Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-14

side Of Washington street next to
house OF man named Tate, who had
knocked down member of c company
n few days previous. They doubtless
fnistook tho Starck house for the Tate
house They fred eight or ten shots
into the second story rooms IN the front
OF the house, in which there was
light and In which rooms four or five
children Of Mr. and Mrs. starck were
sleeping. These bullets went through
the MOSQUITO bars OF the beds In which
three children were sleeping.
Coming to the latter squad that went
to the Tillman saloon and their acts
there, there We're In the saloon three
men-Frank Natus. the barkeener
Pauline Preciado, the editor Of a SPAN
ish paper, and another, a Mexican
named Nicholas Alanls.
KILLED SALOON KEEPER.
Preciado followed Natus ont into the
yard when five or six men filled tho
yard and killed Natus. Preciado was
wounded In the hand and had a bullet
hole in his coat. He testifies that the
men who did the shooting were negro
soldiers. His testimony was weakened
by the admission on HIS part that in
previous statements al the inquest be-
fore the grand jury and elsewhere no
did the shooting to be negroes, but he
seeks to explain this by the fact that
he was not asked. There were bullet
holes inside the saloon yard
CARTRIDGE SHELLS FOUND.
Cartridge shells were found outside
Of the garrison wall and all the way UP
the alley from the garrison road to
Twelfth street, especially at the Cowan
house, the Leahy hotel. the Miller hotel,
the Tillman saloon and in front OF tina
Starck house on Washington street,
which was shot in. Clips also were
found, used to hold Ave cartridges in
| the gun together and bandolier, or
| cartridge case to be slung over the
shoulder, manufactured by the Union
| Metallic Cartridge company.
SHELLS EXAMINED.
Some 80 shells, seven loaded cartrid-
yes and two or three clips were col
| iected from Mayor Combe and others
| by Mai. Blocksom and Mr.. Purdy, and
| were subject 10 expert examination by
| military officers at Fort Sam Houston
and by Capt. Rice and Gen. Crozier OF
the ordanoe bureau. They proved TO
be, all of them, ammunition with marks
indicating that they were manufactured
exclusively for the government and for
use only in the Springfield rifle OF the
model of 1908, with which the battalion
at Fort Brown was armed. II appeared
that these cartridges would not fit in
any gun known In the market, not tho
Kreg -Jorgensen or any other gun. mil
itary or sporting. known to the expert
witnesses. except a sporting Winchester
rife OF the model of 1905. but that the
cartridges were so insensitive as to ex-
plode under the hammer OF this VIM
chester 1905 model rife when cham
bered to receive cartridges of this sizo,
th,s tEA ,t,-sl 90 ut 3D.
which We're manufactured and sold for
the Winchester 1905 rife had different
and more sensitive methods of dis
charge, which easily distinguished them
in appearance from the government am
munitlon for the Springfield rife. 1t
therefore Is conclusiyely established
that no guns but the Springfield rife
could have discharged the cartridges
the shells of which were found along
the line of fire IN Brownsville tho morn
ing OF the 18th of August Three bull
lets were extracted, one in the presence
OF Maj. Blocksom at the Cowan house,
one by Mai. Blooksom from the Yturria
house, and one by MT. Cara from his
own house. Each OF these bullets was
of The weight and slze OF bullets used
In the Springfield ammunition and
bears the four marks OF the lands or
raised parts between the grooves OF the
riding.
NO GUNS But SPRINGFIELDs.
The evidence is conclusive that there
were no guns except the Springfield |
guns which would discharge the bull |
let's from the cartridges found. When |
this evidence Is carefully considered. II |
is conclusive demonstration that the |
firing must have been done by men |
with the rifles OF the Springfield 1903 |
model. The only rifles of this kind |
In or near Brownsville were IN the pos
session of the soldiers Of the three COM
panies, z, g and u. of the Twenty
NTH infantry.
PLANTED SHELLS" THEORY.
The suggestion that after thu hurried
shooting which was done at almost
double quick and was finished certain
ly within 10 or 10 minutes. those who
did the shooting could have had some
other gun than the Springfield rifle,
could have picked up. the cartridge
shells OF that gun which were extracted
and thrown on to the grass
as the shooting progressed. and
could have then placed upon the
ground or planted" shells OF
the Springfield rife, obtained from the
target rang 20 miles away. certainly
does not create reasonable doubt OF
the fact that the men who did the
shooting we're negro soldiers. even II
the evidence be ignored
CONFLICTING CIRCUMSTANCES.
There is a conflict as TO the eiroum-
stance growing out OF the evidence,
which is entirely natural IN respect TO
the transaction during the day
time ana still more natural 10 the
transaction and direction OF sounds
during the night, and there are soma
things about the evidence OF MoDon-
aid. Mrs. Odln and Precado, who tesi-
~ In such detail az TO seeing the negro
one at tho garrison wall
the next az the alley OF Mlllers MOTEL
and the third at the Tilman saloon
which In view OF previous statements
shake some OF the weight OF what they
say. Mrs, Odins statements bear evi-
dence of being affected by CONVERSE
tions with her husband ana there is
somewhat suspicious agreement be-
tween some points Of their statements.
But taking their evidence as all the
other evidence together with the Wen
nEah ,,atharanfInaI dTruOngtrQtiOn with