Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-19
ALLEGED CONFESSION A FAKE
Galveston Chief OF Police So Charuc-
teriEes Report of NeEro's
story.


WASHINGTON, March H. 90 Chairman
Warren Of the senate committee on mill
tary affairs which is investigating the
Brownsville affair, today received from
Secretary Taft a copy of a dispatch from
San Antonio, Tex, as follows:
The Adjutant General United States
Army, Washington: Chief Of police OF
Galveston has Just wired me confession Of
Gray, supposed discharged soldier, appear
'''e - ~ ~ BIocKsoM. Major.
The dispatch relates 10 an alleged con-
fession printed IN a Galveston newspaper
and sent broadcast through the country.
Senator Foraker. who was taking the lead
in the role Of the defense of the negro
soldiers, said today that ne would order
the subpoena Of the editor OF the Calves
ton News in order TO secure a statement
from him concerning the story.
The statement Of Senator Foraker that
he would subpoena the editor of the Cal
weston News was made before he had seen
the dispatch from Major Blocksom.
After the dispatch had been shown 70
him Senator Foraker said II probably would
not be necessary to call the editor Of the
Galveston paper in view of the admission
that the story of Gray's confession as a
fake.
Reports Of experts Of the ordnance de-
partment Of the army who examined the
thirty-three discharged shells picked up in
the streets OF Brownsville on the morning
following the ARRAY, were laid before the
senate committee on military AFFAIRS by the
officers who examined the shells at the
Springfield arsenal under glass and micro
scope. The conclusion Of the War depart
ment, expressed in a letter to Chairman
Warren from Secretary Taft, which was
presented by Lieutenant Hawkins Of the
ordnance department, Is that the shells
were discharged from Springfield riies in
the hands Of members OF Company B, one
OF the discharged companies OF the Twenty
fifth infantry.
Secretary Taft's letter says the shells
were examined by Leutenants Hawkins
and G. A Spooner expert inspector od
gauges used in the manufacture OF mus
kets at the Springfield arsenal
All the rifles in the possession OF the
Twenty-fifth infantry on August % were
in the hands of these experts and two
regular cartridges were discharged from
each rife and the discharged shells sub
jected to full examination.
Four rifles from Company B, Twenty-fifth
| infantry, were used in the Brownsville
hllTayr II the army ordnance department
can substantiate reports sent to the senate
| committee on military affairs today con.
| corning the microscopic examinations OF
the thirty-three shells picked up in thC
streets Of the town on the morning follow,
| ing the shooting.
All the rifles in the possession Of the
battalion at Fort Brown on the night Of
August 10 were sent to the Springfield
arsenal and two shots were fred from
each The shells used were then compared
with those picked up at Brownsville and
the officers making the tests reported that
It had been demonstrated beyond dispute
that four guns of Company B were used
! in discharging all OF the thrty-three shells
| Two of Company BIS rifles said to have
been used in the ARRAY were kept In the
storehouse under lock, the key of which
was in the possession of former Quarter
master Sargent Walker McCurdy, and the
other two rifles were said to have been is
sued to Privates Joseph l.. Wilson and
Thomas Taylor. Senator Foraker immedi-
ately' had subpoenas issued for Taylor and
Wilson and for the recall OF McCurdy.