The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10

FORAKER LEADS WITNESSES
ny WALTER EDWARD HARRIS.

g5 WASHINGTON, u. c., February o.
The impression made upon all parties
for or against the coored witnesses
tcstifying at the hearing before the
Senate Committee OH Military Affairs,
Investigating the Brownsville shoot-up,
which has occupied every day OF this
week, must have been anything but
agreeable Particularly disappointing
1t must have been to Senator Foraker
despite his best efforts to lead the
witnesses In their answers to sustain
the position he has taken in his Senate
references to the affair.
The Ohio Senator has diligently, to
all intents, sought TO show that the
discharged soldiers had nothing to do
with the shooting, and that they knew
nothing about It. Much OF the testi-
mony from these men has been incon-
scquential, irrelevant and Enthusiastically
cvasive, to say nothing of frequent con-
ticts OF statements between witnesses
d nnd of sclf-cont Trajectory statements
by not few witnesses,
None or them has admitted ever en-
pertaining an idea that any of his coll
ored comrades did .tie shooting. Some
have even stated that they did not
know whether the shooting had ever
been discussed among the troops after
the affair. Most OF them took the
ground that 1t was impossible for
arms or ammunition TO be taken
from their quarters because those
doing so would be detected, and
they could not leave the barracks be-
cause sentinel would have prevented
them. Nevertheless, they were drawn
Z TO state that negro sergcants had
charge of the guns and ammunition.
end negro sentinel was on guard.
Say Whites Did 1t.
Nearlylaii of them stood by the re-
markablr statement of theory that the
people OF Brownsville themselves shot
up the town. One witness, Winter
Washington, varied this idea with a
View that the shooting, which marked
houses IN the town. killed one of it's
citizens and wounded others, was done
by Mcxicans and cowboys shooting at
the barracks. He reiterated that view,
although he admitted that no bullet
marks Were made on the walls or
houses of the garrison, and that he
had heard something about Il man
having been killed and some wounded
among the Brownsyiile people
One or the witnesses Orderly Ser
geant Fraser, of Company -, in giving
Z his reasons why he believed that the
people of brownsville did. the shooting.
said he believed they did 1t to get
the coIored soldiers away from Browns
Vile by making trouble for >hem. This
trouble, according to this witness, as
far as concerned the anlmosity OF tho
people OF the town against the negro
troops. originated In their own doing
8 in excluding negroes from drinking In
the front parts OF saloons. The SOL
oilers then patronizcd a saloon kept by
Hnegro discharged soldier. This saloon
got the negro soldiers money, and that
was what made the white people mad.
Hence they shot up some OF their own
people in their own houses.
Don't Know About Murder.
X was here Senator Overman asked
the Witness:
30 you mean to say on your oath
sais yqI believe that the people Of
bee lille for that reason shot their
ow.. >, arse---committed murder?"
81 don Know bout any murder" sui
lenly answered tho witness; but that's
what believe"
Asked where the Brownsville people
could have gotten the ammunition
with which they shot up the town. the
witness answered, II dom know. less
they got 1t from the TWEEN ty-sixth."
The Twenty-sixth was the regiment
of white troops which occupied the
BROWNSVILLE post before the battalion
from the Twenty NTH went there.
The witnesses show a kind of dull