Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-15
TELLS OF NIGHT OF ALARM
Thought the Garrison Was Being
Fired On.
MEN WERE GREATLY EXCITED
Explains the Delay With Which he
Has Been Charged in Distribut-
ing the Guns

Former Sergt Carbey w. o. Brawner,
who had charge of Company Z quarters
18th Infantry. on the night of the Browns
VILE ARRAY last August. was on the stahu
today at the investigation being conducted
by the Senate committee on military auairs-
He is the man whose absence when the call
to arms was sounded is said to have re-
suited In the order to break open the COM
panys gun racks. On that account the
members of the committee showed unusual
interest in the testimony.
Brawner said that he slept in room at
one end of C quarters on the side nearer the
town. and that he was awakened by Cor
poral ONeiI who occupied the same ROOM
O'Neil told Brawner that there had been
firing and a call to arms. and also told
him to hurry and open the gun racks
Paying no attention to what his subordi-
nate had told him, Brawner said he dressed
and rushed out to his commanding
officer He said he met First Sergt. Harley
and asked him what to do, and Harley
said Wait for orders. The witness said
that when he went back to quarters he
heard Mai. Penrose say: IF you can
find the commanding officer in charge OF
quarters break open the gun racks ana
get down as soon as you can and fall in.
Opened the Gun Racks.
Taking this as his order. Brawner said
that he proceeded to open the racks and
that he unlocked three of them. but found
that the fourth had been broken OPEN
Pounding on the racks. he said was con-
tinued after the keys had been turned in
the locks. which he explained by saying
that 1t was dark and the men probably dlo
not know the racks had been unlocked.
Senator Lodge called To the attention OF
the witness an affidavit he gave to the Con-
stitutional League that he had lighted a
lantern and had found all of the gun racks
intact except the one that was broken open.
Brawner said that the light was used att
erward to verify the count of guns. and he
explained his remark by saying that he
thought intact meant that all of the racks
We're accounted for.
The only ammunition Company c men
had according to Brawner. was the leao
. bullet guard ammunition. or what Is known
as the reduced range cartridge.
Concerning the time it would take to
clean a rifle for inspection the witness en-
forced his statement that 1t could not be
done in less than twenty minutes or half
an hour by saying that he had had charge
of the inspection of his section of the COM
pany for nine years.
Thought Fort Was Attacked.
On cross-examination Brawner said the
excitement at the time of the ARRAY was so
great that there were many things to which
he paid little attention. He could not say
how much shooting there was after ne
awoke. He thought an attack was being
made on the garrison, and as such thing
was unusual in this country the men dld
not know what to make of 1t and were ex-
cited
Rrawner was one of the twelve men ar
rested on a charge of having participated
In the shooting up Of the town.
Harley Explains Former Reticence.
Acting First Sergeant Samuel c. Harley
of Company C. when before the Senate COM
mittee on military affairs yesterday after
noon testified that when the firing had
almost ceased on the night of August ID. at
Brownsville. as he reached the parade
grounds. he heard the whistle of one bullet
over his head and he was Of the opinion it
was fired from Winchester.
When questioned sharply by Senator War
ner as to why he did not tell of the broken
racks and the whistling bullet when he was
before Col. Lowering on the previous in
Quiry conducted under orders of the Secre-
tary of War. Harley asserted that he was
Instructed only to answer questions and he
was not asked about either of those facts
He discussed the treatment of soldiers by
citizens of Brownsville, and told of one man
being knocked down because 1t was said he
passed between two white women on the
street. He said that If the man had done
this he merited punishment.