Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-26
RESENTED BY MISSOURIAN
Incident of Today's Hearing on the
Brownsville Affair.
PRIVATE TAYLOR RECALLED
His Rifle Had Been Identified by Elk
perts as One USED in Shooting
Up the Town.

| 25th Infantry, again went on the stand
| before the Senate committee on military
affairs at the Capitol today, and was cross
| examined by Senator Warner. 1t was
| Private Taylor's gun that was identified
| by Lieut. Hawkins and Mr.. G. A. Spooner
| of the Springfield arsenal as one that fired
eleven of the shells found at Brownsville
| on the morning of August IA after the
| shooting up of the town.
The ss-examination Of the witness
| gave rise to an exchange of words be-
| tween Senator Warner, who was leading
in the examination, and Senator Foraker.
Mr.. Warner had questioned the witness
as to his practice in going into the town
| while stationed at Fort Brown, and he re-
| piled that he did not often do so.
| He said he went into the city but once.
Senator Warner. in asking a question after
this testimony was given, prefaced 1t by
saying: so you were up there quite fire.
quently." referring to the saloon frequented
by the colored soldiers.
UNFAIR" Says Foraker.
Senator Foraker interrupted, saying 1t
was not fair to the witness to say he had
| frequently gone there, as his testimony was
| exactly contrary to that.
Two or three times that remark has
| been made" retorted Mr.. Warner, 'and 1
| they are justified
Senator Foraker appealed to the record,
and the stenographer read his notes show
| ing that the senator had used the WORD
Frequently" Mr.. Foraker said he would
leave his statement in the record and Mr..
Warner replied that so far as he was con-
cerned it could stay in the record
Mr. Warren: Il want to say right here
that l will submit the record as evidence
of the absolute fairness of my examination
of these witnesses. and 1 am willing that
my examination shall be compared with
that conducted BY any other senator from
Missouri will admit that have interrupted
him very seldom. and do not remember
any other time when have made the char
acter Of interruption I have made now, but
the question put to the witness made that
interruption necessary. But l did 1t In a
very polite way.
Senator Warren. chairman. added that
on a good many occasions, when the ques-
tions of the senator from Ohio had been
in the nature Of leading questions that
would not have been allowed in court, no
| objection had been made to them, and Tor
| that reason he thought the senator from
| Ohio should not object to the question as
propounded by the senator from Missouri
| Mr. Foraker said the committee was not
proceeding under the strict rules OF evil
dence, and said the record would be search
| ed in vain to find that he had ever put
words in the mouth Of a witness knowing
| w. and he was sure that the senator from
| Mrs. Parsons, wife of Representative
Parsons of New York. was among the WIS.,
itors at the hearing today. Mrs. Parsons
showed great interest in all the testimony.
Representative Gillette visited the COM
mittee room and remained during the morn
ing session.
Private Taylor cross-Examined.
The testimony of Private Taylor on cross
examination was to the effect that when
Cd ha "
fifth soldier to get into line, and Joseph
L, Wilson, the other soldier whose rifle
was identified as having fired eight of the
shells found In Brownsville on the morn
ing of August H. was on his left when
the line was formed. He listened care
fully to see If any of the men were missing
when the roll was called, but every one
was either present or accounted for.
Senator Warner: why did you listen so
carefully to the men as they answered the
roll call?'
Because ! did not know who did the mr.
ing at that time.
He said he had been awakened by the
| firing in town. He could not tell from
! what part of the town the sound of the
| firing came He had not heard of soldiers
| complain of bad treatment at the hands
| of the people in the town. So far as he
| was concerned he spent his leisure time
reading at the barracks and knew but lit
| Private Taylor testified that he had never
| gone cunning with his rifle while at
i Brownsville, but that he had on such &C.
casons carried a shotgun. He stated that
| Company b had three shotguns. which were
| kept locked up in a box In the store room.
| This is the first testimony that has been
given showing that there were shotguns
| with the company. Some of the witnesses
| have testified that som of the reports
| they heard on the night of August ID
| sounded as If they might have been shot
/ guns.
Private Wilson Heard
| Private Jos. L. Wilson Of Company B.,
| whose gun has been identified by experts
! Of the Springfield arsenal as having fired
| eight of the shells found at Brownsville on
the morning of August IA, also testified to-
| day. His testimony developed nothing new.
| He said that he was asleep when the firing
| began that he dressed quickly when he was
| awakened and got a gun which he could
not identify that night as his own, but on
! the next morning when inspection was held
| he did have his own gun.
| The committee took recess until 2
| o'clock.
Sale Of Cartridges.
The cross-examination OF Corporal VIM.
| Ryan, artfcer Of Company X, 18th In
! fantry, was taken up at the afternoon ses-
sion. In detailing the transaction in refer
ence to the sale of cartridges to Fields the
| brownsville junk dealer. the witness said
| he had taken the cartridges, which were in
the original government package and had
placed the box inside kerosene box. He
insisted in reply to questions by Senator
| Warner that he had no idea why this pre-
| caution was taken by Sergeant Cheesman
| and neither did he consider that he was
| doing any wrong.
| Senator Foraker then asked the witness
| IL he meant that he had done no wrong in
| assisting at the sale of government am
munition. and Ryan replied that he had
proceeded upon the orders of his superior
officer. IF my superior officer should tell
| me to jump In the river. he said, Il would
| do 1t. but OF course l do not say that /
| would not swim out again"
| The extra guns, which were in the DOS
| session of Company X. 18th Infantry, the
| witness said. were obtained In some man
| ner while the company was in the Philip
| pines, and that originally there had been
i twenty in the lot He Thought that Can 2 Ia