Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-16
NEGROES SAY THERE WAS
PLAN TO MASSACRE THEM
Remarkable Story Told by Wiz
nesses in The Brownsville
Shooting-up Investigation.
SOLDIERS DARED TO COME our
Ex-Trooper Testifies Before Semitic
Committee That He Heard Corral
Boss Talk About Plot to Catch Ne.
sroes in Saloon and Kill Them
ether Witnesses.
by Associated Press !,

by Associated Press, Is
WASHINGTON. d. c., Feb 15.-
Startling testimony concerning al.
legged plans to massacre negro SOL
diers at Brownsville Texas, by men
from the town firing over the ba,-
racks to stampede the soldiers and
challenge them to come out of the
barracks, was given by negro ex.sol-
dters today at the investigation be.
fore the Senate committee on mill.
tary affairs The most sensational
story told was that of William Mapp,
who was member of Company G.,
Twenty-fifth Infantry
Mapp was asked If he had ever
heard any discussion OF the shooting
which caused him to suspect any per-
sons of completely. He replied that
on the morning of the following day
no heard Willard Voschell, the reser.
walton corral boss. and n white man
who had been in charge of the corral
prior to the arrival of battalion of
the Twenty-fifth Infantry, discussing
the case
Credits Story to Corral Boss.
According to MaDp's story voschell
said:
Well, it is good thing it hap.
nened rs 1t did. was ont I'm town
last night and the crowd came lin
front of me-the plan was to Satrh
a. Lott f-you fellows in- Allison s, 4s3a.
loon end massacre you."
Mapp said that the remark was not
addressed to him and that he did not
question Voschell He said that Al
lison is the former soldier who had
started the saloon for the purpose of
getting the negro soldier tradc. the
other saloons having barred the
members of the negro battalion.
Voschell Summoned.
Noschell is now in WASHINGTON
having been summoned as "A witness.
Before giving this testimony Mann
said that OH the night of the shoot.
ing he had been awakened by the fir
ing and had gone to tho window of
his quarters, and from there he saw
, several gun flashes and tho shots
seemed to be directed over the bar.
racks. A man with deep voice. he
said. shouted: Come out. YOU
black =" (using an opprobious
epithet and making it applicable to
tho troops). Mapp said this chal.
'lenge was repeated several times dur.
ing the firing, but the call 10 arms
was then sounded and he hurried TO
get dressed and. fall iii with his com.
pany.
Thought Garrison Was Attacked.
Thomas Jefferson. who was the or.
derby iii Company c barracks. said
that he heard the shooting and
thought there We're ten or twelve
men firing. The shots. he said came
from tho rear and near the end of
tho barracks. but he could not say
whether the men were within the
wall or not. He said he saw the
flashes from guns and thought the
garrison was under attack
Solomon III. O'Neal of Company C
also testified that the shooting on
the night of August IS was from
near the at the end of the barracks.
and that the shots were apparently
| over the barracks.
Heard Men Shoot and Yell.
He said heard man shoot and
then yell:
Come out. YOU black -"
This occurred several times, said
O'Neil.
Former Sergeant Darby w. o.
Brawncr who had charge of Com.
pany quarters on the night of the
affray and whose absence is said to
have resulted In the order to break
open the comDany's gun racks, said
he slept in a room in one end of the
quarters and that he was awakened
by Corporal O'Neil O'Neil told
Brawner that there had been firing
and call to arms and also told to
hurry and open the racks. Brawncr
said ne dressed and rushed ont to
SEQ his commanding officer. He said
he met First Sergeant Harley and
asked him what TO do and Harley
said wait for orders"
Ordered to Break Open Gun Racks.
The witness said that when he
went back TO quarters he heard Ma.
jor Penrose say: "If you can't find
the officer i'm charge of quarters
break open the gun racks and get
down as soon as YOU can and fall
J in"
Brawner said he thcn proceeded to
open the racks, and that he unlocked
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