Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
FIVE WITNESSES HEARD
investigation Of the Brownsville
Affair.
CONVERSATION OVERHEARD
Alleged Reason for Firing Against the
Fort.
TO INTIMDATE THE NEGROES
Report Completed Of Experts Who
Have Examined Some Of the
Cartridges Used August Is.
TO INTIMIDATE THE NEGROES

Cartridges Used August 13.
The testimony taken before the Senate
committee on military affairs today did
not develop any especially important
facts. but added evidence concerning the
happenings on the night of August ID.
when, 1t IL said, Brownsville was shot
up
Senator Warren, chairman, announced
that next Monday the committee would re-
ceive the report from officers Of the War
Department concerning the examinations
that have recently been made of cartridges
found at Brownsville.
Five witnesses were examined today, one
being a civilian and resident of San An
tonic, and the others being colored soldiers.
all members of Company c. 25th Infantry.
Shots Fired at the Fort.
L. H. Printz the civilian of San Antonio.
said he had heard q conversation among
some railroad men, who. he stated, said the
reason they fired over the barracks was in
order to keep the negroes from coming into
town. This witness was without personal
knowledge concerning any of the events I'M
der investigation, and Senator Foraker
stated Cn6C d1ter ne naQ arrived mere ne
learned that he had no Information of value,
but after discussing the matter with SEN
ator Warren they had decided to allow him
to go on the stand.
Shots Outside the Walls.
Private Robert L. Collier of Company c.
18th Regiment, was at the guard house on
the night of the shooting and heard the
shots and located them outside the wall.
He was on guard at the time Of the shoot
ing and saw no one in the barracks inclo-
sure. He heard no bullets go over his
head. and at that time heard no one speak
Of hearing bullets flying overhead.
Private Robert Turner also Of Company
c, was sleeping in the quarters Of Lieut..
Hayes that night and was merely called to
locate his whereabouts on that night, as he
was away from his company.
Did Not Plan Revenge.
Private Oscar w. Reed. who was showed
off gangplank into the water by a Gus
toms officer the night before the shooting.
testified concerning what happened In C
barracks on the night of the 18th Of Au-
gust. He had reported that occurrence to
Capt Macklin, who told him be would look
into the matter.
By Senator Foraker: You were salts
fed with that?"
Yes, SIR
You didn't go about to organize a con-
splracy to shoot up the town."
NO. sir"
Outside the Barracks.
Edward Johnson, who slept outside the
barracks on the night of the 18th with his
wife and child, told of hearing the shots
from his bedroom.
The witness testified that when he heard
the shooting he and his wife got up and
crouched on the floor until the firing had
ceased. He did not respond to the call to
arms. but remained with his wife and child
the remainder Of the night. He reported to
the barracks at IL o'clock the next day.
Senator Warner took occasion to compli-
ment the fine appearance Of the witness and
to say that his appearance indicated that
he spent his money on his family and not in
saloons.
At the close Of the Investigation It was
announced that Senator Foraker preferred
finishing the witnesses he has called before
taking up expert testimony. to be given by
officials of the War Department. 1t was
agreed that the report Of these experts
should be submitted to the committee Mon
day morning and printed in the record, so
that 1t might be read by members of the
committee, and that the testimony of the
experts should be taken later, when other
witnesses have been heard.
The committee then adjourned until Mon
day morning.
Strong Evidence for the Negroes.
The testimony yesterday afternoon of
Macias G. Tonnage, a Mexican carpenter. Of
Brownsville. who also had the contract for
the scavenger work at Fort Brown was
the best defense Of the negroes yet given
in the pending investigation.
Tonnage is an intelligent-appearing Mexi-
can. He is not much more than five feet
tall and very dark. He testified that he
Is under the average height and that most
Of the citizens Of Brownsville are larger.
He said that it would be difficult at night
to tell them from negroes. All of the
policemen wore khaki clothing and many
witness. 1t being a practice for some citi-
Gems to buy and wear CASTOR army uni
forms.
When the shooting began on the night
OF August Is Tonnage was working in the
rear Of b barracks, he said and the first
shot caused him to straighten up and listen.
He said that it came from the alley, about
half block from the reservation, between
Elizabeth and Washington streets An
other shot was fired almost Immediately and
Tonnage quickly extinguished his lantern,
for fear of being made target He says
there followed a fusillade OF shots and the
bullets whistled over the barracks as if
fired toward the administration building.
He thought there were about twenty shots
In the fusillade. After the volley he said
he got on his cart and drove out between
B and c barracks toward the administra-
ton building.
The remainder of his story was in rela-
Of the companies. which he saw incident to
the completion Of his scavenger work
Soldiers Did Not Enter Town.
During the time Of the firing, Tomayo
says. he is certain that soldiers did not
leave the barracks to enter the town nor
enter the barracks from the town, but on
cross-examination he would not say that it
would have been impossible for soldiers to
have hidden along the wall in the rear of
the outhouses and wood sheds. He was abb
solutely certain. though, that soldiers could
not have have fired from the barracks into
the town without his seeing the flashes Of
the guns and hearing the reports of them
On these points he was closely cross-oues-
toned by Senators Warner, Frazier Fos-
ter and Overman, but he could not be
shaken.
He volunteered the statement that when
he was examined by Assistant Attorney
General Purdy and Major Blocksom Mr.
Purdy tried to get him to say that the
first shot was fred from within the bar
racks. and that he became scared and
jumped on his cart and drove away He
said that Mr.. Purdy got him confused and
he answered yes once when he meant
mo" and that Mr.. Purdy then told him
to walt until he got his stenographer
When the question was again put, said
Tonnage, he understood 1t and answered