Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-14
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
ON BROWNSVILLE
Continued from First Page.)
General Darlington and Mr. Purdy, assist
ant to the Attorney General

of Mai Elocksom. Lieut.. Col. Lowering
and yourself, all of the inspector generals
department. the President made an order
discharglng, without honor, about lao men
of Companies b, c and of the 10Th In
fantry. The reasons for his doing so are
set forth in his message to Congress on the
subject The President deemed the report
of the inspecting officers to be entirely
sufficient upon which to base the executive
action which was taken. The reports OF the
inspecting officers were made in the usual
form i'm such reports, and do not set out
at length the evidence upon which they
based their conclusions. The matter mas
now become a subject for discussion in
Congress and for consideration In the
House of Representatives by reason OF the
Introduction of a bill intended to AFFECT the
status of the men now discharged win
reference to re-eDllstment. A number or
the men who were discharged have applied
for leave to re-enlist. The accuracy of the
conclusions reported by Maj. Blocksom has
been questioned because OF an absence OF
the evidence in full upon which he made
his report to who committed the crime
charged. All these matters require the set
ting out of the evidence III greater detail
than is contained in Maj. Blocksoms report.
The President is of opinion, in view of
the new phases which the matter has taken.
that Mai Blocksom should be directed to
return to Brownsville and to other places
where evidence upon the subject matter is
available, to have the evidence reduced to
writing and taken under the sanctity of an
oath. To assist him in this matter he has
Purdy shall accompany him and shall con-
duct a careful. thorough and impartial ex-
animation of the witnesses. The evidence
will be taken by stenCs rapner. transcribed
and submitted to the witnesses for sigma
ture.
The President wishes me to say that
Mai BlockSom does not so as a prose-
cutting officer in the trial of an indictment.
but only as an examiner to elicit the truth
and to put the evidence in respect TO the
matter in convenient and permanent form.
The President has reached a conclusion
as to what the facts are, but this should
not influence Maj. BlocksOm in his exami-
nation for if the Presidents conclusion in
the matter is wrong he earnestly desires to
WILLIAM II. TAFT.
Secretary of War.
The inspector general of the army.
December 30, 1906.
My Dear Mr.. Purdy:
AS the President has directed your visit
to Brownsville to accompany Maj. B!ocksom
of the inspector generals department TO
conduct a thorough, careful and impair
tial examination of the witnesses as to the
issue who We're the perpetrators of the
crime committed on the night of the 18th OF
August in the town of Brownsville, Tex,
by shooting into the various houses ana
killing one man and wounding the lieuten-
ant of police. 1 inclose a otter which, by
direction of the President, l have sent to
the inspector general as instructions to
Maj. Blocksom.
Very sincerely yours. VIM, H. TAFT.
Secretary of War.
Hon NJ D. Purdy.
Assistant Attorney General.
| have the honor now to transmit 10 you
a copy of all the testimony taken and re-
duced to writing by Maj. Blocksom, under
Mr. Purdy's examination, in pursuance OF
the directions contained in the letters set
forth above. except the statement of one
witness, which had little or no bearing or
weight upon the issues raised upon the
present evidence, but did have, If trust
worthy a very direct bearing upon the is
sue toebe' raised in the ceurt-martial pro-
ceedings pending against Capt Macklin,
and which | have therefore transmitted to
Brig. Gen. McCaskey. commanding the De-
partment of Texas. to be delivered to the
Judge advocate in the court-martial pro-
ceedngs. | also inclose sworn statement
OF one witness. a hospital steward named
Francois Oltrhans: taken by inspector Cen
eral Darlington by my direction. also
inclose report from Gen. Crozier. chief of
ordnance. and Capt. Rice, with respect to
the Springfield rifle, model of 1898. in use
by the soldiers Of the 23th Infantry its
operation, its caliber and its ritiing, the
existence of other guns using the same
cartridges or cartridges of the same size,
etc. The map and photograph exhibits have
been reproduced and are included in the
printed copy of the evidence. The shells.
clips. ball cartridges and bandolier. referred
to in the evidence. are in the custody of
this department and will be produced when
ever called for.
Review of the Evidence.
In order to understand the testimony. it
should be said that the Fort Brown reser-
walton lies to the south of the city OF
Brownsville and Immediately adjoins it,
The Rio Granda river runs oy the city on
its west and then circles around the reser
walton. In the minds of he witnesses,
therefore, the river lies to the west of the
c.ty. while the reservation lies to It's south
In order to prevent private building close
up TO the reservation line, the garrison wall
Is constructed thirty feet within the reser-
walton line. leaving a narrow road of about
thirty feet In width between the garrison
wall and the houses that front this garri-
son road the city side. The ,servation
line Is not parallel to the east and west
streets of the city. nor Is 1t at right angles
to the north and south streets. but at the
points of impOrtace In this controversy, 1t
runs in general direction east and west
The streets and places here involved were.
first. the three barracks of d Company,
Company ana Company. Iney stooa
about fifty feet inside of the garrison wall.
Between ID and B companies was road
leading to the garrison gate which led I'M
mediately into Elizabeth street, running
north from the garrison through the town.
The ID Company barracks on the west
side of this gate; B. Company's barracks
was the east side, and next beyond was
the Company barracks, and beyond that
a barracks not occupied. The barracks
were two stories and had porches above and
below. The passageway between b and
behind the garrison wall was just opposite
the mouth OF an alley in the north side of
the garrison road This was the alley upon
which most of the shooting done. The
alley was TO feet east from Elizabeth
street the west and he same distance
from Washington street on the east, and
this alley and the two streets run north
from the fort into the town, intersecting
first 14th street. then 18th street and then
18th street.
On the garrison road. Immediately oppo-
site b Company barracks. was a house
containing the Western Union telegraph
station, known as the Kendall House. Next
TO that the house occupied by Jose
Martinez Immediately on the corner of the
alley and the garrison road. Next beyond
that was the Yturria place. the house of
which fronted on Washington street. but
ran back on the garrison road to the alley.
These three houses were shot into. Pro-
ceeding north on the alley from the garri-
son road the next intersecting street Is 14th
street. On the southwest corner of the
alley and 14th street is the Cowan house,
which was riddled with bullets. On the
southeast corner of the alley and 14th
street is the Cara house. which was shot
into. Across l4th street and on the north
west corner of the alley and 14th street was
the rear OF the Leahy Hotel. which was shot
into. Proceeding up the alley beyond 14th
street. on the southwest corner of the alley
apd 18th street stands No Miller Hotel