The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-13
FORT WAS
FIRED UPON
MiNeo SANDERS 10 TgsTrFIEs
nv sRoWRsviLlE INQUIRY
HEARD BULLETS WHizz
IN THE AIR.

HEARD BULLETS WHizZ
IN THE AIR.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-The man
whose name was made famous In the
Brownsville debate IN the Senate
isergt. Mingo sanders-was the star
witness before the Senate committee
Sanders Is a very black negro. one
Of the kind found on the Southern
plantations before Che war. He was
by no means an unwilling witness and
Impressed the committee with his
i~earnestness and apparent veracity as
he told his story. Sanders was first
sergeant OF Company B at the time
OF his discharge without honor.
According to his statement, the
shooting up of the town was in the
form OF an attack upon the garrison
at Fort Brown. Sanders story Great.
ed something OF q stir In the commit
tee as he said that while running from
Ills quarters to Company B barracks.
after being awakened by the firing on
the night OF August 13. ths shooting
was going on and 1t came from the
town and was toward the hospital on
the military reservation.
First to Tell Of Attack.
He said bullets were whizzing over
his head. This Is the first direct tes-
timony given by any of the discharg-
ed negro soldiers that the firing came
from the town.
Sanders said he had served in the
army twenty-five years SIX months and
twenty-three days, including the cain.
paign in Cuba, and three years in the
Philippines. He said he had never
been court martialed, and v rep
rimanded or found fault with to his
knowledge. AT Brownsville ne had a
house to the left accompany quarters
and directly in front Of the hospital.
His story OF the incidents of the
night Of August 10. was not interest
ling until he told OF his experiences in
trying to get to the barracks after
being awakened by The shooting. He
said he started on a run to b Com.
pany's quarters and Just after he left
his house the firing was renewed. It
came from the town, he said, and bull
lets were flying thick and fast over
his head. AS he reached 9 Company's
quarters, he said he saw the men as.
sembled were excited and shouting 10
one another.
Gun Racks Locked.
81 heard some one yet .Fati int"
he said: 4'Then some one shouted to
get the guns, and another person an.
swered that they could not get the
guns, as the racks we're locked and the
man with the keys could not be found.
Then, Lieut.. Greer Il knew his voice.
said: Break those racks OPEN
There has been given a greal deal
of Testimony concerning the broken
racks of cScompany. but no person
had testified positively before as to
the manner In. which they were brok'
en-. The testimony of Sanders lndi'
Gated that the racks were in good con
dftion before the shooting and were
broken open by command of one OF
the company officers.
Continuing his testimony, Sanders
told of finding his own company il
confusion and OF his Efforts &c
straighten 1t out. He said ne found
some Of the men down on their knees
and that others were yelling to put
out the lanterns SO that It would no,
furnish a target for persons to shoot
Tod Men to Stand Up,
81 told The men to stand up and be
soldiers, and that It would be better
to be snot in the ranks than out
said Sanders. when the men didn't
stand up l told them some othel
things l don't want to repeat here"
Lieut.. Lorison, the company com
mander, he said, cautioned the witness
to keep the men in restraint, but Il
defend the fort in case an assault
was made upon it.
Sanders said that at inspection thu
morning after the shooting all tht
guns of the company were found IL
proper condition. He also ~accountet
for the ammunition. When the TWEEN
ty-fifth went 10 Fort Brown, he said
they brought along a box OF loos'
cartridge shells, which were in q bo,
on the rear porch of the barracks.
Mextcans were accustomed to st
into the barracks and carry OF any
thing they could pick ut. They tool
away caps, clothing, and even arctic
o%vershoes," which the men had
brought from the North. They also
picked up the cartridge shells.
upder Fire Many Times.