Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-16
Wednesday, December 16, 1908.
The New Evidence in the Brownviile
Affair.


the message of President Roosevelt
transmitting some very important in
formation, secured by detectives, IN
relation to the shooting up" of the
town of Brownville by colored troops,
was certainly an astounding one.
Let us briefly consider the facts. On
the night of the 18th and 14th of Au-
gust 1906 the inhabitants Of BrownVille
were subjected to the dangers of a
general fusillade of rifle bullets, many
of which pierced the houses Of the
sleeping citizens. To fully appreciate
the heinous character Of this offence
one only has to imagine that it was
committed in his own city or town,
and that the members of his own fam
lily, asleep in their own home were
subjected to the same terrible dangers
that beset the citizens of BroWnville.
Following the shooting up" of that
town came very conclusive evidence
that The dastardly act was the work OF
United States soldiers stationed in the
toNn-wearing the uniform and bear
ing the arms of the government,
the representatives of its author
ity in the enforcement of law. whose
physical presence in any community
should have been guarantee of peace
and security-not a menace of dam
ger.
1t was found that the shells used in
the shooting up came from govern
ment cartridges, and moreover the
soldiers engaged in the dastardly out
rage were actually seen at the time by
citizens of the town. There was no es-
Gaping the evidence. 1t pointed over
wnelmingly to tie colored soldiers OF
Companies C and d as the perpetra-
tors of the outrage. Immediate steps
were taken to determine the identity
of the guilty parties: but at the very
threshold of the inquiry the course of
Justice was blocked by the stubborn
refusal of the colored soldiers-who
must have had full knowledge of the
real offenders--to testify against them.
Ry standing in as one man to shield
their guilty comrades they deliberately
made themselves parties to their Of
fence.
Under these circumstances the action
of President Roosevelt was prompt and
decisive Both companies We're sum
marily disbanded. Much sympathy
was expressed for those members who
were thus summarily put out of the
service If, however they voluntarily.
or through the influence of threats, al
lowed themselves to shield the crlmi-
nails engaged in this offence they rich
ly deserved the punishment that came
to them.
While the matter has to some extent
dropped out of public attention in the
past few months, it is gratifying to
know that the government has been
unremitting in it's efforts to fix the per-
sonal responsibility for the outrage,
and has at length met with notable
measure of success.
From the first Senator Foraker has
posed as the defender of these dis
banded soldiers. His advocacy would,
off oct x-n C
far as the American masses are
concerned, had it net been for
a very general feeling that he
was animated to a considerable extent
in his course by desire to get in a
slap at the administration. His speech,
following the reading OF President
Roosevelt's recent message transmit
ting the newly discovered evidence in
the Brownville matter certainly bears
out this view of the case. He COM
planned bitterly because the discharged
soldiers had been pursued by "secret
detectives!" The average citizen would
naturally suppose that the methods
used generally in the ferreting out of
criminals were precisely the ones that
the government might properly use in
fixing the identity of the cowardly ras-
Gals who were guilty of participation in
the Brownville outrage. The Presi-
dent is entirely right in determining to
follow up the substantial clues now in
the possession of the government until
the last detail of this infamous affair is
searched out and laid bare.
rs there anything more atrocious
than this proceeding against these
men?" asks Mr.. Foraker. Certainly
A thousand times more atrocious was
the horrible outrage committed upon
the citizens of Brownvlle at a time
when the most of them were asleep ir
their beds. 1t is never a comfortable
thing for criminals to be run down
exposed or punished in their wrong do
ing, neither is it pleasant for theil
apologists. This fact, however, should