Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-28
Couldn't Tell Krag From Spring.
field Bullets.
EXAMINATION OF CAPT. ELY
Resumption of the Brownsville Inves.
tigation.
PREDICTION OF THE ATTACK
Remark Attributed to Voschel, Corral
Boss at Fort Brown, Relative to
Intentions Of the Soldiers.

The Senate committee on military affairs
today examined Eapt. Hanson Ely Of the
18th Infantry, an expert. concerning vari-
GUS technical matters in the identified ton
of bullets. the differences in various fire.
arms and ammunition that might have been
used at Brownsville when that town was
shot up. on the night of August ID.
The testimony Of Capt Ely was to the
effect that Springfield rifle ammunition
could not be shot from a krag or a Win
chester. He had heard of a new Winches-
ter rifle which. 1t was claimed would fire
the army ammunition. He said that he
had read that only 800 of these new Win
chesters had been sold. and the location of
all of them was known.
The bullets that had been taken from
houses at Brownsville. three in number.
We're laid before the witness, and he iden-
tilted them as all having four lands. which
might have been made by either the Spring
field or the krag rifle. He said that the
Winchester made six lands on bullet when
it is fired. He said that the clip. such as
found at Brownsville, belonged distinctively
to the Springfield rifle. no other gun in the
world using a clip of that kind.
Capt. Ely Mistaken.
After testfying that there was a marked
difference between the Krag bullet and the
Springfield bullet Capt. Ely was shown one
of each by Senator oFraker. The senator
held the shells in his han2, the same as he
had done yesterday within Maj Blocksom
was on the stand. and. like Mai Block
som. the witness picked a Krag when
asked to designate the Springfield He
was examined by Senator Foraker concern
ing the detection of bullets fired from high
power rifles upon meeting resistance and
he said that ordinary pine wood would not
defect the bullet in the least. Upon hear
ing the testimony experts, who made an
exhaustive investigation on that question
Capt. Ely said that he probably was mis-
taken.
The trend Of his testimony, as finally de-
veloped made it doubtful whether the balls
or shots of lead found at Brownsville be-
longed to Springfield or to Krug rife.
He said that a rifle Immediately after being
fired might be cleaned in two minutes; mat
he himself had cleaned them after target
practice. and that they could be cleaned in
the dark.
Attack on Town Predicted.
William Henry Adams. an ex-soldieI and
the driver of an ice wagon at Brownsville,
told of having heard Noschel. the corral
boss, say at Tillman's sal on, when asked
how the negroes were behaving, that they
were behaving all right then, but" he
added Just wait until pay day and then
they will shoot up this - town. and 1 will
come with them" The witness said that
he questioned whether Vosche would do
that, and the latter replied that he certain
ly would.
Adams also told of a conversation he had
heard between two colored soldiers who
were passing his house to find Baker. the
custom house inspector. who had showed a
COlored soldier overheard. He said that one
of these men said that he would FIX him"
something to that effect. The witness
also testified to hearing Allison a colored
soldier. who opened a saloon for colored
men in Brownsville, talk as If he knew all
about who did the shooting. and the wit
ness believed that he did know about it. He
also said that he saw four or five shells in
the hands Of Mayor Combe on the morning
of the 14th of August, and they appeared
to him as having been freshly fired.
Adjournment Until Tuesday.
There was a good deal of discussion while
Capt Ely was on the stand. bearing upon
the nature of the bullet which it has been
supposed was fired by one of the men shoot
ing up the Tillman saloon and which be-
came imbedded in post across the street
in front of CriZell's saloon. When on the
stand Lieut.. Leckie, 26th Infantry. testl-
fled that he had cut the bullet out in pieces,
wrapped them in a piece of cigarette pa
per and put them in his hunting clothes.
When he came to look he could not find
them He was present at the Capitol today.
he had found this bullet and was ready
to bring 1t before the committee. He will
probably do next week.
The committee today adjourned until next
Tuesday. when quite number Of witnesses
will be here for examination.
Major Blocksom Testtfes at Length.
Mai Blocksom, who conducted the
first investigation of the shooting up of
Brownsville for the President, and whose
hoe no ctt Of fl,o
President in dischargng the troops with
out honor continued to testify before the
Senate committee on military affairs at the
Capitol yesterday afternoon. during the
session. with the exception of short time
that was given to the examination of
William Foster, formerly a teamster for
the government at Fort Brown, who told
of some conversations he had heard in
which Voschel the corral boss, had said
the negro soldiers intended to shoot up
the town" next pay day and he would go
with them.
The witness said he was not at all sure
any extensive plan had been made by the
colored soldiers for the shooting up Of the
town beforehand, but after the act had
been committed by a few Of them he
thought they got together in some under
standing for their mutual protection.
Senator Foraker-'Did you ever hear of
a conspiracy embracing so many men be-
ing carried out without individuals involved
in it leaving some clue?'
Maj Blocksom-'I do not think I ever
did"
He added that according to his idea this
was a race issue with the colored soldiers,
who proposed to stand together through
thick and through thin. A great many of
them must have known It.
Silence Conspiracy Not Preconcerted.
Senator Foraker-"Did they know about
1t beforehand"
Maj Blocksom-'I do not think they
not md