Richmond planet., 1907-04-06

u
Lyon was then asked by Senator o.
verman if he had ever been charged
with doing the shooting. He said
no charge had been made against
him, but undoubtedly some people
in Brownsville thought the officers
of the Twenty-fifth Infantry must
have known all about it. before and
after the ARRAY, and many persons
seemed to think that Capt. Macklin
may have been implicated. No ma
terial evidence was brought out in
the direct examination of Capt. Ly-
on, except as it corroborated stories
told by other witnesses.
EXPERTS CHANGED HIS VIEW.
on cross examination, Capt. Lyon
admitted that he had been convinced
of the guSt of the Negro soldiers
Immediately after the shooting. but
said that since the transfer Of the
Negroes TO Fort Reno and their
subsequent discharge, his opinion
had undergone a gradual change.
He said he was. convinced finally
that the men were not guilty by
reading the report OF experts who
examined the shells picked up in
Brownsville.
The portions of the report which
/ caused him TO decide the men were
Innocent were that the experts iden-
tilted with the shooting two guns
which he knew had been in the arms
chest, where he was satisfied the
men could not get them, and that
some OF the shells showed that two
attempts had been made to fire
them.
He concluded from the latter fact
that the shells picked up had been
found on the range, and had been
/ placed ia the street by some one.
but admitted that IL was possible
that the shells showing double
marks had been tried in two differ
ent guns on the night of August IS.
lie thought this unlikely, however.
, as the guns had been used some
time previously and were then IN
good working order.
Washington Post. March 80, 1907. 7
Lieut.. Grier, quartermaster and
acting battalion adjutant of the 25th
infantry on the night Of the shooting
up OF Brownsville, Tex. last Aueuht
was the principal witness before the
Senate CommiJtee on Military At
fairs yesterday.
In the absence OF Capt. Macklin.
Grier took command of Company c
while the hhooting was in progress.
He testified In detail concerning the
events at the post that night.
Az the conclusion of a long direct
examination, the witness told Sena-
, tor Foraker that while he had be-
lleved the men of the Twenty-ffth
infantry did the shooting, mis- mind
was now open on the subject of
their guilt or innocence. He thought
the firing came from about the CEN
ter OF the town, and that shotguns
and revolyers were used. IL was his
opinion that high-power rifles were
not used in the firing he heard He
estimated that II would require forty
or fifty minutes to clean a gun so
that it would stand inspection after
having been fired. He did not be-
iieve the guns could have been clean
ed In the dark without showing ira
ces OF oil, If oil were used, and, II
not used, the guns could not be thor
oughly cleaned.
During the morning session the
committee examined Walker McCur-
dy. formerly quartermaster sergeant
of Company Il, Twenty-fifth Infantry.
concerning surplus rifles kept In the
storehouses. He was positive taat
none of the rifles in the arms chests
had been used in the shooting.
The committee will take q recess
for two weeks on April 6.
Washington Post, March 81, 1907. ]
The Brownsville investigation yes
terday, with Lieut.. Harry s. Grier,
of the Twenty-fifth Infantry on the
stand. before the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs dealt largely with
the opinions held by the white on
/ GERS as TO the guilt or innocence OF
the former Negro soldiers. The
lieutenant said he had been con-
vinced or the Negroes guilt by tae
finding Of Springfield rife shells and
bandoliers In the streets OF Browns
/ Vile on tho morning OF August IA.
but that afterward he had changed