Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-06-15

lMeN nCAI1 any 4AIlAtNeANAo VA AN
sentiment over the affair atterward.
Newton and Lipscomb were sub
jected to a severe discrimination
by several members Of the commit
tee Asked by Senator Tauaferro
whether. III he had done the shooting
he would swear falsely TO conceal Il
Newton replied;
STATEMENT OF NEWTON.
eyes. sir, 81 7 did It myself"
Newton admitted that any soldie,
could get out of the barracks inclos
ure into the town without being seen
II ne wanted 20 do so. He had heard
the shooting on the night of August
Is, but could not tell I'm the excite
ment whether it was by high power
guns or pistols. He had not ieart
any discussion among the soldiers %
the shooting up" of the town or q
the attack upon himself after the i
OF August.
Asked by Senator Foraker If he
had ever sworn falsely ia his testi-
mony IN this case. he replied that he
had not He was questioned about
his record in the army, ne having
been fined 50 on one occasion. and
81 three other times for minor
breaches of discipline.
Alexander !. Levie, who was first
sergeant of Company L. Twenty-sixth
Infantry at the time Il was ordered
from Brownsville. Texas. upon the
arrival OF the Twenty-ffth, testified
that he heard conversations on the
streets in Brownsville showing that
strong feeling existed among citi
zens against the Negro soldiers being
ordered there.
He heard one old gentleman. whose
name ne afterward learned was Nc
Donough. say:
THE first crooked move they make
we VIII annihilate the whole shoot
ing match"
TIME TO CLEAN sPRNGFIELDs
Levie was questioned concerning
the length OF time required 20 pro
perly clean a modern Springfield ri
fle. The rifles sent 10 the committee
room from the War Department
were placed before him. Both OF
these rifles had been fired, and one
of them, Gen. Darlington testified
had been cleaned in one minute. The
other had been uncleaned. The wit
ness said that either OF them would
pass inspection Questions by SEN
ator Lodge resulted in the witness
stating that the rifles might have
passed inspection at the time they
were cleaned, bat that the lapse of
three days would cause the powder
TO reappear. They would need two
or more cleanings 10 put them in
permanent condition for later inspec
ton.
A communication from Gen. Gar
lington was presented 10 the com
mittee. stating that 2.456 enlisted
men are on the retired list of the
army, all having served more tnan
thirty years with good records. This
information had been called for to
meet the claim of Senator Foraker
that Mingo Sanders record of TWEEN
ty-six years service without unfa-
vorable record was exceptional.
Washington Post, June -, 1901
The examination of Mai. Penrose
in command OF the Negro troops sta
toned at Brownsville, Texas, on Au
gust Is, when that town was shot
up and Capt. Macklin. of Company
c, Twenty-ffth Infantry, consumed
nearly the entire time of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs, yes
terday.
They were both recalled upon the
suggestion of Senator Foraker and
were asked concerning testimony OF
other witnesses who have recently
been before the committee. They
denied several important statements
OF witnesses tending TO fix upon the
Negro soldiers the blame for the
shooting up OF the town. Maj. Pen
rose reasserted his belief that the
soldiers did not do the shooting. 9th
err officers of the Twenty-fifth In
fantry are IN waiting and viii be put
on the stand during the next day or
two.
Senator Hemenway questioned
Maj. Penrose concerning the efforts
made by the military authorities 10
fix the responsibility for the Browns
vile shooting. The witness reas-
serted his opinion that the Negro
troops were innocent and that citi-
zens had done the shooting. He be-
lieved the shells Of Springfield car
tridges had been scattered in the
streets In order to place the blame
upon the soldiers.
THINKS SHELLS WERE PURLoIN