Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-15

the fort and that the first shots fired in
to the town were fired from within the
fort; some Of them, at least. from the
upper galleries of the barracks.
The testimony further shows that the
troops then came out over the walls,
some of them perhaps going through the
gate. and advanced distance of 800 yards
or whereabouts into the town. During
their advance they shot into two hotels
and some nine or 10 other houses. Three
of the private houses into which they
fired contained women and children They
deliberately killed Frank Natus the bar
tender. shooting him down from a dis
lance of about 10 yards. They shot at I
man and woman, Mr.. and Mrs. Odin. and
their little boy as they stood in the win
dow of the Miller hotel, the bullet going
less than two inches from the head Of
the woman. They shot down the lieuten-
ant Of police. who was on horseback, kill
ing his horse and wounding him 50 that
his arm had 10 be amputated. They at
tempted t. Kill the two policemen who
wc"c his companions, shooting one
thrr"ah tho hat. They shot at least
eight hull te i2tn Gwen house. putting
out = lighted lamp II the innc room.
tah". Mrs. towcn ana five children were
in tie house; they a once threw them
selves prone on the floor and were not
hit. They fired into the Starck house
the bullets going through the mosquito
! bar. bed from IS to 20 inches above
where little children We're sleeping. There
was a light in the children's roam.
The shooting took place near midnight.
, The panic caused by the utterly X
pected attack was made The darkness
of course increased the confusion. There
Is conflict of testimony on some of tn"
minor points, but every essential poinr
is established beyond possibility of hon
est question. The careful examination
OF Mr.. Purdy, assistant to the attorney
general, resulted merely in Strengthening,
/ the reports already made by the regular
, army authorities. The shooting, it an
pears. occupied about 10 minutes, al
, though it may have been some minutes
more or less. 1t is out OF the question
that the l., or 20 men engaged in the as
slult could have gathered behind the wall
of the fort, begun firing, some of them on
the porches Of the barracks, gone out
into the town, fired in the neighborhood
Of poe shots in the town and then re-
turn1d-the total time occupied from the
! time of the first shot to the time of their
return being somewhere in the neighbour
! hood of 10 nlinutes-without many of their
comrades knowing what they Ind done
! Indeed, the fuller details rs established
| by the additional evidence taken since I
list communicated with the Senate make
| it likely that there were Very few. if
any, of the soldiers dismissed who could
| have been ignorant of what occurred. 1t
| is well nigh impossible that any of the
| on-commissioned officers who were at
the barracks should not have known
| what occurred
The additional evidence thus taken rem
ders ii. in my opinion impossible to ques-
ton the conclusions upon which my~or-
der was based. I have gone most care
| fully over every issue of law and fact
| that has been raised. I am now satisfied
| that the effect of my order Diminishing
these meii without honor was not to bar
them from all civil employment under the
| government, and therefore that the part
! Of the order which consisted Of a GeclarI-
| ton 10 this effect was lacking in validity
and ] have directed that such portion be
| revoked AS to the rest of the order
| dBSnisSing the individuals in question
without honor and declaring the effect
| of such discharge under the law and reg
| ulatlonS to be n bar to their future re-
IenliStmont either in the army or the navy
| there is no doubt of my constitutional
| and legal power. The order was within
my discretion. under the constitution and
the laws and cannot be reviewed or re-
versed save by another executive order
the facts did not merely warrant the ac-
| ticn 1 tnok-thcy rendered such action
| Imperative unless l was to prove false
| to my sworn duty.
| If any one of the men discharged here
| after shows to my satisfaction that he is
| clear of guilt or Of shielding the guilty,
| will take what action is warranted;
| but the circumstances ] have above de-
| tailed most certainly put upon any such
| man the burden Of thus clearing himself
(SigneD THEODORE ROOSEVELT
! The White House. Jan. H. 1901.