New-York tribune., 1907-06-16
BROWNSVILLE RESULTS
THE PRESIDENT UPHELD
Er1dence as to Guilt of Negro
Troops Conclusire.
IFron The Tribune Bureau. I


they are not guilty and do not know who did the
shooting Between thirty and forty reputable
citizens of Brownsville. some of them people of
high standing, have testified that thcy saw the
negro soldiers firing their rifles. some from the
gallery of B Companys barracks. others over the
fort wall and others in the streets of Brownsville
some Of the witnesses having even counted the
negroes they passed through the streets Fx-
pert testimony Of an unimpeachable character
has established beyond peradventure that the
bullets found in the houses of Brownsville could
been fired from other weapon than the new
Springfield rifles which were in the sole posses
sion of the soldiers
All the skill of Senator Foraker who from, tho
first acted as attorney for the defence. although
unhampered by the rules of evidence which OBJ
tain I'm a court Of justice. has been unable to
produce evidence to show that the shooting was
done by any one other than the troops to irnpugn
the evidence or the character of a single witness
who testified TO the guilt of the soldiers or to
establish the slightest groundwork on which to
base reasonable suspicion that the outrage was
perpetrated by any of the various sets of indi-
vdusls his ingenuity has suggested from time
TO time the possible culprits
The committee will not adopt a report until
Il meets in the fall. the date for reconvening
having been set for November IS but il is a
safe prediction that nine of the thirteen men,
bers Of the committee win sign a report de-
clsring it to he the conviction of the committee
that the shooting done by the soldiers of
the 25th Infantry. although II is impossible to
establish the identity Of the individual culprits
Senator Foraker and Senator BulkeIey will sign
minority report declaring their conviction of
the innocence OF the soldiers. What will be the
course Of Senator Scott Is not known. Senator
Fulton. who appointed to the committee on
the death Of Senator Alger. has not been able
20 attend the sessions. 1t is thought probable
that he will vote with the majority There is
no likelihood that subcommittee will visit
Brownsville
No new fact has been brought out by the in
vestigarion. the only effect Of which has been
to establish more definitely that the outrage on
the people of Brownsville was perpetrated by
the negro troops.
FACTS ESTABLISHED BY EVIDENCE.
A careful analysis Of the vouminous testi-
rrony seems corcusiveIy 70 esta bish the follow
ing facts Certain members Of the 25th In
fantry. identity unknown were seen on the
night Of August l3 10 fire their rifles from the
gallery Of B Companys barracks and from the
wall Of Fort Brown toward the town of Browns
VILE Certain Of the negroes then jumped over
the low wall surrounding the fort and ran up the
alley. shooting at various houses and citizens
They vent up alley distance OF a little 'ess
than $50 feet Qess than two New York City
blockst. their objective point being Tnmsn's
saloon. where the negroes had not been per-
;nitted 70 drink at the same bar with white men
and q separate bar had been established. Here
they shot and killed the bartender he vas
attempting n close the gate from the alley 10
summer garden They also shot at
standing in the door Of the saloon the shot going
through his coat. but not injurlng him. This
man testified that he saw the negro troops shoot
at him and kill the bartender. few Of the
soldiers separated from the rest and made a
diversion Of short block 70 the house of a
man named Stark. into which several shots
were fred Stark lived next door 70 a revenue
officer named Tate, who had knocked down
soldier for jostling woman of the sidewalk,
and II would appesr that the mistook the
Stark cottage for Tate's house. Meeting the
Chief Of Police, the negroes shot and killed his
horse and wounded his hand badly that il
had 10 be amputated The entire distance
covered by the men would not exceed four city
blocks The entire fort practically in charge
Of negroes the officer Of the guard being q negro
non-commissIoned officer The sentry at the
gate gave the alarm by dscharging his rife
three times. The officer Of the day. commits
stoned officer, sleeping soundly that he
the last man IN the fort TO be awakened A
negro soldier gave the order for the call TO
Immediately Sfter the sounding OF the alarm by
the soldier, and this threw everything within
the fort into confusion, released the guns from
the gunracks led 10 order to put out all
lights. and made IT possible for the soldiers who
had out into the town to return under cover
Of darkness and fall into line in their respective
companies before they could be identified by
their white officers. who were. moreover. unsus-
picious. because they believed that citizens had
fired on the fort.
DENIALS BY ACCUSED MEN.
Ali these facts have been established by the
direct testimony OF witnesses one Of whom even
counted the negroes in one part OF the sallying
party. Against this direct testimony stands only
the fat denial of the accused men Nothing
new was elected from them. They testified be-
fore the committee precisely as they did
Major Blocksom. who conducted the first investi-
gaton. They were unit on three points-that
tney heard no shooting that they knew of no
resentment toward the people Of Brownsville.
ano that tneT had no idea who were the culprits.
a vast amount Of testimony has been intro
ouceo much OF IL having apparent purpose
except TO becloud the issue. For instance. the
Hrst witness examined. Sergeant Israel Harris
s"ore that IL would take ten minutes 10 clean
uiscnarsed rife so that II would pass inspection
o1her negro witnesses increased the necessary
ume until they gradually reached sixty min
ubes. The experts from the War Department
are unit in asserting that a gun can be
cleaned in ten minutes. Bat all this inma-
terial, as IL demonstrated that the soldiers
had ample time TO clean their guns before
breakfast. which preceded the inspection.
When the officers Of the 25th Infantry were
caiied before the committee. following the pri-