Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-20
BROWN HEARD NO NOISE
SLEPT THROUGH TUMULT AT
FORT BROWN.
Soldiers Had Been Ordered to Be in
Quarters by O'Clock on Night
Of Shooting.

Elmer Brown, formerly a member of
Company B. 18th Infantry, was the first
witness today at the Brownsville investi-
cation before the Senate committee on mill
tary affairs. He said he slept in Major
Penrose's stable near the quartermasters
corral and was not awakened on the night
OF August 10 until after the firing had
ceased. On the afternoon Of that day, he
said, he saw Major Penrose, DIR. Combs,
the mayor of Brownsville and stranger
talking near the post exchange. He said
the men appeared to be angry and all of
them gesticulating as though angry. Wit
ness said he watched the men because he
thought there was going to be fight. After
the group separated Major Penrose went
to the quarters of Lieut. Laurison, COM
manding Company B. and later the order
was issued that all of the soldiers should
be in their quarters that night by 8 o'clock
On Characterization Brown said he had
been attracted to the conference between
Major Penrose and the men from the town
by the fact that 1t was unusual for Major
Penrose to receive any one away from his
ONCE The witness said the major did not
associate with the men of the town and
did not go into their club, nor drink with
any OF them Brown thought the people
did not like the major. The witness said
that ne heard that quarters were all
shot up the night Of August ID and that
he did not learn differently until he came
va SuhA dDOQl uOOu Tie next Gay.
Heard Bullets Overhead.
Boyd Conyers of Company testified that
he was stationed at the guardhouse on the
night of the shooting. and after the guard
fell in he was posted in the rear of the
guardhouse, and while there he heard bull
lets whizzing overhead. He said he got
permission to lie down. but was told to
keep sharp lookout.
The witness was certain that the shooting
came from the town and that none of the
SHOTS was from the direction of the quar-
termasterS stable, as has been asserted by
White soldiers who have been on the stand
He heard no bullets after being posted in
the rear OF the guardhouSe, but said he
wanted to lie down because he did not want
to take any chances.
The hearing was adjourned until tomor-
row.
Shots From the Town.
At the afternoon hearing yesterday former
Corporals Ray Burdett and Anthony Frank
lin and former Private Carolina DeSaus-
sure were on the stand. All were in the
guard house as relief guards when the
firing began. Burdett thought the first two
shots awakened him, and he believed they
were fired from the town. He said he
was sent to the barracks to investigate
the shooting and was ordered by Mai. PEN
rose to get Mrs. Penrose and Mrs. Grier
and take them to Capt. Macklin's house
ior sa1ety during the firing. While near
the barracks he said he saw flashes of
about ten gun or rifle shots, and the shots
appeared to be elevated over the barracks
The heaviest firing, he asserted, was from
back in the town.
Franklin told of hearing the call to arms,
and said that the twelve men at the guard
house fell in under orders of Sergeant
Reid Roll was called. he said, and all of
the guard accounted for. This was while
the firing was going on, and he said he
heard about dozen bullets passing over
the heads of the guard. He thought there
was moon, and that it was hidden by
the clouds part of the time. All of the
witnesses who had testified previously in
sisted that the night was very dark
DeSaussure, also member of the guard,
testified to hearing the shots. but said he
heard no bullets He explained, however,
that he was detached Immediately after
the order to- fall in and went on guard
at No. post in front of the guard house.
All of the men who testified yesterday
that they saw flashes of gunshots and
heard bullets asserted that they had not
told these facts before because on previous
examinations the officers conducting the
Investigations permitted them to answer
only such questions as were put to them
and did not allow them to volunteer any
other facts.