Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-02-08
BULLETS SONG
NEGR0'S DEFENSE.
WITNESS IN BROWNSVILLE CASE
SAYS NO ARMY SPRINGFIELDS
WERE FIRED DURIN RIOT.
Senator Foraker Brings Out Some Inter
esting Testimony and Then Sen
ator Warren Knocks It Out.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 5.-The
Brownsville case is on. Senator Foraker
is the champion of the negro and asks
the direct questions. Senator Warren is
delivering hot fire of cross questions.
Up to adjournment this afternoon
Sergt. Israel Harris of Co. D of the
discharged colored troops was the one
and only witness.
Knows Songs of Bullets.
Harris, in brief, said he thought that
the firing on the night of the Texas al
fray came principally from Winchesters
and six-shooters. He said he was IA
miiar with the sounds of various weap-
ons, and that he heard no firing from
Springtields, with which the Twenty
fifth was equipped.
An important point in his testimony
was his statement of hearing that the
gun rack of Co. G had been broken ana
of seeing it afterwards in the post ear
penter Shon.
Saloon Restrictions Resented.
Witness said that on account of the
feeling against the soldiers he had deter
mined not to re-enlist and was continual
ly expecting trouble, because of prejudice
against the race.
Harris said that the men generally
complained because they were compelled
to enter saloons by the rear doors. lie
could not give any instance of i'll treat
ment of Others but he wanted he said,
1.-THE American right of going where he
pleased"
Presidents Exhibits Not There
Senator Foraker then examined the
witness regarding the bullets, clips and
shells sent to the Senate by the Presl-
dent with his message, but the exhibits
have been returned to the war depart
ment and further questioning was tenn
porarly discontinued.
Mr. Warmers questions related largely
to the time when the soldiers were called
for the roll call and inspection. Harris
could not state definitely the time, but
said that it was very early IN the morn
ing. 1t might have been 6:3O, but 1t
was nearly dark.
Sun Got Up Quite Early.
Senator Lodge then stated that the
records of the naval observatory showed
that the sun rose at Brownsville on Au-
gust IA at 5:27 a. m.
Harris related that the morning after
the shooting the guns in the barracks
were all clean.
Senator Foraker read from the report
of Mai. Blocksom in which the major
said he did not take much stock in the
story of the clean guns as a defense, be-
cause the guns COulu nave UceH ClciiliCu
by the men while returning from shoot
ing up" the town
Makes Committee Quake.
Harris was handed a Springfield,
which he took like an expert, threw back
the shell ejector, sighted along the bar
rel, and made the members of the com
mttee look nervous
Harris said a gun could not be. cleaned
in less than ten minutes. He testlhed
that a gun cannot be cleaned to pass
inspection without a regulation rod and
that only four such rods are provided
for each company. He said that one
shot would put the gun in condition to
require almost as much cleaning as six
or more shots Harris declared it would
be impossible to clean the guns in the
dark
Each man at Brownsville, testified
Harris, had twenty rounds of ammunl-
ton before the disturbance. Inspection
was made Immediately after the shoot
ing. He did not know that any ammunl-
ton was missing.