Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-04
FORAKER BEGINS
HIS INVESTIGATION
lnquiring Into the Trouble at
Brownsville.
HEARING BY SENATORS
Sergeant Harris of the 25th Infantry
Examined.
TELLS OF NIGHT OF AUGUST IS
Saw No Shooting Inside the Walls Of
Fort Brown-Describes Roll Call
and Inspection.
Sergeant Harris of the 25th Infantry
Examined.
TELLS OF NIGHT OF AUGUST IS

The investigation by the Senate
committee on military affairs of the
Brownsville, Texas, affray was be-
gun today. Israel Harris, formerly
sergeant of Company D, o5th In
fantry, was the only witness. He tes-
tilted that he saw no shooting from
inside the walls of the fort on the
night of August IS. He told about
being awakened by the shooting, the
call to arms, the patrol of the town
and the inspection OF rifles next
morning. His testimony tended to
show that the pieces could not have
been cleaned after the alleged shoot
ing before they were inspected.
The first hearing by the Senate commit
tee on military affairs on Senator Foraker's
resolution providing for an investigation
into the rioting at Brownsville OF last Au-
gust was begun at 1890 o'clock today.
There were just thirteen witnesses waiting
to be heard when the committee assembled,
with Senator Warren acting chairman.
and Senators Foraker Lodge; Scott, Over
man, Foster, Blackburn, Warner, pettus.
Hemenway, Buckley and Talaferro present.
When the committee met there were in
waiting in the corridors adjoining the mill
tary affairs room thirteen colored men who
had formerly been members of the three
colored regiments of the 18th Infantry that
were Involved in the Brownsville affair.
There were large number of other COLI
ral ,yeh Lad
\ thirty or forty. Later a fourteenth witness
appeared. Those who were ready to testify
were Israel Harris, Mingo Sanders, w. II.
Miller, Edward L. Daniels. Luther T. Thorn
ton, Albert H. Roland, Francois l.. Alt
mann, Warrington, Franklin, Dessoure.
jackson anu Elmer Brown.
The first and only witness examined today
was Sergt Israel Harris of Company d. He
presented a weli-set-up appearance, being
of light build, but soldierly. He is a light
colored man and stated that he Is now emf
pioyed as porter of Elliott National Bank in
Boston, Mass. He was at once taken in
hand by Senator Foraker and said that he
was duty sergeant on the night of August
IL. His answers were concise and straight.
forward and he did not contradict himself
throughout the hearing.
Cleaning the Springfield Rifle.
His testimony involved a good deal Of
detail that will probably not appear be
called for when other witnesses are placed
on the stand. 1t involved detailed de-
scrtption of the operation of cleaning a
gun and the regulations that petrain to
the control of a company of soldiers in re-
lation to the care of arms AID ammunition,
the method of calling the roll and of deter
mining if any one is absent.
The testimony in relation to cleaning a
new Springfield rifle. which was the kind
used by Company d last August. was illus
-.-...,l..s lae witness manipulating the rifle
in view of the committee. He declared that
..,., .- .,-. IN ten minutes of daylight would
be necessary in order to clean rifle, and
that it would be pretty hard to do it in that
time. He also showed the great care that
Is taken in order that a soldier shall fire
no more nor less than the number of cart
ridges given to him, and declared that 1t
would not be possible for man to retain
a cartridge under the strict rules that are
enforced.
The witness was first questioned by
Senator Foraker, who went very thor
oughly into the case in respect to these
several operations that come within the
scope of the duty of soldier When
Senator Foraker had finished with the
witness other senators cross questioned
him. Senator Warner brought out state
ment from the witness to the effect that
after the shooting on the night of August
10 there was no discussion among the
soldiers of Company ID as to its cause,
although there had been discussions con-
corning other disturbances in the town,
and especially in regard to the treatment
that had been accorded to soldiers In
saloons and elsewhere. The witness said
that he heard no discussion on the
Brownsville affair of August 13 except
that some of the men wondered what was
to be done about 1t; what would happen
in consequence.
Both Senator Lodge and Senator Foster
repeated in practical form the question
that had been asked by Senator Warner
and reiterated 1t In other forms, but the
witness was positive that at no time had
he heard among the men any discussion
of the trouble of the night of the 18th,
except that some of them wondered what
the outcome of it would be, and what
would happen.
No Shooting Inside the Walls.
He began his testimony by replying to
questions by Mr.. Foraker to show exactly
what had happened within his knowledge
on the night of the 18th of August at
Brownsville. He stated that on that night
orders were given that the should be
in at O'clock and he had gone to bed at
0, sleeping upstairs In the, barracks. At
about IL O'Clock he was aroused by the
noise of guns, and he got up and began
dressing. but before he had finished dress
ing there was q call to arms. There were
no lights, and he hurried putting ON his
clothes and went down.
He described In minute detail the manner
In which guns are put in racks. saying that
there were four racks in that barracks. one
for each company. On the top Of the racks
was additional place for revolvers. A
band OF iron passing about the racks made
1t secure and II was then locked in place
with Yale lock. there being separate key
for each of the racks. The same method
was used In looking the revolvers In the
racks.
AS soon as he was dressed he rushed down
the barracks stairs and fell in line in front
OF the barracks He heard firing while get
ting on his clothes He could n tell where
1t had commenced. but he saw no one fire
within the walls of the reservat lion.