The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-28
BROWNSVILLE INQUIRY HALTS.
Committee AdjOurns TO March II.
No More Enlisted Men to Be Heard.

tom mfttee AuIOurns To March II.
No More Enlisted Men To BE Heard.
The Senate Committee on Military AZ
fairs yesterday concluded It's inquiry into
the Brownsville raid. so far as the testi-
mony Of the discharged negro soldiers
IS concerned.
More than forty Of the former members
OF the Twenty-hfth Infantry have been
heard since the Investigation began. three
weeks ago. but it can hardly be said that
anything has been adduced which tends
10 implicate any OF them in the shooting
up of the town. il is certain that an un-
prejudiced tribunal could not have con
victed the men Of any onense upon the
testimony which has thus far been pre-
scented 90 the committee. The hearings 50
far conducted have not constituted a real
investigation. however. for they have
been the presentation OF only one side OF
the case. that OF the soldiers themselves.
Each and every one of those examined
has emphatically declared that he had
nothing 20 do with the raid. and did not
know of any one who was Implicated i'm
IL. The stories which the negroes have
told have been. in the main. very much
alike, but there has been just enough
disparity to cause an uuprejudiced court
10 think that they might be telling the
truth. The testimony Of the four white
men who have been sworn has tended TO
suhstantiate the statements of the ne
groes, in "a general way, although there
have been discrepancies.
The committee adjourned yesterday to
meet on March II, when the matter will
be taken up again and the officers of the
battalion heard. The statements of citi-
zens before the court-martial win also be
put in evidence. and then another aspect
of the matter may be presented
The only witness before the committee
yesterday was James II. Ballard clerk of
Company =. He made several. statements
which were new 10 the committee. One
of these was that il was not unusual for
soldiers 20 be short in ammunition
because they sometimes gave away a clip
of cartridges as a souvenir. Unless they
were short large amount the only pen
atty which they suffered was a small de-
duction from their pay
Senator Warner sought to SHOW By this
that it was not difficult for the soldiers to
get surplus ammunition, and Senator
Foraker cOntended that IL the soldiers
gave away ammunition in that way. it
was easy for citizens TO get il. and that
the soldiers instead of having a surplus.
would have a shortage
Ballard also said that the soldiers often
used telegraph wire rods with which to
clean their guns In preference to the
brass rods furnished them and that each
company had a dozen or more of these
improvised rods.
Il developed during Billiards. examina-
ton that he had been honOTably dis
charged from the service November II
last, and had not re-enlisted. and on No
vember 10 he was again discharged with
out honor along with other members of
the three companies
oh little thing like that doesn't mat
ter with some people In "a case OF this
kind. remarked Senator Foraker, iron
ically.
Ballard said he knew Of one man who
was honorably discharged on November
Is, and dishonorably discharged on the
following day.