Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-02-02
WILL TRY MAJOR
FOR NEGLIGENCE
COURT MARTIAL FOR COMMAND
oaNT OF DISCHARGED CAT.
TALloN OF INFANTRY.
WAS OFFICER OF day
Charge Is coaaues To The preiudise
Of Good Order and Discipline In
Failure 10 Prevent RIotina.

San Antonio. Tex. Feb. . MAJOR
Charles W Penrose. who was In com.
mand Of the battalion Of the Twenty.
fifth 'nfantryO. the time OF the
Brownsville riots. will be- tried bv
court martial at Port Sam Houston.
near this city. next Monday The
date Is the same az that set for the
taking Of testimony In the Brownsville
matter by the senate committee on
military affairs az Washington. The
specific charge which Major Penrose
must face iS conduct 10 the prejudice
of good order and discipline" In failing
to exercise due diligence and 10 take
proper precautions TO prevent the rio.'
Ing. Colonel George L. Brown will
probably act M president of the court
martial and Captain George L. May
as judge advocate. Other prospective
members OF the court include Lieuten.
ant Colonel James Crane, Lieutenant
Colonel l.. NJ. Mans. Lieutenant Col
onel l.. Nj. Sharpe. Lieutenant Colonel
Il. ]. Mcclellan. Lieutenant-C Colonel
d. NJ Stevens. Lieutenant Colonel
Frank Baker. Major J. f. CLARK. Ma
ior Charles Taylor. Major J. b. Bennett,
Major H. Il. Snyder. Major G. Gardner,
aud Major II. s. Wallace The court
martial proceedings were originally set
for January 4. but were postponed one
month on account OF the shooting OF
Captain Edgar Macklin. who is also i'm.
plieated In the charges of negligence
during the Brownsville FId1s.. He was
the officer of the day at the time
Of the riots by the negro soldiers.
The charges of negligence against
Major Pcnrose arr based partially on
that he made no effort TO
discover the guilty man and that the
rifles of the negro soldiers were not
examined until the next morning after
the riot. II IN alleged by the officers
that the rifles were carefully guarded
until the examination was made and
hat all were found TO be clean. When
the firing began at midnight the first
shots were fired over the fort and The
officers declare that they Mt first be-
Iieved that citizens of Brownsville were
making an attack on the barracks.
Major Penrose, the post cummandant,
ordered the call TO arms.
1t is alleged by the officers that the
majority of the negro soldiers evident
ly shared In the belief that the fort
was being attacked, and begged the
officers TO protect them.
Many citizens of Brownsville have
been called upon TO testify for the
during the general court
martial. All who have been interview.
I'd declare that the negro soldiers were
looking for trouble" from the mo-
ment that the arrived In Brownsville
and that there IN no possible doubt
hat the shooting on the night of An
gust 13 last was done by the members
" the Twenty,fifth infantry. Many
citizens are open in their
OF Major Penrose and declare
hat the riots could have been averted
f he had used proper diligence
Major Penrose. the accused office"
s IL son Of General William Penrose.
who served in Sherman's army during
he civil war and was later colonel N
he regular army for many years.
entered the army in 1884 and
was made second lieutenant He
graduated from the infantry and caval-
ry school at Fort Leavenworth In
1891 While a student at the school
he married a daughter of Colonel Ed
win Townsend. then commandant at
Fort Leavenworth. He is relative
)f Senator Penrose Of PennsyIvanil.
who introduced the resolution In the
senate asking for an investigs tion in
70 the presidents action in discharging
the negro soldiers.