The Irish standard., 1907-02-09
NEGRO SOLDIERS
were UNPOPULAR
SECOND WITNESS TELLS sENA.
TORS OF BROWNSVILLE
SHOOTING ARRAY.
COLORED MEN WERE
NOT GOOD SPENDERS
Former Sergeant Of 25th Infantry
States Belief That Whites Caused
Disturbance to Rid Town Of Oh.
jectionable Blacks.

Disturbance to Rid Town OF OBJ
jectionable Blacks.
Washington, Feb 1.-THE senate
committee ON military affairs began
it's third day of the Brownsville hear
ing Wednesday. Former Sergt. Israel
Harris, having concluded his testi-
mony, was permitted to return to his
home in Boston and was succeeded by
Jacob d. Fraser, former first sergeant
of Company ID, Twenty-fifth infantry.
Senator Foraker conducted the exam
ination and he told the story OF the
affair in question.
Believes Negroes Innocent.
Fraser testified that each man was
allowed 20 rounds of ammunition, ten
of which We're carried in belt and
ten in cartridge box. The cartridge
boxes We're not carried during the in.
spection, but were left at quarters.
About two days after the trouble all
ammunition was ordered turned in,
and all was properly accounted for.
Asked if he had anything TO do with
the trouble Fraser answered no and
said he did not know of any other
member of his company being en-
gagged in it, Nor did he believe that
any members of his company were in
the affray. Tic had withheld no in.
formation and declared there was no
conspiracy of silence.
Senator Warner cross-examined the
witness. Again describing the first
shooting heard by him Fraser said
that it appeared from the direction OF
the sound to be north of the town.
whereas the evidence given by him tic
the officers in the first Investigation
described 1t as having been in front
Of company quarters, opposite the
center of the town. Fraser said the
officer taking the affidavit evidently
misunderstood his description.
He had believed, he said, that some
of the soldiers had shot up the town.
but the opinion was based on the fact
that his company commander had SO
told him; he had never heard any OF
the soldiers admit it. He had talked
with many Of the men and said he
had talked one way to them in Or
der that they might talk the other
way" and SO find out who did the
shooting. Il acted very secret" said
he, "to find out about 1t.
Fraser said he had heard of pre-.
vious trouble with colored soldiers in
Texas, but knew of nothing fierce
about trouble.
He stated it as his belief that the
citizens of Brownsville had them.
selves 'tshot up the town to drive the
soldiers away. Mr.. Overman asked !:
edo you think citizens would kill one
of their own nu,nber-commit murder
to get you away?'
Wanted CoIored Soldiers Removed.
Fraser replied: 81 don't know
whether any one was killed: they
wanted us away. Colored men would
spend very little money in the saloons
Oh account OF their treatment, aud the
citizens OF Brownsville wanted white
soldiers. who would spend the money
In further explanation of his theory
that tho citizens had done the shoot.
ing, the witness said that it was posi-.
bic for them to get ammunition from
the soldiers. He contcndcd that the
mon were not allowed out of barracks
after eight o'clock at night because of
an insult alleged tn have been offered
by two coore1 soldiers to white WON.
en- just previous to the shooting
With reference to the contention
that the citizens of Brownsville were
disguised as soldiers the fact was
brought out that the witness had ties.
titled in a former hearing that the
citizens might have procured discard,
cd caps and uniforms from soldiers
who had been there before them He
said to-day, however that all men in
the Twenty-flfth wore hats. In de.
scribing the cleaning of a gun for
inspection, Fraser. stated that it took
from half an hour TO 40 minutes
Sergt. Harris had previously testified
that it took about ten minutes
The committee then took RECESS