The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-08-21
Negro Soldiers VIII Take Leave
Of Brownsville.
OUTLINE OF PENROSE


Washinet,1. aug 2l-orders we're
issued Monday by the military serre.
tary Major General H. hjnsworth for
the transfer of the negro troops from
Fort Brown. Tex. where there has
been serious trouble between citizens
and soldiers TO Fort Ringgold Tex
which is about 100 miles above Fort
Brown, and Is also on the Rio Grande.
One company of the Twenty-sixth in
fantry Is ordered to Fort Brown to take
the place OF the negro loops. The
company ordered to Fort Brown is
made up of white men.
This shifting about of troops was
made subsequent to a report from Mai
G. w. Penrose on the situation at Fort
Brown, and after an appeal by Sena-
tor Culberson to President Roosevelt.
In his report Major Penrose saws
he was persuaded that the killing Of
one citizen in Brownsville and the
wounding of another were the work of
soldiers, although he has been unable
as yet TO discover who the guilty men
are.
OF the attitude of the citizens of
OF BROWNSVILLE toward the negro sol
dlers Major Penrose says: That en-
listed men have been subjected TO in
d1gnities since their arrival here there
can be no no doubt, and this has caus
eda good deal Of feeling among them
The one case to which it is attributed
this outbreak will be made the subject
OF an official report as soon as John
w. Vann the collector of customs, re-
turns u the city"
Major Penrose then outlined briefly
the the case in question.
"Privates Newton and Lipscomb were
passing along a walk on Aug where
some women were standing, engaged
in conversation with man named
Tate, who is employed in the customs
office. The negro privates walked sin
gle file between the women and fence
Tate knocked Newton down with the
butt of revolver and is reported to
have said
IN teach you to get on the side
walk when there is a party of ladies
on the walk
When Newton arose, Tate is said to
have covered him with the revolver,
commanding: Damn you leave, or
will blow your brains out"
This account of the affair is corrob-
GRATED by Lipscomb. Major Penrose
sought an official investigation Of the
matter, but as Mr.. Mann, the collector
of customs, is out of the city, it has
been impossible to have the affair
looked into
II PpnrnCp
Evans and DR.. Combe, mayor of
Brownsville. called on him. Mr. Ev-
ans said his wife WAS seized while en-
tering her home by negro, supposed
to be a soldier, as he wore khaki
uniform. Mrs Evans was unable to
identify the man. but she and her hus-
1band both complained that the soldiers
gathered near their home and an
moved them. That evening Major Pen
rose made an attempt to get all the
soldiers into the reservation early. All
but two men. who were out on passes,
gathered into the post but shortly aft
er midnight the engagement which re-
suited so disastrously took place. and
the whole garrison was awakened by
a fusllade. AS soon as the shooting
ceased, and it seemed safe to make an
investigation, all but two soldiers an
swered roll call, and the rifles were all
in place. and showed no mark which in
dicated that they had been fired Cart
ridges and shells made at government
arsenals were found near where the
shooting took place, and Major Pen
rose expresses the opinion that eight
or nine soldiers, who had keys to the
gun racks got their weapons, slipped
out OF the post and engaged in the
battle with the citizens and managed
to clean th~'r guns, replace them in the
racks and regain their places in the
excitement which prevailed