The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-03-21
THREATS !.
t..... r..r 49, ... .
( Made. 4 by = the
/. J.. Citizens
= - - .--..s-..I -. -.
O Brownsville That the Negro
Soldiers Would Soon Be Run
.. Out Says Witnes.

/ Washington, March 21.-After
showing the hostility Of the people Of
brownsville to the Negro soldiers.
senator Foraker today gave an en-
TREY new turn to the Investigation
OF the affair at that place on August
18TH last, He examined CAPTAIN
hilburne,' Of the Twenty-six Infantry,
winch preceded the Twenty-fifth;
regiment at Ft. Brown. concerning
the penetration of steel bullets, and
the witness said that bullet OF the
cal1ber used in the Springfield rifle
could be fred from a Mauser rifle, but
that the penetration would be retar.
ded. He thought that the Springfield
bu!let from rifle that had been fred
50O or 400 times would not show the
|imprint of the grooves, but IL fired;
shown. d" "'50 :. ;, =
1t Is expected this testimony will
have, an Important bearing on the in
yestigation, as the committee haashad
fDetore 1t the bullets taken from; the
walls of the houses 'shot up'', during
the affray. These bullets are said
70 be deeply grooved. They have not
Deen exhibited IN open session OF the
committee, but when examined be-
hlnd closed doors. Later they were
returned to the War Department. and,
1T 1s understood, are now part Of the
exhibit at the Court-martial in pro-
gress at San Antonio. III. Ut -
-$-5-ra - - Not Fired by Troops. ill.,. t..
At seems to be the purpose of
Senator Foraker to show by this tes
ttmony that the bullets taken from
the walls Of houses could not have
peen :1ired from the rifles in the
hands of the Negro troops, as these
ma! mad been used In target practice for
q long time. :. \ s.. .',% : ,IE = %
Captain Kflbourne testified that he
was af brownsville when the order
WIS promulgated withdrawing he
white soldiers and sending a batfa-
lion of Negro soldiers to FIT. Brown.
The best people Of, Brownsville, said
the witness, expressed disapprovaI of
the change, but the class that loafed
around saloons and drug stores and,
llo1tered on the streets were loud In
their threats that. 1t "wauld not be
long befnre- the +colored troops would
be5TAni out of the FORT yaR~yra ~
Captain K1lburn said that hs wag
In Ttflman's store. later changed to
a saloon, in Brownsville, and that he
heard Tillman say: Wen run the
Negroes out within three weeks
and the expression of Ioiters Iii the
store coinoided with this prediction
said the witness. m ">.. -.
Continuing the witness told of
hearing talks Of plans to organize
a posse" to prevent the Negro troops
from getting off the train on their ar.
rival att Fort Brown and to raise
money to send delegation to Wash
1ngton to protest against the sending
of Negroes to Ft. Brown. .%,
Was all this talk induced by hos
ti]ity to Negroes?" asked. Senator
Undoubtedly it was" replied the
witness. -.
-. Many Carried Arms.
Much of the population Of Browns
VILE. was Mexican Of a low grade Of
Intelligence, said Captain Kilburn,
He said the people considered the,
soldiers, legitimate prey and made
trouble for them when they were
caught in town in small numbers or
stpgly. 1t was a practice, he said for
the Mexican citizens to carry side
arms and rifles through the streets,
and shooting at night was so common
that little attention was paid to 1t at
fort. He described the police force
at the time he was there as consistink
OF ten men, nine Of whom were Mexf-
cans and could not speak, read or
write English. Their method OF max
ing arrests, he said, was to beat the
soldiers over the head with the butts
of their revolvers and then take them
to the station. Captain Kilburn said
this caused much III feeling between
the people and the authorities at the
fort
ED. C.. BERRY