The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-02
MAcKIN'S VERSION
ARMY CAPTAIN ON THE BROWNS WILLIE SHOOTING.
Cesti..es His Negro Troops Didn't DO IL. Bat Was Asleep when shoot ane Occuxred-Senate 1nvesti-
 cation Continues

washington, April 1.-The testimony Of Captain Edgar A Macklin. or Com oany c. 25th Infantry, was taken py the Senate committee on military at- fairs today in the Brownsville fnves- tiga- on. It proved interesting par ticularly for the reason that Mackin is to be tried by court-martial after his return to Texas and for the further reason that he was shot by. an uniden- tifled negro at Fort Reno, after the negro soldiers were taken away from Fort Brown.
 Although there is no evidence to show that the Brownsville affray was siresponsibfe for the attack upon him. many persons have expressed the opin- ion that the two incidents are connect ed. particularly as he was the first or the white officers to produce damaging evidence against the former soldiers. He does not believe the negroes were guilty of shooting up Brownsville, &C., cording to his story told on the stand ]. today.
 eA Captain Macklin who testified today. dhad just arrived in Washington from r1San Antonio, Texas, where he was in eshttendance at the Penrose court mar ttial He said that, when the firing occurred on the night of August 13, he Twas in bed in his quarters, ha ying Fetired at about 11:30 and he was not awakened until 12:55, some time after l.he firing had ceased. He then joined his company and had charge or the guard for the balance of the night. Early the next morning he made an examination of the garrison and, find- ing no damage, went outside the gate and at the mouth of an alley not far from the garrison wall he found six cartridge clips and seven cartridge shells of the type used for the Spring. field rifle. These shells were found in ofp rIar Cvzo oh tool fy. diameter, which in reply to a question from Senator Foraker, he declared to be in an impossible position unless they had been placed there by some one
 After testifying at length concerning the incidents of the night of August 13. Senator Foraker asked Captain Macklfn if he had taken steps to dis ccver who did the shooting.
 The witness replied that he had done everything possible including the care- ful questioning of the men of his com. mand.
 Senator Foraker then asked the witt ness to give his opinion as to who did the shooting. Hesitating moment Captain Macklin said:
 It."
 Afterward he said that in their ex- citement and confusion, the men might have fired few shots from the bar racks, but that he had seen nothing to indicate they had done so, and he could not believe it possible
 At the afternoon session of the in vestigation, the witness was cross examined. principally as to his where abouts when the shooting occurred, and the evidence given by former negro soldiers that they had been unable to find the captain in his quarters when Major Penrose sent them to arouse him.
 Captain Macklin said that he did not believe the soldiers had come to his quarters. He said hG had a theory as to where the men went to find him and his attorneys had talked to them about it and their statement would probably come out when he is tried by court martial. He was not pressed further on this point.
 The shells which Captain Macklin picked up outside the garrison wall were put in his desk. he said and were forgotten until after the battalion left Fort Brown. Search for them later had been ayailing. He testified that he had told all of the facts connected with the finding of these shells to Ma jor Penrose, Mayor McCombe of Brownsville and to Major Blockhom, inspector, but that he had not told Col