Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-25
IN FEAR OF THE SOLDIERS
wol1EN OF BROWNSVILLE IN A
STATE OF TERROR.
Testimony Of the Chairman Of the
Citizens Committee Before the
Investigating Senators.

the Senate COMMITTEES on military affairs
To-Day heard one of the most important
witnesses that will be brought before it in
connection with its investigation Of the
ARRAY at Brownsville, Texas. This wit
ness was Capt. William Kelley, chairman
OF the citizens COMMITTEES, that inyestf-
gated the shooting up Of the town and de-
cided that it was done by the colored SOL
diers. Capt. Kelley was soldier In the
Union army in the civil war, having en-
| listed in New York regiment and toward
the end of the war was promoted to be q
commissioned officer in colored regi-
ment. He is one of the leading citizens Of
the town, president of the First National
Bank there, and interested in many local
enterprises.
He was a ready witness and went into
all the matters about which he was. ques-
toned with great interest He did not see
anything of the shooting up of the town
anu did not go out Of his house after the
shots were heard, living nine blocks from
the barracks.
Capt. Kelley spoke Of his great interest
| in the army, which had continued ever
since his own service. He has a son who
Is an officer in the regular army, now
stationed at West Point.
He gave an hitorical account of the uses
that had been made of Fort Brown since he
was mustered out of service there at the
close, Of tho civil war.
No Feeling Against Soldiers.
He said that colered troops had frequently
been stationed in the fort, and there had
never been any objection on the part of
citizens toward them. He heard no Objec-
| ton to the coming Of the 25th Regiment.
He said that there were very few colored
people in Brownsville. During the war that
part of the state, being on the border was
not a safe place for slavery, as it was too
m nyn a fHo hrv. 7ovs
into Mexico. After the war and up to the
present time Mexican labor has been so
cheap there as to prevent colored labor
from coming In. He thought that at this
time there are but seven or eight colored
families in the town.
The people there consequently had no
feeling against the colored population such
as he said prevailed throughout the south,
| where outrages had been perpetrated. Be-
fore the coming of the 25th Regiment the
previous colored soldiers stationed at Fort
Brown were those Of the 10th Cavalry, who
were there in 1891.
He said that the great body Of the Mexi-
cans fraternized with the colored troops
and among the Mexicans. except in small
class there is racial feeling against
colored people.
Women Simply Terrorized.
He said that after the attack on Mrs.
Evans the women of Brownsville were sim
ply terrorized with the fear that similar
one could tell who would be the next VIC
tim. He had been requested, because Of his
acquaintance with army officers, to try to
have the troops taken away, but that was
the extent of the hostility that was felt,
although everybody was very indignant.
so far as observed" said Capt. Kelley,
Il saw there was absolutely no discipline
In Maj. Penrose's command" He said that
he had been astonished at the looseness of
the discipline among these colored soldiers,
as all colored troops he had formerly seen
had been well disciplined. He said that
well disciplined colored troops make good
soldiers. but without such discipline, he
had mentioned to several people eight or
ten days after the troops came there that
he had never seen negro or white troops
appear in the condition of these soldiers
He said they would come into the city in
a group Of four or five. some would have
coats. some would have their suspenders
outside of their shirts and they would be
In an unkempt condition. He had seen
them pass their officers without saluting
them and he could see that there was abb
solutely no discipline.
AT the afternoon session of the commit
tee yesterday Albert w. BilIingsly, a dali
ryman testified that the only thing he had
ever heard against negro soldiers being
garrisoned at Fort Brown was from white
want to leave. He admitted that after the
citizens had trouble with the negroes he
had made threats against them and was
reprimanded by Mayor Combe.
Joseph Crixeil, saloon keeper, testified
that Capt Macklin had protested against
said that II the i'll treatment was not stop
per the negroes might climb the wall some
night and shoot up the town, and the ON
GERS would not be able to prevent 1t.