Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-14
,5[V[[| SHOWS
THE SENATORS
President Submits Important
Exhibits to Prove His Browns
Vile Charge
ANOTHER SPECIAL MESSAGE
President Tells Senate Evidence is
Positive That Some of Discharged
Troops Did Shooting and That the
Others Know it and Are Shielding
Them.


Washington, Jan. 14.-President
Roosevelt today sent to the senate
special message regarding the Browns
Vile incident, which gives additional
evidence collected by Assistant Attor-
ney General Purdy, and Major Block
son, who were sent to Texas by the
president to investigate the affair.
The president submitted with the
message various exhibits, including
maps of Brownsville and Fort Brown,
a bandoleer, thirty three empty shells,
and seven ball cartridges picked up in
the streets a few hours after the shoot
| ing, three steel jacketed bullets, some
scraps and the castings of other bullets
picked out of houses into which they
had been fired.
The president declares the evidence
is positive that the outrages Of August
IS were committed by some Of the col
ored troops that have been dismissed;
that some or all the members of the
three companies of the Twenty fifth
infantry had knowledge Of the deed
and have shielded the guilty ones. The
negro troops are referred to by the
president as Midnight assassins." He
declares very few, if any, of the SOL
diers dismissed without honor" could
have been ignorant of what occurred.
THAT part of the order which bars
soldiers from all civil employment un-
der the government is revoked by the
president. This clause, the president
says, was lacking in validity The dis
charged troops, however, will be for
army or navy, and as to this the pres
ident says: There is no doubt of my
constitutional and legal power"
Secretary Taft's report, giving the
sworn testimony Of witnesses, is trans
, mitted with the message. The test1-
mony Of fourteen eye witnesses is Civ
en- and the president declares the ev-
idence is conclusive that the weapons
used were Springfield rifles now used
by United States troops, including the
negro troops who were in the garrison
at Brownsville.
The presidents message was accom-
panied by box neatly wrapped and
tied with red tape, containing cart
ridges and shells as exhibits in the
case. The message was read immediate
ly after its receipt and was attentive
ly listened to- The exhibits were not
opened, however, but retained on the
desk of the vice president At the con-
clusion of the reading, Foraker re-
quested that it be printed, with the ac-
companying exhibits.
Lodge expressed a desire that the
message and evidence be printed in
the record, commenting that there is no
way to so successfully conceal infor-
nation as to print it as a document,
but he recognized in the present in
stance the exhibits were too long. For
aker,Nsaying he was not going to make
a speech, "but few remarks" observed
that the testimony amounted to great
deal, ''for the president tells us it Is
conclusive. But 1t does not remove the
objection have had from the begin
ming of this proceedings"
"What have been trying to contend
for, and I hope will be successful, is
to secure hearing for the men charg-
ed with a serious crime" added For
aker. This testimony has been taken
as the other was, behind closed doors
without anybody representing the men.
That is the reason 1 shall not desist,
notwithstanding what the president
has said as to the character of it, from
pressing for an investigation of the
subject where especially men who are
charged with the crimes Of murder,
perjury, and conspiracy can be heard
to teh end that if they can establish
any facts in their favor they may have
the opportunity to do so.'
Foraker added he should reserve his
discussion of the new evidence submit-
ted by the president until after the in
vestigation. "If we shall order one"
to be made in accordance with the
spirit Of American institutions, where
every man, no matter how humble he
may be, shall have the opportunity to
be heard" After that investigation,
Foraker said, he should have some
thing to say about the present testi-
mony. Later Foraker went to the
clerks desk and unwrapped the pack
age and took from the cigar box for
thorough inspection the bullets and
1ol