Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-12
NEGRO TELLS
Of AFFRAY.
DrOOnviIIe Shooting Case is Still
Before Senate Committee
Says Shots Came from Town.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-The shoot
ing up Of the town of Brownsville,
Tex, was in the form Of an attack up
on the garrison at Fort Brown, accord
ing to the testimony given by Mingo
Sanders, former first sergeant of Com
pany b Of the TwentY-ifth infantry,
before the senate committee on mill
tary affairs.
Sanders story created something of
a stir in the committee. as he said that
while running from his quarters TO
Company i barracks after being awak-
ened by the firing on the night of Aug.
10 the shooting was going ON and it
| came from the town and was toward
the hospital on the military reserva-
ton. He said bullets were whizzing
over his head. This is the first direct
testimony given by any of the dis
charged negro soldiers that the firing
came from the town.
Sanders has served for twenty-five
years, six months and twenty-three
days, including the campaign i'll Cuba
and three years in the Philippines. He
said he had never been court martial
ed, never reprimanded or found fault
with to his knowledge. At Browns
vile he had a house to the left of COM
pany quarters and directly in front of
the hospital.
His story Of the incidents of the
night of Aug. 10 was like others until
he told of his experiences in trying to
get to the barracks after being awak-
ened by the shooting. He said he
started on a run to B quarters, and
just after leaving his house the firing
was renewed. 1t came from the town,
he said, and bullets were flying thick
and fast over his head. AS he reached
@ quarters he said he saw that men
assembled were excited and shouting
to each other.
81 heard some one yell Fall inn he
said. Then some Ii shouted to get
the guns, and another person answer
ed that they could not get the guns, as
the racks were locked and the man
with the keys could not be found.
Then Lieutenant Greer Il knew his
voice. said, Break those racks open"
There has been a great deal of testl-
mony given concerning the broken
racks of Company G, but no person had
testified positively before as to the
manner in which they were broken.
The testimony of Sanders indicated
that the racks were in good condition
before the shooting and were broken
,,,n. 1y fl,o5 MI nf rtan nf tho
company officers.
Continuing his testimony, Sanders
told of finding his own company in
| confusion and Of his efforts to straight
en- it out. He said he found some of
the men down on their knees and that
others We're yelling to put out the Ian
tern, so that it would not furnish Il tar
| get for p~ersonsito shoot ut. Il told the
men to stand UP and be soldiers and
that il was better to be shot in the
ranks than OUT said Sanders. when
the men did not stand up l told them
some other things l don't want to re-
peat here"
On cross examination Sanders said
that he could not tell as to who started
the firing.
Sanders said that he had nothing to
do with the shooting. did not know any
one who had, did not suspect any one
and had made diligent inquiries among
the men to find out from them what, if
anything, they knew and had been I'M
able to get any information. He de-
clared that he had not withheld any
information and that there was nc con
spiracy of silence. Sanders detailed III
interview he had with General CARING
ton. He asked that he be r%einstated.
"The only reason l did not give Gen
eral Darlington information" he said,
twas because | had none TO give"
Sanders, cross examined by Senator
Warner, repeated that many OF the
shots came from the town and said
that he had reported this fact to Major
Penrose, although it did not appear in
his evidence taken by Captain Lyons.
Indeed, he said, he had not stated this
to any one else until this time. He had
not been asked about ii and did not
volunteer information.
AI-ALs~- - n--.-