Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-01-17
PROVING HIS CASE
President Roosevelt's Special Mes
sage to Senate on Brownsville
Array Carried Strong Proof.
OF NEGRO SOLDIERS GUILT
He Declares the Evidence Secured
by Purdy Investigation Removes
Every Shadow Of Doubt That
4 May Have Existed.

Washington, Jan. 15.-President
Roosevelt Monday sent to the senate
special message regarding the
Brownsville incident which gives the
additional evidence collected by AS
sistant Attorney General Purdy and
MAI. Blocksom, who were sent to
Texas by the president to investigate
the affair. The president submitted
with his message various exhibits
including maps Of Brownsville and
Fort Brown, q bandolier, SO empty
shells. seven ball cartridges picked
up in the street few hours after
the shooting; three steel jacketed
bullets and some scraps Of the cas-
ings Of other bullets picked out OF
the house into which they had been
fired.
President Roosevelt in his message
defends his action In discharging the
negro troops, saying 1t would be abb
solutely impossible to preserve army
discipline to pursue any other course.
To Justify his action he submits re-
ports from Mai. Blocksom and Assist
ant Attorney General Purdy giving
the results of the exhaustive investi-
cation they made at Brownsville on
the presidents order. The president
with his message submits maps with
diagrams and photographs designed
to aid the senate In reaching an In
telligent understanding Of the situa-
ton; also empty shells and bullets
from Springfield rifles.
The crimes committed at Browns
Vile on the night Of August 10, ac-
cording to the investigation ordered
BY the president are as follows:
(A) Murder Of Frank Natus.
(B) An assault on Lieut.. Of Police
Dominguez. (C) Assault upon Mr..
and Mrs. odin and son. (C) Shoot
ing into houses containing women
and children. (E) Woundlng Of Pre-
ciado.
my evidence" says the message,
"proves beyond the possibility OF a
doubt that some individuals among
the colored troops l have dismissed
committed these outrages and that
others had knowledge of the deed
and shielded the guilty from the
law"
The president dismisses as ridicul-
Gus the charge that Brownsville citi-
gems committed the outrage with a
view to throwing odium on the me-
gro troops and obtaining their dis
missal That the criminals were sol
diers Is shown by the fact that re-
putable witnesses saw their uniforms,
heard their voices, recognizing them
as negroes; the fact that Springfield
rifles were used, no weapons OF that
kind being In the hands of civilians
and an examination of the shells and
cartridges showing that they could
not have been fired from Krag-Jor-
gensen or Winchester rifles.
"The finding Of this ammunition In
ITSELF" says the message establishes
the guilt Of the soldier and would be
conclusive II the soldiers were neither
seen nor heard by Brownsville resi-
dents on the night in question"
The evidence Of IA reputable wit
nesses is submitted. These saw the
attack in its various features and
submitted sworn statements to the
presidents investigators. Twenty
five other witnesses saw minor
phases Of the affair and make state
ments accordingly
From all this the president gathers
that from Is to 20 negro soldiers
committed the outrage and that some
OF the numerous shots were fired into
the town from the fort
"The shooting" the president says,
twas done at midnight After the
first volley the soldiers advanced on
the town, firing into residences with
the results above mentioned. Few Of
the soldiers In the fort therefore
could have been ignorant Of the af-
fair. Indeed, from this additional
evidence It is probable that but few
Of the soldiers dismissed could have
missed seeing the attack.
Il have gone carefully over every
Issue Of law and fact that has been
raised. am now satisfied that the
effect Of my order was not to bar
these men from all civil employment
under the government and that por-
tion Of the order is hereby revoked.
As to the rest Of the order dis
missing the individuals without
honor, there is no question as to my
legal power. The order was within
my discretion, under the constitution
and laws and can not be revoked OF
reversed except BY another executive
order. Such action was imperative
uniess / proved false 70 nv sworn
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