The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-02-15
Made Famous Since the
Discharge without Honor
He SAYS THE FIRING DID NOT
SOUND AS IF IT CAME FROM
SPRINGFIELD RiFLEs-ALL THE
GUNS OF HIS COMPANY FOUND
IN PROPER CONDITION AND
THE AMMUNITION INTACT.

WASHINGTON Feb. IL. - Former Ser
geant Mingo Saunders, who has been
made famous since the discharge with
out honor of the members of the Twen-
ty-fifth Infantry on account of the
Brownsville raid, was the principal
witness this morning before the Sen
nate Committee on Military Affairs,
which is investigating the incident.
Mingo is a very black negro of the
plantation type in the days before the
war.
He impressed the members of the
committee with his earnestness and ap-
parent veracity as he told his story in
detail and with elaborate use of mill
tary terms and expressions from the
manual. He was first sergeant of
Company B aIil at the time of his dis
charge without honor had been near
ly twenty-six years in the service and
would soon have been eligible to re-
tirement on pension. During all
that time, he said. he had never been
in trouble of any kind.
Saunders said he was married and
lived outside the barracks. He was
aroused by the firing, and on going
to quarters several bullets which were
fired from the town whistled past his
head. The firing, he said. seemed to
him as if done by Winchesters, six
shooters and perhaps some Mausers.
He did not distinguish the shots of
any Springfield rifles, which were
used by the garrison at Fort Brown.
When the call to arms was sounded,
Saunders said, there was some diff
Guilty in opening the gun racks of his
company, and the order to break them
open was given by one of the Lieuten-
ants of the company. When the COM
Dany lined up and the roll was called
he said q private attempted to crouch
down so as to be protected by the wall
surrounding the barracks.
"The firing was still going on" tes-
titled Saunders "and I told him to
stand up. and If he was killed to die
like a soldier"
Lieut.. Lorison, the company COM
mander, he said, cautioned the witness
to keep the men in restraint, but to
defend the fort in case an assault was
made upon it.
Saunders said that at inspection the
morning after the shooting all the
guns of his company were found in
proper condition. He also accounted
for the ammunition.
When the Twenty-fifth came to Fort
Brown. he said, they brought along a
box OF loose cartridge shells, which
was on the rear porch Of the barracks
The Mexicans were accustomed to go
ing into the barracks and carrying of
anything they could pick up. They
took away caps, clothing and even
arctic overshoes which the men had
brought from the North. They also
picked up the cartridge shells.
In answer to questions by Senator
Foraker, Saunders said he was not i'm
plicated in the raid himself and knew
of no one who was. He had resorted
to one ruse after another to get infor
nation from the men of his company
regarding the affair, but had always
failed.
Senator Foraker read from the
report of Gen. Darlington where
in he stated that subsequently
Saunders had come to him ant
asked to be exempted from thC
dismissal threatened by the President
"Did you go to Gen. Darlington ant
make any such request?" asked Sen
ator Foraker.
Eyes, sir, did," replied the wit
ness. "I told him what my servic'
had been in Cuba and the Philippines
of the engagements in which ! hat
taken part and what my record hat
been. told him, said, General,
am poor man, and l serve my coun
try honest and faithful for the Gov
ernment and before I'd tell you lie
General, would suffer my lif
to be destroyed, my body to b