The Washington herald., 1907-02-19
RIDERS FIRED SHOTS
White Soldiers So Testify in
Brownsville Inquiry.
ROUTE OF HORsEMEN GIVEN
LaughabIe Illustrations by One of
the Negro Witnesses Keep Com
Reverses the Proceedings by Ask
ing Questions of the Comrsittee.

The Brownsville investigation took a
new and important turn yesterday as a
result OF the appearance Of wo white
Witnesses William c. Nolan, private,
and Frlncois Often. sergeant. in the
Hospital Corps.
Both corroborated the statements of
negro witnesses earlier in the day as TO
the claim that the shots fired on the
night of August IS last came from out
side Fort Brown, and were fired over the
hospital
The shooting was mixed. and came from
Colt revolvers in some cases, according
TO the white men Their statements tai
lied with those of the coIored witnesses.
and were to the effect that a band Of
horsemen rode along the county road to
the east OF the fort and toward the sa-
loon OF the discharged negro soldier. ALI
son, for the purpose of shooting il up.
but when they got there it was found TO
be empty. and the riders went on down
town, shooting as they went
William Mapp was the first witness OF
the day, having been called for cross-ex-
animation. He is the man who testified
last Friday that he had heard voice
outside the barracks say Come out, you
black - - -" and also that Vos-
chelle, the white man in charge OF the
corral, had told him that there was a
plot to kill some Of the soldiers. Nothing
was said by the witness to Voscheue TO
bring out the remark about the plot
Yosohelle had volunteered it. and said
nothing more about Il
Charles W. Askew. clerk in Company c.
made confused statement He told of
having heard the firing and the command
OF Mai. PenTOse to break open the gun
racks. Ii was developed that he was one
Of the twelve men arrested and for a
time confined AT Fort Sam Houston on
the charge Of having been implicated in
the affair. The witness said he was en-
tire!y innocent Of the charge. that he
know nothing about the shooting. and had
never been brought 20 trial The witness
said Capt Mcdonald. of the Texas Rang
ers, claimed TO have picked I'D in the
streets OF Brownsville after tie raid a
cap bearing the initials &C. ". A." those
Of the witness Askew said he had given
q cap 70 Sergt. Turner, az Fort Niobrara;
that ii had been put In a box with a lot
oi miscellaneous belongings when the
company went TO Fort Brown. and then
when opened there tho Mexicans roaming
about the garrison had access TO It,
Contradictory Statements.
Cross-examined by Senator Overman.
hskew said he had twenty rounds Of am
munition. the same as the other men.
He could not tell how he carried it-wheth-
OF in the McKeever box, or i'm the web
belt At one time he said he carried IT
in the box and at another in the belt. and
at still another time he declared tina. he
cHrried his cartridges in his pocket. He
admitted that in turning in the ammuni-
tion he had bet fifteen instead of twenty
rounds. aud was unable TO explain what
became of the other five rounds.
Hoyt Robinson, musician of Company
l., testified that he was asleep ri the
glard house when the firing began. and
was awakened BY Sergt Reed. of the
guard, 10 sound the call to arms He
d!d SO in front Of the barracks. and the
call was taken up by the other trumpet
ers, Of whom there were four. The firing
continued FOR ffteen minutes after he had
sounded the call
The next witness was William G. Nolan
private in the Hospital Corps. and
TIE first white man to testify on the
subject before the committee He had
been at Brownsville two years before
the Twenty-fifth came there. He was in
The east ward of the hospital awake when
Oh" firing began. The first shot came
from point outside the garrison. north
east OF the hospital \ few minutes later
there were other slots farther west
These continued at intervals until the
shooting finally hccame general. a fusn-
lade. In fact. apparently IN the town 10
the west OF the barracks. With other hos
pital attendants he went to the porch of
the hospital. He did not know the caliber
or character Of the guns. except the last
hVe shots which came some little time
after the fusiliade had ceased. They
were evidently from a Colt pistol He
said he did not know who was implicated
IN the shooting
A COmicaI Witness.
William Harden caused the members Of
the committee much amusement Harden
Is young negro. very black with a
ho0rse voice, and shutters.
lie WAS q patient in tho hospital. lie
had gone 10 the canteen to get "a piece
Of apple pie. He had been sick. was con
Naiescing and wanted apple pie Coming
Out Of the canteen with his pie, Harden
encountered Maj. Pcnrosc. the mayor
Of Brownsville and stranger. The
stranger was using forceful language and
telling Maj. Penruse that his wife had
been assaulted by niger soldiers. and
that unless arrests were made before 10
o'clock. every d. niger soldier would
be killed.
Harden told of hearing shots fired
north and east Of the hospital They
continued as those firing moved west un-
IN they reached a point opposite the bar
racks. Those doing the firing were on
horseback. and he heard the sound Of the
horses hoofs. Bullets went over the hos
pital. and the sergeant ordered them TO
stand behind the brick pillars 90 keen
from getting hit The firing lasted about
five minutes after the call TO arms was
sounded.
Witness Becomes Examiner.
Senator Warner tried to cross-examine
tie witness, and was asking him abou.
the sound OF galloping horses. when the
witness suddenly Interrupted the Sen
ator by saying: les yo' wait right there
one minute, Senator, ontu I ak you
question. viii you?"
We'll, so ahead then, III submit. q" said
Senator Warner good-naturedly
Now jes you sposin "a case" he
witness went on; "sposin' yOuse hear
man chopin wood bout three 70
block from yehT. an right ober HEIR
Ike youse hears d dawg a-barkin'. don't
you spoSe YOU kin tell dc diffunce be-
tween &c man a-chOppin wood and dat
dawE a-baTkiu'2'
The dignity of the committee was up
set and the Senators shouted Senator
Warner admitted his ability 10 dis
tinguish between such sounds, but the
cvOss-eXamination after that did not