Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-05
SENATE INVESTIGATION
Of Brownsville, Tex, Rioting BY SOL
diers Is Opened.

Washington, Feb. 4.-Senator War
| rem, IS chairman, presided today at the
| first session Of the investigation by the
Senate committee on military affairs OF
the Brownvllle affray. A score OF the
| discharged negro soldiers of the 15th
| Infantry were on nand. Attorneys were
barred from the committee rooms. but
| it is understood that Senator Foraker
/ will look after the interests Of the ne
groes if necessary.
Most of the discharged soldiers were
present in response to the subponaes.
Nearly all were privates, but in addi-
| ton there was Sergeant Israel Harris
| Of Co. D. who is now employed in Bos-
ton. Senator Foraker took charge of the
| calling Of witnesses and first sum-
| moned Harris to the stand. He was
questioned by Senator Foraker and So id
he is now employed as porter in a bank
| in Boston. He was Intercepted con-
| corning the happenings at Fort Brown
on the night of Aug. 1914. He said:
ION that night we had some disturb
ance. Some shooting I mean. l was
| asleep in D barracks and about II
| o'clock 1 was aroused by the noise of
guns. I put on my trousers and shoes
but no blouse or leggins. Then there
was the sound to arms and D Co. got
dressed and we started for our guns"
| The witness told of getting the guns
in the dark after the racks had been
| opened. He showed that there is but
| one key to a rack and that this Will
| unlock only one rack and that the
keys are in the possession of COM
handing officers.
| The w;.ness said that when the CON-
pany formed outside Captain Lyons Of
D Co. Immediately called the roll and
personally counted his men and that
none were absent. He said no persons
had joined the company after the for
nation and declared that no men could
have fired from D barracks without
having been detected. He told of the
patrol of the town by d Co. and the
fact that no soldiers were found IN the
town and finally he told Of the return
from the patrol and the surrender Of
arms and the locking of the arms in
the racks. The inspection Of guns the
! following morning was explained. 1t
was found, lie said, that none OF :he
guns had been used or if they had been
they had been cleaned over night.
| Senator Foraker read from the report
of Major Blocksom, who investigated
the affray of the war department, in
which the major said he did not take
much stock in the story of the clean
guns as a defence, because the guns
could have been cleaned by the men
| while returning from shooting up"
the town and that the cleaning could
have been done in a minute or two.
Calling for guns furnished to the
company by the war department Sem
ator Foraker first had one gun identi-
fed by the witness as q new model
| Springfield rifle, and another as the
| Krag-Jorgensen rifle. The former was
in use by d. Co, but the witness was
familiar with the Krag.
After t4stifying that it would be i'm
possible to clean the guns in the dark.
| Harris was examined by Senator War
rem relative to the merits Of the I\rag-
| Jorgensen and the Springfield arms.
and the difference between smokeless
and black powder in corroding the gun
chamber.
Testifying respecting target practice.
Harris stated that each man was requir-
ed to account for the use Of each cart
ridge, inspection being made after each
| firing practice and that it would be i'm
possible for a soldier to get ammuni-
ton not properly accounted for.
Each man at Brownsville, testified
Harris, had 20 rounds Of ammunition
before firing and inspection was made
Immediately after the firing. He did
not know that any ammunition was
missing, TO complaint having been
made.
When cross-questioned regarding the
roll call. Harris said that a lantern was
used in reading the call and that ali
men responded to their names.
| Senator Overman asked the witness
if it were not possible for one man to
| answer for another. The witness said
that he did not think that this could be
done.
Senator Warren developed the fact
that trouble had previously occurred
between the negro troops and people
in texas and that Harris when he heard
the shooting, feared that members of
his company might b involved. Harris
was closely questioned regarding the
time required to clean gun and
whether any of the men could have
cleaned their guns between the time
Of the shooting and the call. He said
it could not have been done.
| The hearing was then adjourned un-
til tomorrow.
| San Antonio, Tex, Feb. 1.-THE court