Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
PUToFP UNTIL MONDAY
POSTPONEl6ENT OF THE BROWNS
VILE INVESTIGATION.

The Senate committee on military affairs
today agreed to postpone the Brownsville
hearing until Monday in order to give con-
sideration to the Military Academy appro-
prfation bill.
Alleged Plans to Massacre.
Startling testimony concerning alleged
plans to massacre colored soldiers at
Brownsville, Tex, by men from the town
firing over the barracks to stampede the
soldiers and challenges to them to come
out Of the barracks was given by negro
.ex-soldiers late yesterday afternoon at the
investigation before the Senate committee
on military affairs.
The most sensational story told was that
Company c. 18th Infantry He was on
the stand when the hearing adjourned for
the day.
Mapp was asked If he had ever heard any
discussion of the shooting which caused
him to suspect any persons of completely
He replied that at breakfast on the morning
following the shooting he had heard Will
burt Voschelle the reservation corral boss
and a white man, who had been in charge
of the corral prior to the arrival of batai-
Hon Of the 18th Infantry, discussing the
case. According to Maps story Voschelie
said:
sWell, It is a good thing it happened as
1t did. I was out in town last Night ana
the crowd came in front Of me-the plan
was to catch lot Of you fellows In ALI
sons saloon and massacre YOU"
Mapp said that the remark was not ad-
dressed to him. and that he did not ques-
ton voschelle. He said that Allison is the
former soldier who had started the saloon
for the purpose Of getting the negro solner
trade, the other saloons having barred the
members of the negro battalion. Voschelle
Is now in Washington, having been SUD-
poenaed as q witness.
Before giving this testimony Mapp said
that on the night of the shooting he had
been awakened by the firing and had gone
to the window of his quarters. and from
there he saw several gun flashes, and the
shots seemed to be directed over the bar
racks. A man with a deep voice, he said,
shouted: Come out, you black - (uslng
an opprobrious epithet and making It aPpn-
cable to the troops. Mapp said this chai-
lenge was repeated several times during the
firing. but the call to arms was then sound.
ed, and he hurried to get dressed and 1aii
| in with his company. He said the shooting
and the shouting were outside the wall
at the end Of Company B barracks. Mapp
told of the confusion in quarters. and said
that he got his gun from the rack that was
broken open, and was one of the first to
fall in.
Thomas Jefferson who was the room Or
derry in Company barracks, said that ne
heard the shooting, and thought there
were ten or twelve men firing. The shots.
he said, came from the rear and near the
end of B barracks, but he could not say
whether the men were within the wall or
not. He was sure the men were near the
WALL He said he saw the flashes from
guns. and thought the garrison was under
attack. He listened he said, to see If the
barracks were hit by any bullets. but when
he could hear any Of the shots strike
concluded the firing did not amount to any
thing. He said he lad been at the win
dow, but went back to bed. From the
flashes he thought the men were firing Into
the air. He got up after the call to arms
From that point his story was similar to
that of other witnesses. He said that he
had made q statement at the War De.
partment before Judge Advocate General
Davis. for the purpose Of clearing his name
of suspicion. He had been actuated IN
making this statement. he said, by e
statement in the papers that President
Roosevelt would permit any men to re-en-
list if they proved their innocence. Senator
Foraker asked that subpoena be issued
for Gen. Davis.
Solomon P. ONeil, also former men,
Der of Company c, testified that the shoot
ing on the night of August - was from
near the wall at the end of Company B
quarters, and that the shots were appar.
emily over the barracks. He said he heard
man shoot and then yell: Come out,
you - - -" This occurred
several times, said O'Neil, before he
was compelled to leave the window and
dress He testified that there was great
excitement in the barracks, and that when
the gun racks were broken open some Of
the rifles fell to the floor. There was no
light, and the men could not get their own
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