The Washington herald., 1907-03-16

Senator Foraker scored a triumph yes
terday before the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs which IS investigating the
Brownsville shooting ARRAY.
In fact. the evidence odduced before
the committee in the afternoon did much
toward proving his contention, which ali
along has been that the shooting-up Of
the town was not done by the colored sol
ders.
The star witness of the day, and in fact
Of the entire investigation thus far, was
Macias G. Tamayo, a Mexican. who was
practically an eyewitness TO the, shoot
ing. The principal point in his statement
was that the firing was not done from
the barracks. He was positive about
this, and was in a position TO know.
It has been the theory from the Presi-
dents side or the controversy. hat the
first firing was from tho back porches Of
the barracks, and that thereafter the sol
diers leaped the garrison wall and made
a raid on the town.
TamayO Is a man Of diminutive stature
and very dark. He said he was a full
blOoded Mexican. but ne spoke English
fiuently and intelligentiy. Although he
was rigidly cross-examined by nearly ali
the members of the committee, and
several attempts were made TO confuse
him. he made a plain. straightforward
statement, and left a strong impression
in the minds OF the entire committee.
Tamayo Carpenter.
Tamayo said he was a carpenter, but
had been employed as a scavenger, and
On the night OF the shooting was collect
ing the ashes from the barrs cks.
Shortly before y o'clock he drove his
mule along the rear Of the barracks next
to the garrison wall. He encountered the
sentry on duty there When in the rear
Of B Company barracks, which IS opposite
the alley In which the shooting began,
and In which the bartender was killed.
he first heard :wo shots. They were
fired about half way down the alley
Fearing his lantern might be a target. he
put Il out and waited a moment Then
there was a fusillade from about the same
place lie could not see the flashes Of
the guns because Of a building IN the lire
Of view. but by the sound he could dis
tinguish the place approximately from
which the shots were fired
Bullets WhiEzed over Barracks.
Bullets went whizzing over the barracks
IN the direction OF the administration
building He was certain no soldiers
won't over the wall from Company bar
racks, as he could have seen them if they
had. and Company BIS barracks were
opposite where the firing was going on.
He could not see whether any men went
over the wall from the other TWO bar
racks. because the night was dark, but
he was positive that no shots were fired
from the barracks. because he could have
seen the flashes from where he stood, and
Furthermore. the Bullets We're coming into
the reservation. Then he drove his mule
around in front Of the barracks. after
hearing the call 20 arms. heard the men
upstairs arOusing each other. and saw
them coming down to fan IN.
4 few minutes later he drew up in front
Of the administration building and hid
behind a tree While there he heard other
bullets whizzing by, coming from the
direction OF the town.
Did Not Hear Horses.
Practically ali that the cross-examina-
tion brought out was that he had not
heard the galloping of any horses. and
that he heard no voices on the outside
calling to the "nigsers" to come out and
be shot. a statement which has been
made by several witnesses. An effort was
made to show that Tamayo's statement
yesterday differed somewhat from what
be had told Mr. PUrdy and Maj. Block
som, but this only developed the fact that
Mr. Purdy had not had all Of the state
ment taken by a stenographer. and. fur
ther. the iutimation that he had tried 20
confuse the witness and procure from
him an admission that he had heard the
first shots fired from the barracks.
Il don't know what his idea was" said
the witness. but after ! had told him
that I heard the shots in town. Mr..
Purdy kept asking me IL the first shots
were not fired from the barracks. 1 told
him ! was positive that they were fired in
;he town toward III, barracks"
Foraker Getting Evidence.
The fact was also developed that Sena-
tor Foraker has been procuring evidence
at his own expense. It came out during
the examination Of a witness, who stated
that he had had a conversation with a
man named Ferguson. Immediately there
was a demand TO know how the mys-
tcrious Ferguson got into the case, and