The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-03-14
NEW TURN GIVEN.
Foraker Seeks to Show Guns Were Not
Fired by Soldiers.

Fired by Soldiers.
Washington, March Ex-senator
Foraker gave an entirely new turn
to the investigation Of the Brownsville
affair. He examined Captain kilburn
of the Twenty infantry, which
preceded the Twenty-fifth regiment at
Fort Blown, regarding the penetration
OF steel bullets, and the witness said
bullet of the caliber used in the
Springfield rifle could be fired from
Mauser rifle, but that its penetration
would be retarded. He thought that
the Springfield bullet from rifle that
had been fired 800 or 400 times would
not show the imprint of the grooves
but If fired from a Mauser, the imprint
would be shown.
1t is said this testimony will have
an important bearing on the investi-
cation, as the committee has had be.
fore it the bullets taken from the walls
OF the houses shot up" during the az
fray. These bullets are said to be
deeply grooyed
1t seemed to be the purpose of Sen
ator Foraker to show by this testimo.
ny that the bullets taken from the
walls could not have been fired from
the rifles in the hands of the negro
troops, as these were not used In tar
get practice. Captain Kilburn testi
fled that he was at Brownsville when
the order was promulgated withdraw.
ing the white soldiers and sending a
battalion of negro soldiers to Fort
Brown. The best people of Browns,
vie, SAID the witness, expressed dis
approval of the change, but the class
that loafed around s1loons and drug
stores and lotered on the streets. were
loud In their threats that it would mot
be long before the colored troops would
be run out of the fort
Captain Kilburn said he was in Till.
mans store in Brownsville. and heard
Ttllman say:
Well run the niggers out within
three weeks and the expression of
lolterers In the store conceded with
the prediction, added the witness
Continuing, the witness told of hear.
ing OF plans to organize posse to pre-
vent the negro troops from getting off
the train on their arrival at Fort
Brown, and to raise money to send a
delagtion to Washington to protest
against the sending of negroes to Fort
Brown
Was all this talk induced by hos
tility to negroes?" asked Senator For.
aker.
Undoubtedly 1t was" replied the
witness.
Most of the population of Browns.
vile are Mexicans of low grade of In
telligence, said Captain Milburn. He
said these people considered the sol |
diers legitimate prey, and made trou-
bic for them when they were caught |
In town in small numbers or singly |
1t was a practice, he said. for the |
Mexican citizens to carry side arms |
and rifles through the streets, and |
shooting at night was so common that |
little attention was paid to 1t at the |
Tor.
He described the police force at the |
time he was there as consisting of ten
men. nine of whom were Mexicans who |
could not speak. read or write Eng
ish. Their method of making arrests.
ne said. was to beat the soldiers over
he heads with the butts of their re.
Folvers and take them to the station.
Captain kilburn said this caused much
IL feeling between the people and the
at the fort
On cross examination by Senator
Warner, witness said it was not diff
icult for the soldiers to obtain q few
extra cartridges. nor was it unusual
or soldiers to lose one or two from
heir allowance.
He said that the inspecting officer
,ould not always be exact in counting
he ammunition. When soldiers lose
the cartridges are charged
against them, but the witness said they
we're only tried for negligence when
hey became chronic losers.
At the target practices, he said, the
nen were supplied with ten or twenty
artridges, according to the amount Of
hooting to be done. but he thought
hat If they were disposed to do SO,
hey could take a few extra ones.