The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-15
FOURTEEN SAW
NEGROES SHOOT.
president Sends Sworn State.
mcnts With His Message on
Brownsville Affair.
ARE "MIDNIeHT AssAssINs'
Thus Refers to Soldiers Who
Shot at Women and Children.
Bullets Sent to Senate.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. January A.
President Roosevelt to-day sent to the
Senate a special message regarding the
Brownsville incident, which gives the adj
tlitional evidence collected by Assistant
Attorney General Purdy, and Major
Blocksom, who were sent TO Texas by
the President to Investigate the affair.
The President submitted with his mes
sage various exhibits, including maps of
Brownsville and Fort Brown, bando-
leer, some empty shells, ball cartridges,
picked up in the streets few hours af-
ter the shooting; three steel Jacket bull
lets and some scraps OF the facing bull
lets picked out of the house into which
they had been Embedded.
The President declares that the evidence
IN positive that tho outrage Of August
18th was committed by come OF the col
ored troops that have been dismissed,
and that some or all OF the individuals
OF the three companies OF the Twenty
fifth infantry had knowledge of the deed
and have shielded the guilty ones The
negro troops are referred to by the Pres-
dent In his message as midnight as
Bassins" and he declares that very few
II any OF the soldiers dismissed without
honor" could have been ignorant of what
occurred.
Revokes One Clause.
Tint part of the ORDER %hlch DitiS tAe
Soldiers from all civil employment under
the government is revoked by the fres-
,dent. This clause. the President says.
was lacking in validity. The discharged
troops. however, will be forever barred
from enlsting in the army or navy, ana
as To this the President says tnat there
Is no doubt of any constitutional power.
Secretary Taft's report giving the sworn
Testimony OF witnesses, is transmitted
rfNl.. .x(sx
teen eyewitnesses IL given, and the
President declares that the evidence Is
conclusive that the weapons used were
Springfield rifles now used by United
States troops. including the negro troops
who were in the garrison at brownsville.
The Presidents message In full follows:
To the Senate:
In my message to the Senate treating
OF the dismissal. without honor, of
pertain named members OF the three
companies of the Twenty-hfth Infan-
try, / gave the reports OF the officers
upon which the dismissal was based.
These reports We're made in accordance
wih the custom in such cases; for 1t
would. OF course. be Impossible to
preserve discipline in the army save
by pursuing precisely the course that
in this case WAS pursued. Inasnuch.
however. as in the Senate question
was raised as To the sufiiciency OF tho
evidence deemed II wise 10 send
Major Biocksom and Assistant 10 the
Acknowledgement Pnrdy to Browns
Wills to make thorough investiga-
ton on the ground in reference TO the
matter. L herewith transmit Secre-
tary Taft's report, and the testimony
taken under oath of the various wit
nesses examined in the course of the
investigation. i also submit various
exhibits including maps of Browns
Vile and Fort Brown: photographs OF
various buildings. Il 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 Browns
Vile within few hours after the
shooting; three stcel-jacketed bullets
and soEe scraps of the castings or
other bullets picked out of the houses
into which they had been fred.
telegram from. United States Commits
sloner r. b. Creager, at Brownsville,
announces that six additional bullets
like the others. from Springfield
rifles-taken from buildings in Browns
vile. with supporting aftidavits. have
since been sent to the Secretary OF
War;
1t appears from the testimony that
on the night of the 18th of August,
1896 several crimes were coiiHiitteu
by some person or persons in the city
of brownsville. Among these We're
the following:
{a) The murder of Frank Natus.
Cd The assault with intent to XIII
the lieutenant OF police, Dominique.
whose horse was killed under him and
whose arm was shot so severely that
II had to be amputated.
(c) The assault with intent to Kill
Mr. and Mrs Hale Odin. and their
little boy, who We're IN the WINDOW OF
the Miller Hotel.
Ia The shooting into several private
residences in the city Of Brownsville,
three of them containing women and
children.
(e) The shooting at and slightly
woundinS of Preciado.
These crimes were certainly COM
mitted by somebody.
AS to the motive for the commission
of the crimes, it appears that trouble
Of a. more or less serious KIND haa
occurred between individual members