Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-15
CONDUCT OF TROOPS
President Sends Spec al Message to Senate
on the Brownsville Affair.
REASONS FOR DISCHARGE OF NEGROES
Few of Men Wsrs Without knowledge Of
Attacks Upon Citizens.
CIVt EMPLOYMENT CLAUSE REVOKED
Executive Says il Was Withdrawn Because
IL Was Invalid.
PUROY REPORT CoRRoBoRATES BLocKSoM
Copy of sworn Testimony and E1-
hibits, Including Photographs,
BuIlets ard Cartridges
Accompany Me1 re.
CNlL EMPLOYMENT CLAUSE REVoKtI
Executive Says ii Was Withdrawn Because
II Was Invalid
PUROY REPORT coRBosoRATEs BLocKsOA

R'oheNen today sent 70 thc n. I< q
cial message regarding the 81 f"
ciqent. which gives the additions ~
collected by Assistant Attorney E
Purdy ana Major Blocksom, who wer,
to Texas by the president to investig,
the affair. The president submitted witt.
bis message various EXHIBITS. including
maps OF Brownsville and Fort Brown a
bandoleer, thlrty-threo empty shells. seven
ball cartridges picked UP in the streets a
few hours after the shooting, three steel
iacketed bullets and some scraps Of the
castings OF other bullets picked out of the
houses into which they had been fired.
The president declares that the evidence
is positive that the outrages OF August Il
were committed by some of the colored
troops that have been dismissed and that
some or all of the members OF the three
companies OF the Twenty-fifth infantry had
knowledge of the deed and have shielded
the guilty ones.
Change I'm order.
The negro troops are referred to by the
president in his message as midnight
assassins and he declares that very few,
n any, OF the soldiers dismissed without
honor" could have been ignorant OF what
occurred. That part OF the order which
bars the soldiers from all civil employment
under the government is revoked by the
was lacking in validity The discharged
troops. however will be forever barred
from re-enlisting in the army navy, and
as to this the president says that there
is no doubt of my constitutional and legal
power"
Secretary Taft's report. giving the sworn
testimony OF witnesses, is transmitted with
the message. The testimony OF fourteen
eyewitnesses is given and the president
a. -N.a1 -
Mt the weapons used were Springfield
..fes, now used by the United States
. troops including the negro troops who
wero In the garrison at Brownsville.
The presidents message follows;
To the Senate: In my message to the
senate treating OF the dismissal without
SSngs III "a ts twenty fifth infsntsy
gave the reports OF the officers upon which
were made in accordance with the custom
IN such cases. for II would OF course be
impossible TO preserve discipline In the
army save by pursuing precisely the course
that In this case was pursued. Inasmuch,
however. as In the senate the question was
! deemed it wise TO send Major Blocksom
and Assistant TO the Attorney General
Purdy TO Brownsyille to make tsSa thorough
TO the matter. herewith transmit Sec
retary Taft's report and the testimony
examined in the course of the investiga-
tion. 1 also submit various exhibits, In
sTSMn al o RsToSs
q letter from Judge Parks to his wife
together with bandoleer. thirty-three
empty shells, seven ball cartridges and
four clips picked up in the streets OF
Hrownsville within a few hours after the
some scraps OF the castings OF other bullets
picked out of the houses into which they
had been fired. A telegram from United
Brownsville announces that six additional
bullets, like the others, from Springfield
rtnes, taken from buildings In Brownsville,
with supporting afiidavits, have since been
sent to the secretary OF war.
Five O6enses Committed.
II appears from the testimony that on
the night of August 1S, 1906. several crimes
were committed by some person persons
IN the city of Brownsville. Among these
ASThe he murder murder Of Frank Natus.
B-The assault with intent to kill the
lieutenant OF police. Domihguez whose
horse was killed under him and whose arm
was shot so severely that It had to be am
PC@The assault with intent to XIII Mr.. and
Mrs Hale Odin and their little boy. who
were IN the window OF the Miller hotel
p-The shooting into several private resi-:
them containing women and children.
E-Ths shooting at and slightly wound
These crimes were certainly committed
by somebody.
AS to the motive for the commission of
the crimes It appears that trouble OF a
more OF less serious kind had occurred
between individual members OF the COM
panies and individual citizens OF Browns
Vile, eliminating In complaints, which re-
suited in the soldiers being confined within
the limits OF the garrison on the evening
OF the day in question.
Soldiers Must Have known.
The evidence. as will be seen, shows
beyond any possibility OF honest question
that some individuals among the colored
troops whom I have dismissed committed
the outrages mentioned: and that some or
all OF the other individuals whom l dts
shielded from the law those who COM
The only motive suggested as possibly in
huenclng any one else. was a desire, 10
get rid OF the colored troops. so strong
that i impened the citizens Of Browns
VILE to shoot up their own houses 20 XIII
one Of their own number 10 assault their
own police, wounding the Lieutenant. who
with the purpose Of discreditinS lis the negro
troops The suggestion is. on It's face 50
indieronsy impossible that it g. difieult
snpposes that the assailants succeeded in
obtaining the uniform OF the negro soldiers;
over the fence Of the fort unchaIienEed and
without discovery by the negro trooDs
opened nrs on me town from within the
at least fourteen eye-witnesses mistook
them for nesross; that they disguised their
heard them speak mistook their voices az
being those OF negroes
They were not Mexicans. for they were
heard by various witnesses to speak in
English
army Rines Were Used.
The weapons they used were Springfield
rifles; for the ammunition, which they used
was that OF the Springfield rife and no
other and could not have been used In any
gun in Texas, or any part OF the union or
IN Mexico. or in any other part OF the
world. save only In the Springfield now
used by the United states troops Including
the negro troops In the garrison at Browns
vile. and by no other persons save these
Goops-a weapon which had only been in
Cse by the United States troops for some
= four or nvo months prior 10 the Shooting
4 In question and which IS not IN the posses-
sion OF private citizens. The cartridges
used VIII 50 into one other rifle used In
the United states when specially cham
bered-the Winchester OF the 'e5 model
but II VIII rarely II ever so on when IN IL.
NcOntinusa Oa sixth Rassl