Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14

date of December ). 1868. are true to the
best of my knowledge and belief.
I'm particular I visited Monroe. Ga. to
corroborate the investigation at that point
the employ of Capt Baldwin. whose
affidavit and reports are annexed to and
made a part of my report Of December
), 1903, above referred to.
II had several interviews at Monroe
with Boyd Conyers. ex-private of Com
pany 3, 18th Infantry. one of the guard
on the night Of the Brownsville raid. and
found that William Lawson's statements
regarding Conyers were substantially and
essentially correct. 1 personally obtained
from COnyers further informa ton detail
ing how the cartridges used in the raid
were surreptitiously and illegally OBJ
tanned and distributed. how the principal
raiders proceeded. when and by whom the
gun racks in Company were unlaWfully
and secretly opened for the purpose OF the
raid. how the raiders were protected dur
ing and subsequent to the raid and given
opportunity to clean their guns. and In
particular, was furnished by Conyers with
the names of eight participants in the
raid other than the three named by him
in his statements to William Lawson, a
total of eleven. including himself. the said
Conyers all members of Company B,
25th Infantry.
1.-The leaders Of the raid. as named by
Boyd Conyers, were John Holloman. John
Brown. Carolina de Saussure and himself.
Following them were William Anderson,
James Bailey, Charles f. Cooper. William
Lemons Henry Emerson, James 'Rastus'
Johnson and Henry Sonny Jones. Sergt.
Reid in charge of the guard. was accused
by Conyers of knowledge before and after
the raid Sergt. George Jackson, in
charge of the keys of the gun racks OF
Company b. was accused of opening the
racks for the raiders, and OF again open
ing them subsequent to the raid in order
that tho guns might be removed and
cleaned.
II found Boyd Conyers in a disturbed
frame of mind. No claim is made that his
original declarations to William Lawson
were other than those of criminal boast
ing to one of his own race of his crime
and of his success in escaping discovery.
His subsequent declarations to me were
given partly during moments OF contrition
and in desire to unload his conscience
by a confession and partly as the result
of careful and persistent questioning.
81 found the effect of the letter from
Senator Foraker to Conyers extremely OBJ
structive. He seemed to regard it as q
mandate to adhere to the false story told
by him before the Senate committee on
military affairs. and as abso!ving him
from any and all obligations to aid in I'M
covering the truth Similar influences
were encountered at many points. adding
largely to the difficulty of obtaining adj
missiGns of even the most obvious facts
relative to the raid.
"HERBERT ]. BROWNE"
Subscribed and sworn to before me this
/ 9th day of December. 1905.
(Seal) ]. b. RANDOLPH.
Notary Public.
Guard on Night of Raid.
Analysing the admitted facts and re-
corded testimony concerning the guard
on the night of August 1914, 1905, the
following is presented.
The guard consisted of seventeen men.
to wit Sergt. ]. r. Reid. Company B, in
charge; Corp Ray Burdett, Company &:
Corp. Anthony Franklin. Company B:
Corp Samuel Wheeler. Company d. on
post: Musician Hoyt Robinson. Company
Private Carolina de Saussure. Company
B; Private Lawrence Daniels, Company
b: Private Frank Bounsler. Company C;
Private r. l.. Collier. Company c: Private
Joseph Rogers, Company: Private andre"
Mitchell, Company G; Private S. NJ. Bat
tle Company D. On post: No. !, Private
B. F. Johnson, Company D: No. Q,
Private Joseph Howard. Company C: No.
3. Private Charley Hairston. Company b:
No. 4, Private Alexander Ash, Company
None of the men on post is implicated
in the charges as active participants in
the raid.
OF the men on relief Private Boyd Con-
yer's statements directly affect himself
and Private Carolina de Saussure as two
of the principal participants and ringlead-
ers, and Sergt. ]. r. Reid as having guilty
| knowledge before and after the raid.
using his position to aid in covering and
protecting the raiders.
There is strong circumstantial evidence
pointing to the participation of Private r.
L. Collier In the raid and guilty knowl-
| edge after the raid on the part of several
| of the guard relief. or the relief guard,
lnon-commissioned officers and men alike.
none could have escaped some knowledge
| Of the more or less discriminating evidence
against the guardsmen now directly
charged with participation in the raid.
The guardhouse. situated east of the
center OF the parade, had a west-front
entrance. with rooms for the noncOmmis-