Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-13

it shows that even if government cartridges
were found in the houses of Brownsville
they might have been secured and used by
citizens.
The witness said he thought there were
no more saloons in Brownsville than would
be expected in town of 6,O0 inha bitants.
The soldiers contributed good part of
their pay to the saloons
He knew that the people of Salt Lake
City objected to the presence of colored
soldiers, but could not name any other
place where that feeling exists, although
he understood that there was very gener-
ally such sentiment toward colored SOL
diers
Many Cartridges Lying Around.
When the 26th Infantry was transferred
from Brownsville to make room for the
negro soldiers of the 25th Infantry the
white soldiers left behind many suits of
cast-off khaki uniforms and shells, car
tridges and bandoliers lying about loose in
storehouses and barracks. This important
testimony was given before the committee
by Rowland Osborne, the white post quar-
termaster sergeant at Fort Brown during
the occupation of the fort by both the Goth
and 18th Infantry. Osborne had previously
been on the stand, but he had not been
asked concerning the possibility of soldiers
getting extra cartridges and for citizens
Osborne said today that he remained at
the post checking up the post property,
such as furniture and other articles that
were a part of the permanent equipment.
He said he had nothing to do with clothing
or ammunition as that was supposed to be
looked after by the regimental quarter
master. He did nothing concerning the
loose ammunition and clothing he said
except to take forty rounds of Krag-Jor-
gensen cartridges, which he still has at
II ort Sam Houston, Texas. His recollection
was that all of the ammunition which he
saw at Fort Brown after the departure of
the C6fh IOrRanSen
but he would not state positively that there
were no Springfield cartridges left behind.
The clothing was found principally in the
barracks, and he thought there must have
been about ten suits of khaki left by each
of three companies. He could not say
whether this property had later been picked
up and turned back to the government
whether 1t had been taken by citizens, or
was still there when the 25th Infantry ar
rived.
Not an Unusual Circumstance.
Sergeant Osborne was asked whether this
was not very unusual and said that it was
not, he having been in the army twenty-s six
years and having seen that same treatment
of ammunition many occasions. He
instanced various army posts at which he
had seen ammunition handled in this same
way. ASKED to explain how it happened that
much surplus ammunition could be
accumulated, he said that when the men
are sent Oh the pFdctlCc range tney are
issued a certain amount of ammunition,
which is marked as expended. No further
account Is taken of that ammunition, and
when the men come in from target prac-
tice they turn in their surplus cartridges
or keep Them just as they see fit.
AS a rule they turn them in, but men
generally had, he said. plenty of extra
cartridges secured in that way to go hunt
ing.
This statement of the case was quite at
varience with statements made by practi-
cally every colored soldier of the 18th
Regiment who has been examined before
the committee to the effect that 1t Is ex-
tremely difficult for the soldier to retain
a single cartridge without being court
martialed for such dereliction.
When the committee reassembled at 2
o o'clock executive session was held.
Time Needed to Clean a Piece. !.
But little testimony of interest was. de-
Reloped before the committee yesterday
afternoon after The Stars report of the
proceedings was closed.
Capt Kilburn estimated that rifle that
had been shot a number of times could not
be cleaned in less than forty-five minutes
to stand a rigid inspection, and that 1t
would require ten or twelve minutes to
clean the barrel and chamber. When asked
II the rifles could be cleaned in the dark
he said he should hate to try it and then
Ego up against inspection"
: Lieut.. Edwin Thompson, also Of the 26th
Regiment, testified that he heard remarks
derogatory to the negro soldiers at the
time the order was promulgated sending
them to Brownsville. His examination had
not been fairly started when an adjourn
ment was taken for the day