The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-20
FORAKER TRIES COUP
Seeks to Discredit Report of
Lieut.. Hawkins.
PErTUs BARS PROPOSITION
ohio senator wants Testimony OF
Lieut. Lawrason Before the Court
martial introduced ut Brownsville
HeariBE-Gray's story Described as
n ''FaIse" By Army Officers.

Senator Foraker, who is conducting the
case for the discharged soldiers In the
Brownsville shooting. sought yesterday to
have Incorporated into the records Of the
Investigation the testimony given by
Lieut.. Lawrsson before the cour.a.artial
In San Antonio, which Is trying Maj,
Penrose. Senator Pettus objected unless
the testimony OF all the witnesses before
the oourt-martial should be admitted.
The purpose of Senator Foraker In In
GLIDING the testimony of Lieut. Lawrason
was 10 discredit the report Of Lieut.
Hawkins, who made the investigation OF
the shells and bullets picked up in
Brownsville after the shooting. and also
the guns Of the battalion OF the Twenty
fifth Infantry at Fort Brown. Lieut.
Hawkins report showed that number
Of the shells examined had been fred
from two of the guns OF Company B.
which were Of the reserve equipment and
held in a strong chest in charge OF the
quartermaster' sergeant Of the company,
sergt. McCurdy.
strong Chest Intact.
Lieut. Lawrason testified before the
court-martiai that directly after the
shooting he had gone with the quarter
masters sergeant TO the storeroom and
found the strong chest with the guns
intact. and the chest covered with sew
eral iron cots and other company prop
erty. They were in the same condition
they had been In when shipped from Fort
Niobria.
The statement Of Sergt. Mccurdy before
the Senate committee was practically 10
the same effect. II, therefore, Senator
Foraker can prove that the reserve guns
We're ia the strong chest, and had not
been removed. this evidence viii have a
strong tendency, II Is argued. toward dis
proving the report OF Lieut. Hawkins that
two of the guns used In shooting-up the
town we're taken from Company BIS
storehouse. It is probable that Lieut.
I.awras0n will be examined upon this sub
jeet when he appears before the commit
tee.
Gray story Denied.
The Adjutant General OF the army yes
terday forwarded 10 the Senate Commit
tee on Military Affairs, which is investi-
eating the Brownsville ARRAY. a telegram
from Gen. McCaskey. commanding the
Department of Texas. In which he states
that be has received a dispatch from
Lieut. Chamberlain. recruiting officer at
Galveston. pronouncing the Gray con-
gession 10 be a fake. Lieut. Chamberlain
says the negro Gray, who is alleged To
have confessed TO participation in the
raid, has been for seven years at work In
Galveston. and has never been in the
military service.
The committee spent an hour in dis
cussing. somewhat informally, the Haw-
kins report on the examination OF the
shells and bullets picked up al Browns
vile after the raid. No witnesses we're
examined. The hearings viii continue
for the remainder OF the week, and on
Saturday II Is probable that an adjourn
ment will be taken for ten days or two
weeks. in order to enable several menu
bers of the committee to return 10 their
homes and attend to business. The COM
mittee is still undecided as 10 whether or
not any of its members shall go 10
Brownsville TO take further testimony.
Position of Democrats.
Democratic members Of the committee
are insisting that the trip 10 the Texas
town BE made in order that first-hand
information as 10 the character OF the
people may be gained. In this connec-
ton Senator Culberson has fled with the
committee a number of kilograms from
Brownsville citizens to the effect that the
best people there did not care TO have
anything to do with Capt. Kiiburn. OF the
Twenty-sixth Infantry, on account of his
mode OF living prior TO his marriage. Kill
burn testified last week that only a very
few families ia the town were fl 10 as
sociate with. The name Of a woman,
who. IL IS alleged, might furnish informa-
tiOn concerning the attitude OF the towns
people toward Kilburn, is given IN the
telegram filed by Senator Culherson.
Some OF the Democratic Senators on
the committee think that the Hawkins
testimony has done much toward break
ing down the case which Senator Foraker
has sought to make They point out that
there was no lack OF witnesses will
ing 20 give testimony of the kind
wanted by Mr.. Foraker prior TO the
kind wanted by Mr.. Foraker prior to the
submission of the ordnance officers testi-
mony but that as soon as that went in
the Ohio Senator seemed to experience