The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-07
GEN. PETTUS CALLSF0RAKER Objects to Him Leading Witnesses. THE BROWNSVILLE HEARING Testimony of Negro Soldiers Does
 Not Gibe. Some Declare Mea Were Cartridge Boxe. at Early Morning raspec- tsoa whiie others Say They
 wore Belts.

ing today.
 Jacob D. grazier. former first ser geant of company D. 2sth lnisntry' Senator Foraker conducted the ex- amination and had not proceeded Tar when his methods were challenged py senator Pettus, who declared that the Ohio senator was leading the wit- ness.
 Frazier testified that he was mar ried and with other married soiolsrs, permitted to live outside the post quarters and was at home with his Ia.niiy on the nignt of Augusl lS. oh his way 10 quarters he heard the gen eraI fusiIade. which appeared to De near B ana D company quarters. kle described the call to arms and the roll call. which was ordered by Captain
 Lyons and ho said he found every man present or accounted for. In aetaiA- l ing the action of the company after ! roll call. Frazier told of the company's marching through the town after the l general shooting had occurred and or their return to the barracks where the guns were ordered locked in their racks and the men ordered to quarters until the reveille
 Frazier testified that each man was ! allowed twenty rounds of ammunition. About two days after the trouble, all ammunition was ordered turned in and | all was properly accounted for. Senator Warner cross-examined the witness.
 Again describing the first shooting ! heard by him. Frazier said 1t appeared l to he north of the town, whereas the | evidence given by him to the officers in | the first investigation described 1t as having been in front of company head l quarters. opposite the center Of town. Had Accused Soldiers. Frazier said tho officer taking the | affidavit evidently misunderstood ms answpr. He had believed he had saia that s6me of the soldiers had "snct up nn thas fact that his coinpany conn I unaf,tfer had told him go.
 4 Tr,fxler eafd he had heard of previous l .rc,,hla with colored soldiers in Texas. hnt knew of nothing fierce" about the trouble He stated as his belief that | tha1 citizens of Brownsville had them
 selves "shot up" the town to driVe tne soldiers away. ffx l .Do YOU think citizens would kill | ons of their own number-commit
 murder to get you awayr
 Frazier replied: | n don't know whether any one was | killed: they wanted us away. Coloreo | men would spend little money In the | saloons on account of their treatment | ana tha citixens of Brownsville want | ed white soldiers who would spend | the money" - | As to the contention that the citi- I gems of Brownsville were disguised as l soldiers the fact was brought out that | the witness had testified in former | hearing that the citizens might have i procured discarded caps and uniforms I from soldiers who had been there be- | A | that men in the 25th infantry wore hats.
 At the afternoon session the testl- mony of former Sergeant Frazier was l resumed. Frazier said that on his way | to the barracks during the fusilade in the steets he htard some one say; Cease firing"
 He believed, he said. that the post had been attacked by the citizens and that the companies had already been called out and were protecting the post.
 Frazier was of the opinion that the inspection was made about 7:i0 m,
 whereas Harris placed the time at 6:159
 Frazier also testified that the state
 Inent of former s. snnt Harris that the men at inspection carried cartridge boxes and that they were inspected was
 not correct The boxes were at quar- ters.
 Senator overman questioned the wit ness regarding the whereabouts of men
 who were not at roll call and were un- accounted for, but Frazier could give no direct testimony on that point. He testified that all the pisols Of the men
 were in the quartermaster's stn house
 the night of the shooting Frazier was excused
 Charles Dade. former cook of Com pany D. was the next witness After
 teHtifying that he had been in the
 Nervice for twenty-two years he stated | thnt the MeKeeves belts and boxes
 were carried by the men at the inspec- tion on the morning after the shooting
 Frazier had previously stated that these boxes were not worn at that in-
 spection.
 Jerry E. Reeves. former sergeant of | Company D. said that on the right of | the trouble he was awakened by shots which appeared to be in the direction | of the quarters of Companies and ..
 He was positive that his company wore
 web belts at the inspection. and that ! the McKeeves boxes were in guar
 ters.
 shortly after inspection, witness 1 stated that the guns were taken away | from the men. but he believed that | the ammunition was still left In their
  ! shooting. and said he had never been able to get any information from mem | hers of Company D. He knew nothing of any conspiracy ! af sIlence and did not believe any of 1 the soldiers were implicated In the af- ! fray.
 ta thirty minutes to clean rifle. but
 if depended largely upon the quickness l of the man.
 No soldier has q chance to procure
 cartridges at target practice or at
 ouarters without running risk of court martial, he said.
 Senator Overman asked: "Could the citizens of Brownsville
 ret any Springfield cartridges?" and
 Reeves replied
 No
 Reeves said that Major Penross had ordered every nonconmissionea ofn.