The Washington herald., 1906-12-11
EYEWITNESS OF RIOT.
Affidavit Of Mrs. Z. NJ. 0din
Sent to War Department.
MANY BULLETS STRUCK HOTEL
One Barely Missed sIrs. Odin's Head.
This Dug out of Wall and Sent TO
WRshingtOn-One Ex-SOIdier Said
10 Have Declared Guns Were
Not Examined Night of Riot.

Representative Slayden. OF Texas. added
to the War Departments store. of data
relating 70 the Brownsville incident yes
terday when he presented to the Military
Secretary an affidavit. made by an eye
witness, Mrs. f. NJ Odin With the paper
was the steel case of a bullet, fred on
the night Of the rioting, which barely
missed piercing her brain.
Mrs. Odlns husband sent letter to
President Roosevelt some time ago in
which no told the same story that Is told
by his wife in her affidavit Mr. Odin Is
a Northern man. and does not share the
feeling toward the negro race that is en-
tertained by extremists in the South. He
Is employed as an immigration agent by
4 Southwestern railroad.
Mrs. Odin's affidavit was forwarded to
Representative SIayden by Mr.. Reagan
Houston, a lawyer of San Antonio 1t was
secured by Constable Stevens, of that
city. who made an investigation of the
Brownsville affair at Mr. Houston's re-
quest. Mrs Odin asserts that with her
husband and their child, she was at
a small hotel in Brownsville on the night
of the trouble. It was a bright moonlight
night, she says, and she distinctly saw
the negro soldiers discharging their guns.
AT one time they We're so close that she
was enabled TO observe details of their
uniforms. There were about twelve of the
soldiers altogether, she says.
Persons who nave been taking the side
OF the soldiers have expressed doubt as to
the shooting Of police officer. Mrs. Odin.
in her affidavit. says that she distinctly
saw the men in uniform shooting at
policeman on horseback.
Narrow Escape from Death.
At least thirty shots were fired into
the hotel from a window Of which she
ana her husband viewed the scene. Mrs.
Odin declares. One Of these. according
to her story, missed her head by less than
an inch. She removed two or three bull
lets from the walls Of their room, and #
was one OF these that was sent 10 M
Slayden, and by him turned over 10 the
War Department She does not say that
the soldiers We're trying to kill her and
her husband, but asserts very positively
that many Of their shots were fired in
the general direction of the hotel.
In the letter received by Mr.. Slayden
from Mr.. Houston. and which was turned
over 70 the War Department with the
other exhibits, an incident which may
have some bearing on the case is related.
Not long after the discharge OF the bat
TALON OF the Twenty-ffth, Len Reeves.
one of the eX-s0ldiers. was arrested by
Constable Stevens for an offense which.
in the vernacuiar of the Southwest, is de-
scribed as making "a gun play" He was
convicted and when AIr- HoUston's letter
was written was serving q sentence on
the Bexar County roads.
According 10 Alr- Houston, Reeves
when arrested, told Constable Stevens
that he had used part Of the money paid
him by the government. when the bat
TALON was dismissed by the Presidents
order. 70 purchase the weapon which the
constable found on him. He also had a
quantity Of ammunition. When ques-
toned about the Brownsville affair, he at
first said he knew nothing Of the trouble
until awakened by the bugle call 70 arms
Subsequently. however. he told the con-
stable that he heard four shots before the
call sounded. He told the constable, too,
that the guns OF the battalion were not
20 ascertain the condition they were In,
or discover evidence as TO whether or not
they had been used, until the morning Of
the day following the rlotIng.
Data Expected To-day.
The data called for by the Foraker and
Penrose resolutions. and the special mes
sage with which the President will ac-
company the papers sent by him, are
expected to reach the Senate to-day or
Tomorrow Yesterday the Senate adopt
ed n resolution offered by Mr.. Culberson,
Of Texas, asking for information as 20
what rioting, II any, the dismissed bat
talon had participated In at any point
or points other than Brownsville prior d
the disturbance there.
Representative Slayden has received an
anonymous letter which threatens his life
if he persists in pushing the bill intro