Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-12-14
Foraker In lit.

saying tnat ne reared ne WOulu DS
murdered when his confession be-
came known. Later, the report says
that he refused to give the informa-
tion and seemed to take the letter as
a mandate to stick to the stoy as told
to the senate committee.
Conyers' story is said to have
shown that the soldiers heard of
threatened trouble at Brownsville
before they went there. 1t is said
that they held out cartridges at the
rifle range and other places on the
way, saying that they gave them to
the people at the stations on the way
as souvenirs. Punishment for this
shortage was threatened but was not
inflicted.
The story said that Il was agreed
in a saloo nto make a raid at mid
night on August 13, 19O.,. Con-
yers is said TO have told Lawson
that John Holloman. John Brown
and Carolina Desaussure with him
self were the chief conspirators. He
said that Holloman was the real
leader and distributed the ammuni-
ton which undoubtedly was done
with the cooperation and knowledge
of Sergeants Jackson and Reid. He
said that Holloman got the party to-
gether.
According to the story, Holloman
and Brown stepped out OF the bar
racks and were joined by Conyers
and Desaussure who slept together
at the guard house with their guns.
They fired signal shot which was
answered by the sentry at the fort.
The fact that IL would be impossible
for the gun racks to have been
opened and for the soldiers to have
reached the gallery in time to fire
after the signal shots as soon as they
did is said to corroborate the story
of Conyers tha they were ready.
The number firing from the bar
racks is unknown. small crowd
followed the leaders into town, and
flve minutes after the shots were
fired, the men we're back at the fort.
The guns were cleaned and fresh
ammunition was supplied before
daybreak. Conyers sal dthat whis-
key was responsible and that, IL the
men had not been drinking. they
would not have had the nerve 70
shoot up the town. He declared
that Reid told OF the plans and
said.
Don't go out there and let the
crackers get the best of you.
This statement, he said. was made
before witnesses while he was talk
ing To Lawson.
Conyers was found at Monroe, Ga.
where 1870 of the formers soldiers
have been located. Detecties have
visited 80 states In making the
search. Holloman for time was re-
ported living at Macon and Desaus-
sure. az Savannah. X, l.. Collier.
another alleged leader. ls said to
have lived at Barnesville and
Browne at Atlanta. All have kept
In touch with each other since the
shooting. II Is declared TO have
4 been easy To find the members OF ail
expect Company ID. The other Nom
bers of Company Il. mentioned by
4 Conyers as participants. are William
1 Anderson. James Bailey. Charles
Cooper, William Lemans. Henry G..
Emerson, James Johnson and
4 Henry G. Jones.
holloman was serving his fourth
enlistment. having a good character
on the records. Among the men hS
4 was known as a money lender. and II
.
4 pany. including Sergeant Saunders
) owned him money. COnyers wal
one OF his clerks and runners. IA,
was the financial baeker OF the Ali
son saloon where Conyers said IN,
plot Was concocted, lie IN said Il
be the son OF a Jewish trader and d
mulatto woman OF Georgia.
The letter from Senator Foraker
to Conyers, referred to by Brown,
as the cause OF difieulty In getting
further evidence. replies 20 the on,
In which Conyers Is alleged 20 hav,
told what he had related 10 the de
tectiyes and 10 have asked for ad
vice. The letter says that Foraker
does notunderstand exactly whal
4 transpired and continues:
lie remember you as a witness be
. fore the committee and | am sur,
that you did not there testify TO any
thing except only the truth"