The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-19
That Story of Confession of an
Alleged Participant in the
Brownsville Affair.
WRITTEN TO SELL THE PAPER"
Or Perhaps the "Enterprising" Writer
Had Brain Storm"
I Or Perhaps He Was Taken in by q
"Moke''- Other Facts Prove
the Story False,
Anyhow.

Washington, March 19.-The princi-
pei development in the Brownsville af-
fair investigation is that the alleged
confession of ID. w. Gray" supposed
to De member Of company b. Tween
ty-ffth infantry, which is implicated
in the shoot-up, which was print
ed at Galveston, Tex, has been
formally denied in telegram
from Major Blocksom, at San
Antonio, to the war department. Major
Blocksom said in his dispatch that he
had received a telegram from the CHEZ
Of police at Galveston saying that the
publication was a fake. Senator For
aker had the alleged confession put
in the record, with the denial, which
had been supplied to Chairman War
rem by the war department. The Ohio
senator also had recorded the fact that
there was not a man named ID. W.
Gray" in the discharged battalion, but
that there were two men named Gray,
one &C. W" and the other u. H"
Gray, III company c. Both of these
men were heard from, denying that
they had made confessions. One is in
West Virginia and the other in Penn
sylvania.
Four Guns Have Been Identified.
The senate investigation is being
made most thorough, and the result
of one branch of the inquiry is that
four rifles from company B, Twenty
fifth infantry, were used in the Browns
vile ARRAY, if the ordnance depart
ment of the army can substantiate re-
ports sent to the committee concerning
q microscopic examination of the thir-
ty-three shells picked up in the streets
of the town on the morning following
the shooting. All of the rifles in the
possession of the battalion at Fort
Brown on the night of Aug. Is were
sent TO the Springfield arsenal, and
two shots were fred from each. The
shells used were then compared with
those picked up at Brownsville, and
the officers making the tests reported
that 1t has been demonstrated beyond
dispute that four guns of company B
were used in discharging all of the
thirty three shells.
Experts Ready to Explain.
The reports were made a part Of
the committee records, and Lieutenant
Hawkins. of the ordnance department,
and &. A. Spooner, expert inspector of
gauges used in the manufacture of
Inuskets ut the Springfield arsenal, are
ready to go on the stand to explain
the reports and be cross-examined
concerning them. Two of company BIS
rifles, said to have been used in the
ARRAY, were kept in the storehouse IN
der lock, the key of which was in the
possession of ex-Quartermaster Ser
geant Walker McCurdy, and the 9th
er two rifles were said to have been
issued to Privates Joseph L. Wilson
and Thomas Taylor.
Gall for More Witnesses.
Senator Foraker Immediately had
subpoenaes issued for Taylor and Will
son, and for the recall of McCurdy
He also asked that the war depart
ment be instructed to send for Lieu,
tenant Laurison, who commanded
company B at the time of the ARRAY.
Secretary Taft in a letter TO the COM
mittee pointed out that the men who
did he shooting may have used any
guns they could secure, and that Tay-
Ior and Wilson cannot be held to be
guilty because OF the showing made by
the tests at the arsenal.