the same action would
have been taken had the troops been
white--indeed, the discharge would
probably have been made In more sum
mary fashion. General Darlington Is a
native of South Carolina; Lieutenant
Colonel Lowering is a. native of New
Hampshire; Major Blockson is a ma
tive Of Ohio. AS 1t happens, the dis
closure of the guilt of the troops was
made in the report of the officer who
comes from Ohio, and the efforts OF
the officer who comes from South Caro-
lima were confined to the endeavor tc
shield the innocent men of the com
panies in question, If any such there
were by securing information which
would enable us adequately to punish
the guilty But wish it distinctly un
l'derstood that the fact of the birthplace
of either officer is one which abso
lutely refuse to consider. The standard
of professional honor and of loyalty tc
the flag and the service is the same fol
all officers and enlisted men Of the
United States army, and resent with
the keenest indignation any effort tc
draw any line among them based upor
birthplace, creed, or any other consid
Grafton of the kind should put the
same faith in these reports if it hat
happened that they were all made BY
men coming from some one state
whether in the south or the north, the
east or the west, as now do, when
as it happens, they were made by off
GERS born in different states.
Attack Made at Midnight.
"The attack was made near mid
night on August 13. The following
facts as to this attack are made clea
by Major Blocksom's investigation
and have not been, and, in my judg
ment can not be, successfully contro
verted. From nine to fifteen or twen
| ty Of the colored soldiers took part il
the attack. They leapt over the wall!
from the barracks and hurried through
the town. They. shot at whomeve
they saw moving, and they shot int
houses where they saw lights, Il
some of these houses there were WON
en- and five children some ten shot
derers must have known In on
house in which there were two WON
en- and We children some ten shot
went through at a height of about fou
and a half feet above the floor. on
putting out the lamp upon the table
The lieutenant of police of the tow
heard the ring and rode toward it. H,
met tbs raiders, who. as he stated
were about fifteen colored soldiers
They instantly started rirs upon him
He turned and rode off, and they cor
tinued firing upon him until they ha,
killed his horse. They not him i
the right arm (it was afterwards am
i putated above the elbow). A numbe