Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1907-01-15
STANDS BY HIS
DISMISSAL ORDER
President JuStifieS Discharge
Of Negro Soldiers By Facts
in the Case
THEIR GUILT UNQUESTIONED

THEIR GUILT UNQUESTIONED |
WASHINGTON. Jan. 15-In a special
message, the President yesterday after
noon transmitted to the Senate the results
OF the investigation into "The Browns
Vile anray" by lion. Milton ID. Purdy
assistant to the attorney general, ana
Major Augustus p. Blocksom OF the In
spector Generals department U. S. A.,
together with Secretary Of War rafts re-
port thereon.
The Testimony taken by Mr. Purify and
Major Blocksom az Brownsville and other
points covers 200 printed pages. In the
Presidents opinion. Il thoroughly sub
stimulates the charge that the shooting
up" of the town, was done by soldiers OF
the rwenty-nfth infantry. and iustines
his action in dlsmisslng the three com.
ranies.
In this connection tho President liter.
ally delivers tho goods" for along with
the message he sert to the Senate the
empty Springfield Shells clips, and bull
let's gathered from the scene OF the riot
ing.
A noteworthy feature Of the message Is
The Presidents frank admission that he
erred in barring the discharged soldiers
from future civn employment IN the
government Having found that sucA ac-
ton lacked invalidlty," he announces
that he has revoked that portion OF the
order Of discharge.
Tho Message.
The message reads. IN part, as follows;
"ln my message 20 the Senate treating
Of the dismissal. without honor, OF GER
tain named members OF the three COM
panies OF the Twcnty-hfth Infantry,
gave the reports OF the officers upon
which the dismissal was based. These re-
ports were made IN accordance with the
custom In such cases; for # would OF
course. be impossible TO preserve disci-
pline in the army save by pursuing pre-
cisely the course that In this case was
pursued Inasmuch. however, as IN the
senate question was raised as TO tho suf-
iclency Of the evidence. ! deemed % wise
to send Major Blocksom and Assistant
TO the Attorney General Purdy, 20 Browns
vile to make a thorough investigation on
the ground in reference TO the matter.
i herewith transmit Secretary Tafts re-
port and the testimony taken under oath
Of the various witnesses examined IN the
course OF the investigation. also sub
NIT various exhibits. including maps OF
Brownsville and Fort Brown, photo
graphs of various buildings, a letter frcm
Judge Parks to his wife, together with
bandoleer. 30 empty shells, ball cart
ridges, and 4 clips picked up In the streets
OF Brownsville within a few hours after
tho shooting. three steel-iacketed bullets
and some scraps OF the castings Of other
bullets picked out OF the houses into
which they had been fred.
"The evidence shows beyond any pos
sible question that some individuals
among the colored troops whom I have
dismissed committed the outrage; enc
that some or all Of the other individuals
whom I dismissed. had knowledge Of the
deed and shielded from the law those wn,
committed 1t.
Residents Shut Up Houses.
THE only motive suggested as possibly
influencing any one else. was a desire 10
get rid of the colored troops so strong
that Il impelled the citizens Of Browns
vile to shoot mp their own houses, &C
kill one of their own number, TO assault
their own police, wounding the neut5n
ant who had been an officer for TWEEN
T. years-al with the purpose OF discrca
iting the negro troops The suggestion Is.
on its face. so mdicrously impossible
that it is difficult TO treat It as honest
/ nrNf
assailants succeeded in obtaining the
uniform OF the negro soldiers; that be-
fore starting on their raid they got over
the fence Of the fort unchallenged. and
without discovery by the negro troops
opened fire on the town from within the
fort: that they BACKED their faces. 50
that az least fourteen eye witnesses mis-
took them for negroes that they dis.
guised Nheir voices. so that at least sil
Witnesses who heard them speak mis-.
took their voices as being those OF neg
roes.
1.-THE weapons they used were Spring
field rifles. the ammunition which the,
used was that of the Springfield rifle ans
no other and could not have been used IN
any gun in Texas or any part OF tn
Union or in Mexico. or in any other par
Of the world. save only in the Springfield
now used by the United States troops in
GLIDING the negro troops in the garrison
at Brownsville. and by no other person
save these troops-a weapon which ha'
been in use only by the United State
troops some four or I'VE months prior &
the shooting in question, and which /
not in the possession Of private citizens
ASSISTANTS Were Seen.
"Fourteen eyewitness manning theml
testified that they saw the assailants o
some OF them at varying distances, AM
that they were negro troops. -Four othe
witnesses testified 10 hearing the shooting
and hearing the voices of the men VIII
we're doing 1t. and that these voices wer
those OF negroes, but did not actually SCI
the men who were doing the shooting
ID IS out of question that the ffteei
or twenty men engaged in the assault
; could have gathered behind the wall o.
the fort, begun firing, some Of them OF
the porches Of the barracks, gone on int
the town, fred in the neighborhood o
200 shots in the town, and then returned
the total time occupied from the time o
the first shot to the time Of their return
] L.. .frrl,l n