The Washington herald., 1907-01-15
MESSAGE ON BROWNSVILLE
President Modifes Negro Discharge Order-Defends
Action in DismiSsing Troops.

there IS no possibility Of their having
been mistaken. Two other witnesses, Jo-
seph Bodin and Genaro Padron, saw
some of the assailants, and testified that
they We're soldiers (the only soldiers in
the neighborhod being the colored troops.
-Four other witnesses, namely. S. g,
Moore. Dr. Thorn, Charles S. Canada,
and Charles A Hammond. testified to
hearing the shooting and hearing the
voices Of the men who were doing X, and
that these voices were those Of negroes,
but did not actually see the men who We're
doing the shooting. About twenty-five
other witnesses gave testimony corrobo-
rating to a greater or less degree the
testimony OF those who thus saw the
shooters or heard them. The testimony
OF these eve and ear witnesses would
beyond all possibility Of con-
tradiction the fact that the shooting was
committed by ten or fifteen or more OF
the negro troops from the garrison, and
this testimony of theirs would be amply
sufficient IN itself II not a cartridge or
bullet had been found; exactly as the
bullets and cartridges that were found
would have established the guilt of the
troops even had not a single eyewitness
seen them or other witness heard them
The testimony Of the witnesses and the
position OF the bullet holes show that
fifteen or twenty of the negro troops
gathered inside the fort, and that the first
shots fred into the town were fired from
within the fort; some Of them at least
from the upper galleries OF the barracks
Deliberate shooting.
The testimony further shows that the
troops then came out over the walls. some
of them perhaps going through the gate,
and advanced d distance of 30 yards or
thereabout into the town. During their
advance they shot into two hotels and
some nine or ten other houses. Three of
the private houses into which they fred
contained women and children. They de-
Iberately killed Frank Natus. the bar
tender. shooting him down from dis
tance OF about fifteen yards. They shot
AT a man and woman. Mr. and Mrs Odin.
and their little boy as they stood in the
window Of the Miller Hotel, the bullet
going less than two inches from the head
of the woman. They shot down the lieu
tenant of police who was on horseback,
killing his horse and wounding him SO
that his arm had 70 be amputated. They
attempted 20 bin the two policemen VINO
We're his companions. shooting one
through the hat. They shot at least eight
bullets into the Cowen house, put sing out
"a lighted lamp or the GiniuE-T00m table.
Mrs. COWen and her five children were in
the house, they at once threw themselves
prone on the foOr and were not hit They
dred into the Starck house. the bullets
going through the mosquito bar of a bed
rH|-i1 a
where little children were sleeping. There
was "a light in the Children's room.
The shooting took place near midnight
The panic caused by the utterly unex-
pCcted attack was great. The darkness,
of course. increased the confusion. There
is conflict OF testimony on some Of the
minor points, but every essential point
is established beyond possibility of honest
question. The careful examination Of
Mr.. Purdy. Assistant to the Attorney
General. resulted merely IN strengthening
the reports already made by the regular
army authorities. The shooting. il ap-
pears, occupied about ten minutes. al
though il may have been some minutes
more or less. 1t Is out of the question
that the fifteen or twenty men engaged
in the assault could have gathered be-
hind the wall of the fort begun firing,
racks, gone out into the town. fired Ia the
neighbOrhOOd Of 200 shots in the town,
and then returned-the total time oc-
cupied from the time OF the first shot 20
the time Of their return being somewhere
IN the neighborhOod of ten minutes
without many Of their comrades knowing
what they had done
stands SGuareIy on the order.
Indeed, the fuller details as established
by the additional evidence taken since 7
last communicated with the Senate make
IL likely that there were very few. if any,
OF the soldiers dismissed who could have
been ignorant of what occurred. It is
weH-nigh impossible that any Of the
officers who were at
the barracks should not have known
what occurred.
The additional evidence thus taken
renders it in my opinion impossible %
question the conclusions upon which my
order was based. I have gone most care
fully over every issue Of law and fact
that has been raised. / am now satisfied
that the effect Of my order dismissing
these men without honor was not 10 bar
them from all civil employment under the
government, and therefore that the part
of the order which consisted Of dcclara-
;ion to this effect was lacking IN validity.
and I have directed that such portion be
revoked. As 90 the rest Of the order dis
missing the individuals in question with
out honor. and declaring the effect of such
discharge under the law and regulations
to be a bar TO their future re-enlistmeat
either in the army or the navy, there is
no doubt Of my constitutional and legal
power. The order was within my dis
creuon. under the Constitution and the
laws. and cannot be reviewed or reversed
save by another Executive order. The
facts did not merely warrant the action
I took-they rendered such action imper-
ative unless / was TO prove false to my
sworn duty.
If any one OF the men discharged here
after shows to my satisfaction that he is
clear Of guilt, or Of shielding the guilty,
viii take what action is warranted; hut
the circumstances / have above detailed
most certainly put upon any such man
the burden of thus clearing himself
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
The White House, January L. 1891
GEN. CR0ZIER'S REPORT.