The Washington herald., 1907-06-09
AT THE HOTELS.


At the New Willard is Mrs. Katie
Leahy Of Brownsville. Tex. by far the
most interesting and important witness
before the Military Committee Of tie
Senate in is investigation Of the
shooting up Of that town by negro sol.
diers. Mrs. Leahy :s a woman who would
command respect anywhere for her sim
cerity Of manner, her freedom from
afectation. and quick wit. She is the
possess0r Of dauntless courage. too. MS
was shown by the cooiness Of her de-
meanor i'm that trying time Of mldnigh.
assault. when bullets rained about her
TO an extent that would have thrown the
average daughter Of Eve into Mysteries.
Mrs. LeIhy told q Herald reporter las.
evening some details OF the famous raid
and modest word or so about herself
Il have lived in Brownsville" ." said she.
all my life. though I was born in Mata-
moras, the Mexican town just across the
river. Ny father was a Fregchman and
my mother an Irish woman Ny husband
was Irish. ! have been Republican an
my life. and always work for the regular
t.'."A h| ~ ITO hFfIfI LNLfL III
order % recuperate financially. and in the
two years have been in the business [
have made money and, I believe a wide
circle Of friends
Now about this shooting. All care
for is 20 tell the truth. aud were il my
my dying declaration. I would stand by
what I have testified. that is. that ths
shots were fired from the garrison by
{ no EIfFfnre
minutes % midnight when I heard tho
first three or four shots. and ] could not
tell exactly whence they came but I
thought that 7 would 60 ont in the street
and see Immediately q voilev came from
the garrison. quickly followed by another.
and when 1 heard the bullets singing
close 70 me, I said. Katie Leahv. it is
time for you 90 get in,' for [ realized
that the negroes were shooting up the
place and that my life was in jeopardy.
How could I be mistaken The distance
between the point Of firing and my hotel
is not more than twice the width of
Pennsylvania avenue. Some people who
were awake by this time thought the
shooting was 10 give a fire alarm. bat I
knew differently I got back indoors.
and looking out Of the window / saw TWO
Of the soldiers. one very black fellow and
one muiatt0. This yellow one could
identify if ! should ever lay eyes on him.
They looked up 90 whore I stood in the
window, called my name. and went on
After that there was considerable more
firing, and atueighbor Of mine across the
street whose house was shot into. be-
came wildly excited and screamed 10 me
10 protect her.
Mention OF Secretary Tafts name I'm
connection with the Presidency evoBes
among Republicans OF the
Pacif, Slope" said Col Melville 1L
Gillette, a leading citizen Of Newark.
Ohio. at the New Willard
'I was recently on the Coast. and from
Seattle to San Diego 7 heard not ing but
Of Taft The people of that Sec
uou are satisfied that nothing can induce
Col Roosevelt % run again. and they
look upon the Secretary of War as his
natural successor.
Mr. Harvey Fleming. editor of the Kan
sas City Journal. is az the SEoreaam. It
is his first visit 70 Washington in a long
time. He was formerly here as a news
paper correspondent and was highly pop
ulsr in the fraternity.
Wolves are getting TO be such a pest
in Texas that the legislature recently
passed a scalp law. giving a bounty for
each one slain" said Representative Bur
Lesson. Of the Lone Star State. at the
Shoreham.
"Our sheep and goat breeders have suf-
fered great losses through the Geprsda-
t1ns on their focks. Not long since
lost seven fine AnE0ras IN one day. and.
unless some immunity from the miserable
wolves can be had. il is useless To keep
i'm the business of breeding animals for
them 90 destroy. The wolves are Of two
kinds-the small gray or timber. wolf
and the big black wolf which reyels iu
killing sheep and young calves They
are equally cunning i'm evadug schemes
aimed at their destruction. Some sort
of intuition tells them 10 let alone a piece
OF poisoned meat Then. after making
breakfast from a slaughtered lamb. 1Ir.
Wolf VIII start off for pastures new. and
by nishtfaU viii be thirty miles distant
from the scene Of his morning crime"
0Ir. Albert J. V0rys. OF Lancaster. Ohio.
who was az the New Willard yesterday,
although he is state commissioner Of in-
surance and an able and influential man.
might not have attained the prominence
that has come 20 him "a. late had he not
been made the Ohio manager Of Secretary
Taft's Presidential campaign. Mr. Vorvs
it must be conceded, takes TO his role
with grace and m0issty.
Il haven't word 10 tell you, said he
% q Herald reporter. Il am on my way
10 New York % attend a committee meet
ing of State Insurance commissioners.
Why should 7 be called on O. affirm that
Ohio is for Taft2 Would il not be a plzti-
tude7 or course Ohio is for him. and We
expect him q be President. Whether
there Will be a convention or not is some
thing impossible 90 say, fer the whole
thing appears 20 be in the air at pres
eut."
IF IL were not for the difficulty in get
ting labor. there would De no better or
more profitable occupation than raising
cotton in the South remarked Mai
Frank Flvnt, a prominent planter Of
Griffin. Ga. at the Raleigh.
But our FARMERS are up against the
labor problem. and the matter is gett.1s
more serious all the time. The negroes
simply refuse 20 do farm work any longer
at least. a great per cent of them dn,
for the reason that they are attracted by
what they think better offers. There is a
great deal of railroad building going on.
and many of the blacks find employment
with the construction gangs. Others E0
20 the lumber camps, end still others TO
the towns and cities. seeking lighter toll
than that Of the 3griCultWist The Couu-
try is really the best abiding place for
the negro if he could only be made To
realize it. but life on the farm no longer
appeals to him. and unless somebody can
he had in his place the cotton producers
are going TO be in a chronic state Of dis
treSs."
SidesteppiuG n Controversy