New-York tribune., 1907-01-15
REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE.
Taft Says 1t WW ConUince Judicial
Men of Soldiers Guilt.

Washington. Jan. 1.-THE President transmitted
with his message on Brownsville letter from SEQ
retary Taft telling of tho investigation made into
the affair since the first report by him. review
ing in detail the evidence thus secured.
The fret witness cited in the letter Is jose Mar
tinez who heard shots first from inside the garrt-
son wall and twenty or more men Jump the
wall The men passed the house where he was.
and he says they soldiers because he saw
them, and he saw them shooting from thor hips.
Mr.. Mcdonald saw shots fired from inside tho
garrison wall. from the gallery of one OF
the barracks. He then twenty or more men
assemble in front OF the garrison wall. divide into
two squads and so toward the town. lie recognized
them soldiers by the lights al the garrison gatas
G. II Kendall fifteen TO thirty men moving
between the barracks and the wall. and recognized
them as soldiers in the light OF the lamps at the
gate he part OF them go the wall HIS
wife thought the first shots came from the gate
inside the wall.
Mr.. Sanborn. the telegraph operator, saw ono
soldier returning toward the barracks after the
firing. All these witnesses tell OF hearing the
shooting IN the town. and soTne OF them saw II.
DR.. Thorne near whose house the raidng party
positive from the voices that the were Negroes
Mrs Odin, who was looking down at the street
during the volley firing at Donlinguez. and whose
little was shot at by one OF the raiders said
that in the light OF the fash OF the gun she could
that the that fired the shot was q rreclded
Negro. MIR. and Mrs Odn testified that the
marched UP the alley In two squads each with q
leader. and that they all Negroes in uniform.
Odn them return toward the barracks at a
double quick after he had heard the firing near the
Tman saloon. Several men at the hotel said that
the voices those of Negroes. Most of the
witnesses told OF hearing the click Of the rifles and
seeing the eject the shells. and forth.
The letter of the Secretary tells In detail OF the
situation OF the barracks. the streets and houses
where the shooting done. and follows the
course of the raiders from the barracks 10 the
Tinan saloon and back. Regarding the shells
found tho letter says.
Some thirty-two Shells seven loaded cartridges
and three slips were collected from Mayor
Combe and others by Major Blocksom and Mr..
by military officers at Fort Sam Houston and by
Captain Rice and General croTer OH r. 9f & ehs ordnance
ton with marks indicating that they were manu- 9u
sas'"sH use oniy N the s1rnsaed re e
1903 with which the battalion 6 at Fort Brown % WAS
not ht in any gun known In the market except
That he cartridges we're SO insensitive as not TO
explode under the hammer OF this winchester 1893
guns but the Springfield rife. rife could % 1aS haye dis,
found along the line of fire in Brownsville on the
morning of August IA .
of Major Blocksom at the Gowan house. one by
Mr M zs FROM his the Ron the
east corner of the alley and l4th street. Each Of
used In the Springfield ammunition and bears the
s sr CT the % ads Of
chester rife 1906 into which the shells OF the
lands that the bullets could not have been fired
out OF the Winchester rifle.
When this evidence is carefully considered it Is
conclusive demonstration that the firing must
aeEG d 1903 moGe oGeH Tha on res @ Of tR.
near Brownsville were in the possession OF the
soldiers OF the three companies. b, q and d, OF
The suggestion that after the hurried shooting.
which done almost at double quick and was
other gun than the Springfield rifle could have
We're extracted and thrown onto the ground as the
shooting progressed end could have then placed
field rifle. obtained from the target range twenty
miles away certainly does not create "a reasonable @
1pS ng were G1 Negro soldiers even il the direct evidence
There is conflict as to the circumstances grow
ing out of the evidence of the witnesses which Is
entirely natural in respect to transactions during
the daytime and still more natural in respect to
tho transactions and the direction of sounds during
the night. and there are some things about the ev-
who testify with such detail 10 seeing the Negro
soldiers-the one At garrison wall the next at & the
man saloon-which. In view OF previous statements.
shake somewhat the weight OF what they say. But
gether with the wellnigh mathematical demonstra-
tion with respect to the cartridges and bullets,
indicially without being convinced beyond reason
able doubt that the men who eommtte1 % SIo TINS out out
therefore OF the battalion OF the 9th Infantry sta
toned there
mind from the reading of this evidence. especially
that of those witnesses who testify with reference
along the garrison road and behind the garrison
wall with the statements of four or hve witnesses
as TO the firing of bullets from the upper galleries
or porches OF the barracks-a fact corroborated by
the alignment of bullet holes in the houses along
the garrison roads that what took place on the
porches and Just back of the barracks. the volley-
ing. the noise the assembly OF the men and the