Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-02
STANDS BY HIS men
Capt. Lyon Doesn't Believe COL
cred lnfantrymen Guilty.
SHOOTING At BROWNSVILLE
Inclined to Think Tough" Citizens
Were Involved.
ORIGINAL OPINION CHANGED
Highly Praises the Character Of the
Men in His Command-Committe
Investigation Resumed.
SHOOTING At BROWNSVILLE
ORIGINAL OPINION CHANGED

company Is, Z0tn lnfantry, on the niBnt Oh
August IL, 1906. when the town Of Browns
vile was shot UP. was before the Senate
committee on military affairs at the Capitol
| today. Capt. Lyon testified that although
he had believed Immediately after the
shooting. and when men Of the 25th Infan-
try were charged with having shot up the
town. that they had in fact, dore SO, he
had changed his mind and had come to be-
lieve that the men of that command had
nothing to do with it, but that probably
the town was shot up by some of the
tougher element of Brownsville. He said
that at Brownsville a great many people
believe that the officers of the 18th had
something to do with the shooting up, or at
least were implicated in it, and that great
many of them believed today that Capt.
Macklin was personally mixed up in the
ARRAY
Capt. Lyon went on the stand as soon as
the committee met this morning, and was
subjected to a constant fire of qestfons for
over two hours. He testified that he had
gone to bed on the night of August Is only
a short time before II O'Clock, and shortly
thereafter was awakened and heard two
pistol shots. He got up and hurriedly
dressed. and while he was so engaged heard
five six more pistol shots.~ which seemed
to come from the direction of the alley just
outside the barracks gates, though he could
away from his quarters other firing was be-
gun. which he described as coming from
small-caliber high-power guns. These. he
explained. included Winchester. Spring
field. krag, Mauser and other rifles. but
he could not distinguish what particular
class of high-power guns was used.
Captain Lyon was one of the first of
the officers to reach the barracks. and he
went at once to the company which was
under his command. In all he heard from
100 to $50 shots fired. He recounted in
detail how the men were lined up in
front of the barracks, then marched to
the rear of the barracks behind stone
wall and counted. and he was sure that
all of the S1Xty-One men of his company.
all of the guns of the company. amounting
to seventy. and all of the ammunition
were fully accounted for that night
Character of His Command.
Senator Foraker asked him concerning
the character of the men in his COM
mand. and he spoke of them in the high
est terms.
compare with other soldiers you have
known"
vorably."
We're they we'll drilled and we'll dis
Yes, sir; their drill and discipline was
excellent. I never saw better"
Now. as to the conduct Of these men
at was in my opino exceptionally
good"
Capt Lyon testified that he had been
seventeen and half years in the service,
which he had entered an enlisted man.
He served with the LIST Cavalry. the 10Th
Infantry. the 18th Infantry. and the 9th
Infantry. He was with the 18th, both in
Cuba and in the Philippines. He had had
ample opportunity to Judge of the character
OF the other soldiers SO that he could COM
pare them with men Of his command at
Brownsville
Senator Foraker-"Do you know who did
this shOoting?"
81 do not"
Did you have anything to do with it?"
81 did not
DO you know anything that would in
dictate that any soldier of your battalion
participated in the attack on Brownsville
that night?"
NO. sir. l know nothing that would so
indicate"
"Wht is your opinion as to whether or not
the men of that battalion did that flring?.''
my opinion is that they did not do it."
The witness was questioned at great
length concerning the finding of six clips
and FIVE shells at the entrance of the alley
just outside the barracks wall. these clips
and shells having been found by Capt. Mack
He said that If six clips and seven shells
were found in a circular space ten inches in
diameter, as testified by Capt. Macklin,
his opinion would be that they were placed
there in the act of firing. He said that
the disproportion of clips and shells might
have resulted from the loading of six rifles
and the firing of only seven shells at that
time.
Senator Overman.
Capt Lyons Present Impression.
Senator scott-"What is your impression
now as to who did the shooting?"
njnio ia done
some of the rougher element Of Browns
Vile, and that none of the men of our bat
TALON did any shooting, except the sentinel.
who fired three shots while at his post to
give the alarm
Being questioned as to the charges made
against the men. he said that not only the
men were charged with doing the shoot
ing but a great many people in Browns
Vile believed that the officers Of the bat
TALON were implicated in 1t, and quite a
lin especially had been concerned in 1t.
THE people," he said, that Is great
many of them. believe that we know all
about it. and a large number Of them be.
lieve that Capt. Macklin was implicated
| in the actual shooting
The cross examination of Capt. Lyon had
not been finished when a recess was taken
| and at o'clock he again went on the
stand.
Capt. Macklin's Examination Ends.
At the afternoon session OF the commit
| tee yesterday Capt Edgar A. Macklin OF
Company C, 25th Infantry. was cross-ex-
amined upon his testimony given in the
morning. He was asked as to his where
abouts when the shooting occurred, and
| the evidence given by former negro SOL
diers that they had been unable to find the
| captain in his quarters when Maj. Penrose
sent them to arouse him. Capt. Macklin
| said that he did not believe the soldiers
| had come to his quarters. He said he 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 prob
| ably come out when he Is tried by court
| martial. He was not pressed further on
| this point.
| The shells which Capt. 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 unavailing. He
| testified that he had told all OF the facts
| connected with the finding OF these shells
| to Maj. Penrose, Mayor Combe of Browns
| Vile, and to Mai Blocksom, inspector, but
he had not told Col. Lowering Of them, be.
| cause the colonel asked that witnesses an.
| swer only such questions as were put to
them in their examination.
| Chairman Warren questioned Capt. Mack.
lin concerning the attack upon him at Fort
Reno, after the Brownsville ARRAY, when
/ tba con tafp oh ot ho