Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
POPULACE IS AROUSED
Fear of a Repetition of the Browns
vile Incident.
ARMED SOLDIERS THREATENING
Sew eral Of Them Take Possession of
Coach and Cause Trouble in
Ice Cream Saloon.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June S.-Following some dis
agreeable incidents that have alarmed
people living in the vicinity of West Point
and made them fearful of trouble similar
to the Brownsville affair, a negro trooper
was arrested in Newburgh a day or two
ago, charged with carrying concealed weap-
ons. and is now serving a ten days SEN
tence in jail. He will face court-martia'
upon his release. The officers of the post
have taken vigorous steps to prevent rep
etition of the offense, and intend to make
an example Of Adverse Williams, the SOL
der who is in jail.
For the first time in the history of West
Point negro troops are now quartered on
the reservation. They arrived March -.
Fearing that unpleasantness might develop
the officers have endeavored in every way 10
keep the men upon their good behavior.
Their presence is not particularly relished
by the West Point authorities, but 1t is
said at the War Department that they
were the only troops available to fill the
depleted cavalry ranks,
Villagers Fear Them.
Partly through the circulation OF Wid
tales, but mainly by reason OF the acts Oh
the negroes themselves while on DUTY the
people of the neishboring village or High
land Falls and Cornwall and the nearby city
of Newburg have come to fear them. The
arrest Of trooper Williams was the culml-
mating point which may result in a re-
quest to Washington for the removal OF
the detachment from the post. The arrest
of Williams came about through yelled
threat made by him and overheard by Po-
liceman Scott of Newburg. In full uniform
and slightly intoxicated the man. swagser-
ed along Broadway in that city on Tues
day night in company with fellow-mem-
Der of his troop.
"There will be something doing in this
town tonight" was the remark that the
policeman heard Williams make. Scott i'm
mediately arrested the negro. and found
an army revolver and thirty cartrides on
his person. Williams companion was un-
armed.
Hustled to Jail.
crowd gathered, and at the sight OF
the pistol murmurs were heard against the
soldier. and the policeman lost no time in
hustling his prisoner to the station The
next day Recorder Hymdnan sentenced
Williams to ten days in Jail.
Williams made the defense that as the
revolver was not loaded he could not he
punished. He failed however to explain
the possession Of the large number Of
cartridges.
In the absence from West Point of Su-
perntendent Scott Adjutant Coe was mott
fled Of Do
and First Sergeant Mccall was sent to
NewburS to recover the revolver and in
Vesugate the case. He is also colored, and
upon leaving police headquarters with the
weapon he stuck it in a side pocket, so
that it was plainly visible. Mccall had no
sooner reached the corner than he was
stopped by Policeman Toppin, who was
about to arrest him when the sergeant
explained his mission.
Took Possession of Coach.
The day before the arrest of Williams,
the Newburg police heard of two disouiet-
ing incidents. Eight negro soldiers took
possession Of the coach Of Andrew Edwards
and ordered him at 1 o'clock In the morn
ing to drive them to a restaurant. Edwards
took them to the Commercial restaurant at
26 Golden street, kept by H. Siverstein
Two attendants, George Buckley and Oscar
Bannon were just closing up when the
negroes arrived. They refused to allow the
soldiers to enter and were rOundly abused
One Of the soldiers asked his companions
to help him go in and clean up the place.
An argument ensued, but the men went off
without causing further trouble. report
was spread about the city the next day that
the negroes had flourished revolvers. Buck
Both Were Drunk.
An hour before the restaurant incident
two negro troopers entered the ice cream
parlor of " Corridi, at No. 81 Golden street.
and asked for cream. They were told that
the cream was packed away and that they
should not be served. The soldiers used
vile language, said Corridi today. They
did not threaten me with revolyers, but
was afraid of them Both were intoxi-
Gated" .:-.. ............... r
This week one of the troopers created a
disturbance in Radinsky's restaurant, near
the West Shore depot, and while in an I'M
kicked in door. Both these disturbances
were investigated under order of Capt.
Sumerall Of the negro detachment, but the
guilty men were not found.
About the Gun. -na-a,
Adjt Coe said that the colored troopers
numbered about 100 men from the 9ta and
10th Cavalry AS to the Williams case,
Capt. Sumerall said: "That Williams was
able to carry the gun off the reservation
was made possible by the fact that he was
a gardener on the outskirts of the reserva-
ton and was allowed a weapon for his pro-
lection 1t Is impossible for a soldier to
take a revolver away from the post unless
he deserts while on guard duty,
LAS soon as 1 heard Of his case had the
barracks searched, thinking that possibly
some of the men had private weapons. Not
one was found An order has also been is
sued that hereafter the gardener shall not
have a revolver.