New-York tribune., 1908-04-21
REPLIES TO FORAKER
Senator Bor0h asserts Guilt of
Negroes at Brownsville.

Washington. April Ex-senator Borah of Idaho
made powerful speech on the subject of Browns
Vile in the Senate to-day and received the close
attention Of . full Senate and crowded galleries.
The close of his remarks was greeted with
burst OF applause, n which several Senators
Joined. despite the rules, and a great number Of
his colleagues congratulated him his maiden
effort HIS speech was largely legal argument
in which he analyzed the testimony taken by the
Committee Military Affairs and attacked the
contention that the people OF Brownsville shot
up their own town and murdered wounded
their own citizens bring discredit on the ne
groes.
Mr.. Borah who conducted the prosecution Of ".
n Haywood on the charge OF numbering ex-Gov-
ernor Steunenberg. took occasion 10 express his
disapproval OF any effort TO obtain lenlency for
Harry Orchard, the self-confessed thrower Of the
bomb which caused Steunenberg's death He said:
a cold-blooded. inhuman. incaTnate devil blows
10 pieces an Ex-Governor upon the doorstep Of
his home, is caught and confesses. and before the
grave OF the who died martyr TO law and
order Is green sentimentalisna puts q halo upon
the brow OF the blackest spirit that ever escaped
the crypts OF hell.
Men wearing the uniform Of soldier O: the
Union. the insignia OF government and the symbol
OF Law and order. in the quiet Of night while homes
are defenceless assault and attempt TO murder
whole families and finally succeed in committing
one murder To compromise with such an act or
such deed is cowardice. il is betrayal Of gov
ernment; it is an Insult to every intelligent and
right thinking negro. for it presupposes he is a
traitor TO his country and & criminal at heart
I contend, Mr.. Borah added, that the evidence
n this is simply overwhelming and conclusive
against the colored soldiers, unless you resort 70
the proposition OF conspiracy which manufactured
the evidence and that is evidently the view taken
by the defence -
Taking VI the legal phase Of the question Mr.
Borah asserted that there must have been con
spiracy Of silence the part Of the citizens OF
Brownsville II Mr.. Forake7's contentious were
sound, the part OF the soldiers. If the views
Of the large majority Of the COMMITTEES were well
founded Without such conspiracy, he contended
some information regarding the actual culprits
must have leaked out before now.
Citing. after another, clashes which had oc-
cured between the citizens and the soldiers. Mr.
Borah established the ground for hatred OF the
people OF Brownsville by the soldiers, He asserted
that the shooting was done 70 kill. houses, living
bedrooms, eto. being fred into, instead OF
chiuneys, porches. etc. as would have been the
had citizens done the shooting. He quoted
Major Blocksom TO the effect that the evidence OF
rhe soldiers guilt conclusive, the finding Of the
shells and clips being merely corroberative, and ne
pointed out that E1ocksoI's conclusion was in en-
ttre accord with the view OF Major Peurose. whose
sympathy with his had not and could not be
questioned. He quoted negroes Of Boston as as
sertins and tusttfyng in informal resolutions the
guilt OF the soldiers. He quoted Captain Macklln,
uho found the shells and clips punched as as
sert:ns that there could be question Of the sol
diers' guilt
By showing the location of the lights in the VII
lase and their brillancy, Mr.. Borah disclosed the
7fnn OF the darkness Of the night on which
Nj. Foraker laid much st-ess
Citing the direct evidence OF IN. lieutenant Of
police, who lost his arm, he showed that he had
no doubt whatever 70 the Identity Of his assail
ants nor Was therA the least likelihood that this
s-nnless man party to 6 conspiracy which cost
him 50 dear. He enumerated briefly the various
points OF evidence presenting forcefUl array He
showed that the entire evidence fell If II could be
shown that any o7-conlnissioned Officer partici-
ra-ed and quoted evidence OF a negro soldier,
Miller out on pass. who stayed At { saloon beyond
the limits OF the firing until firing ceased, and
then. without running, returned 20 the fort climbed
the wall and fell in in time for rollcalI.