Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11
Kinks TROOPERS INNOCENT
PENRoSE'S VIEWS As TO BROWNS
VILE SHOOTING.
Believes Citizens Placed Exploded
Shells in the Street to Throw
Blame Upon Soldiers.

| The Senate committee on military affairs
| today heard additional statements by Mai
| Penrose, who was in command Of the col
ored troops at Brownsville August 10, when
| the town was shot up. Maj. Penrose had
his attention called to various statements
| that had been made by other witnesses, and
| gave his views to their probability. He
| was also cross examined very carefully con-
corning his idea as to who shot up the town.
He stated toward the close of his testimony
! today that, in his opinion, the colored SOL
| diers did not do the shooting He said that
| he believed the shells found in the streets
! Of Brownsville had been placed there by
| citizens with the object Of duplicating the
soldiers.
| He was asked to outline reasons for his
change Of opinion, and said that he began
| to alter his view at the time of his own
court-martial. and that the testimony given
| then and also before the Senate committee
had tended to make him believe that the
soldiers could not have done the shooting.
He could not fix the crime Of shooting up
| the town on any one in particular, but based
his opinion upon his belief that the SOL
diers had not done 1t, and that consequent
| ly it must have been done by citizens.
Believes the Soldiers.
Maj. Penrose was questioned at consider
able length by Senators Pettus, Warner
and Overman to obtain an explanation of
any theory he had formed concerning the
shooting. but he insisted that his opinion
was BASED upon many facts that had been
brought out which had satisfied him that
the testimony of citizens was unreliable,
and that the soldiers were innocent. The
fact that the records showed that one of the
four guns that was identified having
shot eleven Of the shells was locked up in
box was strong evidence to his mind that
those shells had been fired on the target
range at Fort Niobrara. He could account
for the shells being found in the streets
only on the theory that they had been
placed there by citizens, having been
brought to Fort Brown in box that had
been exposed with the top uncovered on the
porch of the barracks, where persons might
have had access to 1t.
Capt. Kelley Contrad1cted.
Maj. Penrose had his attention called to
statements made by various witnesses,
among others Capt. Kelley of Brownsville
who testified that he had called on Maj
Penrose several days before the town was
shot up and was shocked to see him with
out coat or collar and In a khaki uniform
that was considerably soiled. Capt. Kelley
also said that he had observed the untidy
appearance and unsoldierly conduct of the
iA>SiO 'icOPo "hiC at OLl blUWI, anu
had come to the conclusion that they were
under very poor discipline.
MAJ. Penrose said, in answer to this tes-
tlmony, that he was positive he had not
seen Capt. Kelley until the day after the
shooting. Capt Kelley had called on him
while he was at dinner, and he had called
on Capt. Kelley, but they had not met He
was sure that no one had ever seen him in
any time, and that the Characterization of
mis- soldiers as unkempt and poorly disci-
pl1ned was unwarranted.
Maj Penrose declared that he could not
beieve that Mrs Leahy had seen five or
SIX soldiers on the upper porch of bar
racks at $50 o'clock on the morning of
August IA. because he himself inspected
the barracks about that time and was in
that vicinity from daylight until at least
6:l1 clock, when the guns were inspected
He was sure he would have seen such a
performance had it been going on.
Cleaning a Rifle.
Private Alexander J. Levie of the 18th
Infantry was again placed on the stand
and asked to determine the condition of
the Springfield rifle that was fired at Fort
Myer few days ago and cleaned a few
hours later at the War Department by d.
rection of Gen. Crozier. Gen. Crozier, when
on the stand, testified that the cleaning Of
this rifle consumed just one minute The
wlthess ran piece of linen attached to
of the gun, and when he drew it out de-
clared that it showed signs of powder and
rust.
He said he could not, however. undertake
10 say whether y-gun had been cleaned
at some past time by showing such a con-
ditlon His own experience was that in
order to thoroughly clean a gun and pre-
vent any return Of evidences of powder the
operation of cleaning must take place twice
or more on succeeding days. He said that
with modern smokeless powder the smoke
stains are very hard to remove and when
gun Is apparently cleaned they return
and have to be removed a second or third
time before they make no further appear
ance.
Maj Penrose's testimony had consumed
most Of the morning ssion and was 70
sumed at o'clock. He was asked many
questions by senator's and especially by
Senator Pettus. who endeavored to get from
him his theories as to how the shooting
could have been done by persons other than
soldiers.
Colored Soldiers Examined,
James w. Newton, who was knocked
down by a customs house inspector at
Brownsville by a blow on his head with a
six-shooter short time before the town
was shot up" and Frank K. Lipscomb,
who accompanied him on that occasion.
were both before the committee Yesterday
afternoon. Newton and Lipscomb were
members of Company c, 25th Infantry. and
Newton was one of the twelve men who
We're placed under arrest and held at San
Antonio under suspicion Of having been
implicated in the shooting up" Of the
town.
Both witnessed denied that they had
given any affrOnt to Mrs. Tate, wife Of the
inspector who knocked Newton down, and
said they were quietly passing along the
sidewalk when attacked. Both denied that
they heard any expressions of resentment
over the affair afterward, and said it had
been allowed to drop SO far as they were
concerned after 1t had been reported to
Maj. Penrose, who said he would investi-
gate it and endeavor to punish the Offend
ing man.
Newton and Lipscomb were subjected to
severe cross examination by several
members Of the committee. Asked by SEN
ator Taliaferro whether, if he had done the
shooting, he would swear falsely to conceal
it, Newton replied
Eyes, sir, If I did it myself"
He admitted that any soldier could get
out Of the barracks Enclosure into the town
without being seen If he wanted to do So
He had heard the shooting on the night Of
August 10, but could not tell in the excite
ment whether 1t was by high-power guns
or pistols He had not heard any discus
sion among the soldiers Of the shooting