The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-15

< *REUtAl message TekdTulHS tuS bFOWHs- yille incident which gives the addi- fIonal evidence contained by Assistant Attorney General Purdy and Major Hlocksom. who were sent to Texas by the president to investigate the af- fair
 The president submitted with his message various exhibits. including maps of Brownsville and Fort Brown. bando1ier, thirty-three empty shells, seven ball cartridges, picked up in the streets a few hours after the shooting: three stell- jacketed bullets and some scraps of the castings of other bullets picked out of the houses iIyt6 which they had been fired xSs, The president declared the evidence < ts positive that the outrages of August ! 13 were committed by some of the col- oyed troops that have been dismissed and that some or all of the members Of the three companies of the 25th in- fantry had knowledge of the deed and have shielded the guilty ones.
 The negro troops are referred to by the president in his message as mid night assassins" and he declares that very few. if any, of the soldiers dis missed without honor" could have been Ignorant of what occurred. That part of the order which bars the sol- diers from all civil employment under tthe government Is revoked by the president.
 This clause, the president says. was lacking in validity. The discharged troops, however, will be forever barr d from re-enlisting in the army and navy and as to this the president says that .sthere is no doubt of my consti- ftftional and legal power.
 Secretary Taft's report, giving the sworn testimony of witnesses, is trans 5 <mifted with the message. The testi- mony of fourteen eyewitHesses is giv- en and the president declares that the evidence Is conclusive that the weap- ] used by the United States troops, in- clnding the negro troops who were in the garrison at Brownsville.
 The presidents message follows: To the Senate:
 Tn my message to the Senate treat ing to the dismissal, without honor. of certain named members of the three companies of the 25th Infantry, I gave the reports of the officers upon whicu the dismissal was based. These re- ports were made in accordance with the custom in such cases; for it would. of course. be impossible to preserve dis cfpIine In the army save by pursuing precisely the course that in this case
 Inasmuch. however, as in the Senate, question was raised as to the sufficiency of evidence, I deemed 1t wise to send Major Biocksom, and Assistant to the
 
 to make thorough investigation on the ground, in reference to the testi- nlony taken under oath of the various witnesses examined in the course of the Investigation. also submit various exhibits. fncludfI g maps of Browns ville and Fort Brown. photographs or various buildings, letter from Judge Parks to his wife. together with a han dcleer, thirty-three empty shells. seven ball cart ridges and four clips picked up in the streets of Brownsville within a 2 few hours after the shooting; three steel Jacketed bullets and some scraps of the castings of other bullets picked out of the houses into which they had been fired.
 missioner R. B. Croeger at Brownsville with six additional bullets like the others from Springfield rifles taken from buildings in Brownsville with sup porting afidavits. have since been sent to the Secretary of War.
 It appears from the testimony that on the night of the 18th of Angus, 1908. several crimes were committed by some Brownsville among these were the fol- lowing:
 A. The murder of Frank Natus.
 B. The assault with intent to kill ffe Lieutenant of Police. Dominguez. whose horse was killed under him and whose arm was shot so severely that 1t had to be amputated.
 Cs The assault with intent to kill on MT. and Mrs. Hale Odin and their lit- tie boy. who were in the window of the
 D. The shooting into several private three of them containing women and children.
 B. The shooting at and slightly wounding of Preciado.
 These crimes were certainly com mitted by somebody.
 As to the motive for the committing of the crimes. 1t appears that trouble Q NfaA IAaC .flrNa krNw |. occurred between individual members of the companies and individual citizens of Brownsville, eliminating in com plaints which resulted in the soldiers being confined within the limits of the garrison. on the evening of the day in question.
 Troops Committed Outrage.
 The evidence, as will be seen. shows beyond any possibility of honest ques- ton that some individuals among the coiored troops. whom I have dismissed committed the outrages mentioned; and that some or all of the other indivfd- uais. who dismissed had knowledge or the deed and shielded from the law those who committed it.
 The only motive suggested as possi- ply Influencing any one else, was de- so strong that 1t compelled the citi, gems of Brownsville to shoot up their own houses. to kill one of their own wounding the lieutenant who had been an officer for twenty years all with the purpose of discrediting the negro troops. The suggestion Is on its face so ludicrously impossible that it is dif- rienlt to treat 1t as honestly made. This theory supposes that the assail- ants succeeded in obtaining the uni form of the negro soldiers; that be- fore starting on their raid they got over the fence of the fort unchallenged and without discovery by the negro troops. opened fire on the town from within the fort: that they blacked their faces so that at least fourteen eye witnesses mistook them for negroes; that they disguised their voices that at least six witnesses. who heard them speak, mtstook their voices as being those of negroes. They were not Mex Witnesses to speak in English.
 The weapons they used were Spring held rifles; for the ammunition which they used was that of the Springfield rifle and no other and could not have been used in any gun in Texas, in any part of the union, or in Mexico or in any other part of the world, save only In the Springfield rifle now used by the United States troops. including the negro troops in the garrison at Brownsville, and by no other persons save these troOps-the weapon which had only been in use by the United months prior to the shooting in ques- ton and which is not in the possession of private citizens.
 Fit No Other Rifle
 The cartridges used will go into one other rifle used In the United States. when specially chambered-the Win, chester of the '95 model, but it will rarely. if ever. go of when in 1t; and moreover, the bullets picked out of the bad rFlf lfaTr alas -Vmt