Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-12
coIoPed Sergeant Says That The
Shooting al Brownsville Came
From The Town.
WANTED HIS MEN TO FIGHT BACK
Thought 1t Was an Attack on tire
Barracks and Urged His Men to
Stand up-says Order to Break
Upon Gun Rack Was Given by
Lieutenant.
(Ry Associated Pres.

| WASHINGTON. d. c., Feb. IL
| The shooting up" Of the town OF
brownsville Texas was in the form
OF an attack on the garrison Mt For;
Brown, according to the testimony
given today by Mango Sanders, form
erly OF the Twenty-iifth infantry &c
fore the Senate committee on mil.
i'ary affairs. Sanders story created
something of stir In the commf:.
Tee. as no said that while run.
hing from his quarters to Com
rany b barracks, after being awaa.
encd by the firing on the night OF
August 10. the shooting was going
on and It game from the town ana
was toward the military resarya-
ton, He said bullets were whlzzing
over his head This is the first
direct testimony given by any OF
| the discharged negro soldiers that
me nring came from the town.
Sanders sad thnt i:e had never
! been coirtmartlaled, never reprl.
/ iiianted. nor found fauit With 10 his
{ hnowIedssSa.. aftef being awakened
by the shooting he started ON a ru.
to Company BIS barracks und lust
after leaving his house the firing
! wa3 renewed.
! 1t came from the town. he said.
and bullets were flying thick and
| last overhead. A. he reached Com.
F! pany BIS quarters he said rhn saiw
liat men assembled We're excited
and shouting to each other
i heard some one yell fall In"
ne said, then some one shouted
tc set the guns ana another per.
son answered that tL&y could not get
me guns as the racks were locked
! and the man with the keys could
! not be found. Then Lieut.. Greer
know his voice said: Break those
| racks open.
| There has been a great deal of
| testimony given concerning The ,brok.
! en- racks of Company II but no per
son lad testified positively brf IRE
as 10 the manner in which thcv
! were broken. According 10 Tie tcs.
t.mony of Sanders the racks were
| IN good condition before the anco,.
ing and were broken open by
command OF one OF tue company
! officers
Urged His Men to Fight.
| sanders tod OF finding Ills own
| mca In confusion, and his efforts
to stra:snten ii out. He said ME
! found some OF the men on their
knees and Others yelling to Dut
out the lantern so t1ht IL wcalJd.
| not furnish target >for persons to
shoot at. The men stood up and
said that it was better 10 .,
| shot in the ranks than out" said
Sanders.
"W,Ien the men did not stand up,
| told them some things don't
want to repeat"
The calling of the roll and the
finding OF all of the men present
or accounted for and the inspec-
ton the following morning were
recited by Sanders and he corro-
borated the testimony OF witnesses
previously on the stand. Sanders
said dSe had nothing TO do with
| the shooting and had not known
| any THAT had. and had made diligent
inquiry among the men to find out
from them what. If anything. they
| any information and that there was
no conspiracy of silence.
| Couldn't Shake His Testimony.
! Sanders was cross examiner by
Senator Warner. He repeated that
many of TIE shots fred on the
plight of August 18th came from
the town and said that he had
reported this fact 10 Major Pcnrose
! although 1t did not appear In his
| evidence taken before Capt. Lyon,
indeed, he said he lad not stated
this fact to anyone else until this
time. He had not been asked about
1t and did not volunteer informa.
ton. II am looking after San
ders first" said he. He had never
examined the building to see wheth-
er. bullets were fired into them,
because he had no opportunity 10
make such examination. Sanders
stated THAT his gun was not in the
| rack at the time of the shooting
but In the sergeant's room and
that he returned to this room for
it: He thought there We're about
nine guns out Of the company's
rack on the night of the shooting
| afnt they wore all accounted for.
Sanders evidence was not concluded
when the committee adjourned until
tomorrow.