Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-11
RESUMED THE INQUIRY
Shooting-Up of Brownsville
Again Being Investigated.
WALKER M'CURDY RECALLED
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
in Session.
MAY TAKE A TRIP TO TEXAS
Private Howard Tells About Sounding
the Alarm-Says He Knows Moth
ing About Attack on Town.
nay TAKE A TRIP TO TEXAS

The Senate committee on military af.
fairs today resumed hearings on the al
legged shooting up of Brownsville. Texas.
August 10. The interest taken in the hear
ings was shown by the presence of ten
senator's, members of the committee,
when the meeting was called to order,
and 1t is likely that this attendance will
be maintained during the remaining weeks
of the investigation. Members Of the
committee present were Senator's Warren.
chairman; Foraker Scott. Hemenway,
Lodge, Warner, Foster Buckley, Over
man and Pettus.
The committee will continue it's work
in this city several weeks. In the opinion
of some senators, it will not be possible to
finish the taking of testimony in less than
a month Whether or not the committee
will go to Brownsville to make personal
inspection of the fort and surroundings,
and to take additional testimony there, is
yet to be determined. 1t will depend upon
the information that is obtained during
the coming month.
Plans of the Committee.
1t is likely that meetings of the commit
tee will be held daily, with two sittings
each day, morning and afternoon.
The committee was disappointed by the
inability of any of the white officers of the
negro soldiers to finish with the court
martial which is now progressing at San
Antonio, Texas. in time to be here. White
officers of the 10th Infantry, which pre-
ceded the 18th at Brownsville, reported to
the committee and will be put on the stand
to testify concerning the alleged antago-
nism of the citizens of Brownsville to any
soldiers being located there.
In the near future the officers of the 25th
Infantry will be before the committee and
their testimony is looked forward TO OF
the greatest Importance. The courtmar-
tial proceedings in Texa:' taye up to this
time prevented these officers fro-~ attend
ing the hearings here. -.
Walker McCurdy Recalled.
The first witness today was Walker Me-
Curdy. formerly quartermaster sergeant OF
Company B, who was called for cross-ex-
animation, having been before the commits
tee February s.
The cross exa mination of McCurdy re-
lated to the manner of accounting for guns
and the care of guns. The fact that six
seven men of his company were told to
stand back fer Il second inspection of their
guns on the morning of August ~, he said,
was not unusual. Senator Warner cross
examined him sharply concerning the extra
rifles in his charge which were said to be
stored in tightly sealed chests. He said
today that he did not know how many
serve guns were in the Oh SITS. Although
he was on the stand more than an hour,
nothing material was developed.
Fired Piece to Give the Alarm.
Joseph Henry Howard, private, Company
D, was also recalled. He was on post duty
when the shooting occurred. He did not
know who did the shooting, but he heard a
fusillade of twelve or fifteen guns being
fired. These shots were all outside the
gates of the barracks. When he heard the
shooting he fired his piece three times, in
order to arouse the guard, and he explained
to Capt. Macklin the next morning how
it happened that his piece had been fired.
He three rounds short in his ammuni-
ton, which was explained in the same way.
When he first heard the firing he thought
he was being fired on, but when he failed
to hear any bullets striking around him he
knew the firing was not in his direction.
The shots were from the town, ana the men
were retreating the firing went on. About
four minutes interviewed between the time
he heard the first shot and the firing of his
own piece.
What Howard Told Officers.
Private Howard was one of twelve men
arrested on the 23d of August, and later
told he would be tried under the sixty-sec-
ond article of war. He understood he would
be charged with murder, but papers
had ever been served on MIN. ne was
formed by Maj. Penrose that If he mad told
all he knew about the shooting he would
not have been arrested, and he declared 10
the major he had revealed all he knew.
"Were you ever told how you could prove
you were not guilty except by denying the
charger" asked Senator Foraker
No, SIR replied the witness.
Have you ever had opportunity to
plead guilty or not guilty to this charges"
No, sir
Wen, 1 will give you an opportunity
now. Are you guilty or not guilty."
Not guilty"
Senator Overman-"would you plead
guilty if you had done the shooting"
Yes sir; l would
In reply to question by Senator For
aker the witness said he had told the Off
GERS all about the shooting so far as he
knew. Gen. Darlington had notified him II
he did not tell all he knew about it he
would be discharged without honor by the
President, and he had replied that he had
told everything.
senator Foraker-"You told the truth
then, did your
Yes, SIR"
And are you telling the truth now?"
"Yes, sir"
senator Foraker read afidavits of the
witness. in one of which the witness was
as saying he had fired his own
rifle Asked how that happened, he said
the afidavits were secured by officers who
asked him questions and wrote down the
answers and then he signed the affdavit.
He answered questions that were put to
him. 80
'aThen." asked Senator Foraker, "did you
omit that information about firing your
gun or did the officer who wrote it down
omit ir?'
..The man who wrote II down omitted it."
ibid you tell all the officers who ex-
amined you that you mad nred your gun!
Yes, SIR
He read these statements over by officers
before signing them, and he thought they
were correct at that time.
He had shouted the alarm when on post
d,Ifv while the fusillade was gong on.
Each time he fired his gun he shouted. IL
was customary to fire gun, he said. in
"a se OF IRE or disorder In order to call
helm