The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-03-16
IN AID OF
NEGROES CASE
-
Mexican at Brownsville Hear.
ing a Star Witness.
SAYS TOWNSAEN FIRED.
Absolutely Certain Soldier Did
Not /" Shoot Up Town
From Barracks.

WASHINGTON, March ia tho
senate hearing an eyewitness o. uy
OF The Incidents connected with e
shooting ARRAY at Brownsville Te.
was put ON the stand by Senator Fora
Kerr aud before he concluded D. mII
been cross examined by nearly ever
member OF the senate committee ou
military affairs, which Is c.ulIc.n-
an mycftI-alln Of tAs sllssra ".lnot
Ing mp" oi Brownsville by members oi
the Twenty 9th mfauiry.
lie was Auc.ns G.. Tonnage. l Sick
can carpenter of nruwnsvillg, W Dr. also
had the contuc, ,for tie s.Iteu1f
work 40 Fort Brown. Tie wsH working
between the barracks aud tfs wall
separating the town from The 'seryl
tion when the shooting began aud Wa.
IN a position o. have seen soldiers
leave the barracks aud entrr iNr town
aud return 10 the barracks if t.ey bad
done ~. Claiming a. De entirely DIS.
interested and having no acquaintance
with the negro soldiers. he evidence
was the best defense Of the nrer'c yei
given IN the pending investigation
When the shooting began on tho
night Of Aug n Tonnage was working
IN the rear 81 y barracks. b. sail. anl
the first shot caused him b. str. shtcu
up ami listen. lie said that DO came
from the alloy. about half n bloCs from
the reservation. Another shot was
fred almost Immediately. and Tomay1
quickly cXtInguishcd hs lantern for
fear oTlcing made n target llc slfs
there followed n fusillade ~ shots. md
the bullets whisticd over tie ha.m 81
as m fred toward the Administered
building. Tie thought there were about
twenty shots Ia the fuslliaIc Af'rI
the vollcy. be- said. d. got on his cart
and drove ont between r. and 10 bar
rgcks iowanl the administration bull
in- The remainder 0f Die story was
relation IN the call 90 arms and III.
formation ~ the companies. which De-
saw incident o. the completion ~ d.
Hcavencer work.
During The time ~ The firing Tomof0
snyr be- "a certain that soldiers dId nHf
leave the barracks 90 enter ihe tow
nor enter the barracks from tie town.
but on cross examination be- would 10
say that 10 would have bcsn impossiil.
Tor soldiers 10 have hidden along III.
wall in the rrar ~ the outhouscs anl
~ III. ~ H...Iaa
tain. though. thnt soldiers could uot
have fired from the harracts into a.
town without bis seeing the flashes oi
the guns and hearing the reports of
thrn. on these points DO wfs c''se'f
crpss questioned hy S,uai-r- Warner
Frazier. Foster aud Oycrman. but De-
could not hc shaken.
Another Interesting vcilpmcnt Of
the proceedings WIS statement by
Senator Foraker that he paid out OF
his own pocket the expenses attached
10 sending n man south 60 interview
prospective witnesses. This DISCLOSURE
came early Ia the day as the result Of
n protest by him against certain eros.
examination ~ witnesses.
Three former members ~ the Twcn.
ty.slXth Infantry testified to hearing
threats against negro soldiers when
they should be brought there 10 take
the place u white soldiers.
Tomayo Is an intelligent appearing
Mexican. lie il not much more than
i've feet tall and very dark. lie tcsti.
fed that he IL under the average height
and that most Of the citizens Of
brownsville are larger. and the police
will average about ak feet. lie said
that Il would be difficult NJ night 10
tell them from negroes. al Of the 20.
llccmcn wore khaki clothing and many
of the citizens also wore khaki. said
the witness. u being n practice Tor
some citizens 10 buy and wear cast OF
army uniforms