The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-14


corroborated in the presence OF Wit
nesses, but before Lawson could hn1sh
his work ConyerS became suspicious
and would give no further evidence
discriminating himself. From then on
he furnished to A. H. Baldwin, Captain
w. G.. Baldwin and to myself informa-
ton piecemeal and reluctantly Inc
name of Carolina DeSaussure' ms
bunkmate, was the last one Obtained
Conyers tried to commit su1c1oe
after he found that he had made his
statements to detective, declaring
that the other negroes would Kill MIN
when it got out. He finally wrote to
Senator Foraker and received reply,
copy of which is annexed Tnat
reply he construed to mean that ne
should stick to his original story tol1
before the senate committee at an
hazards, and there he stands 1 have
every reason to believe that ms con-
fession is genuine and gives for the
first time the true secret history OF lne
Brownsville raid.
Outside Influences.
The list of participants given in this
report Conyers furnished me person
ally. 1 believe it is substantially cor
rect but with the influences shown 10
be backing Conyers to adhere to his
false testimony given before the SEN
ate committee still being exerted ne
can not be relied on to support his
own confession until it is thoroughly
sustained from other sources
to stick to the lies told at Brownsville
and before the senate committee We're
found in many places and subsequent
to the date of the Foraker letter they
became stronger and more obStruc-
tive than ever.
The investigation has been con-
Quoted with strict recognition of the
advisability of preserving secrecy and
with discretion.
No promises of immunity were
do I'm on
the ex-soldiers that the government
could not punish them after their
separation from the service, coupled
with the belief that by preserving
silence they would aid in the passage
of the relief legislation now pending
in congress, has added to the difficulty
of securing information.
The issue has evidently become
racial. The colored detectives would
be confronted frequently in the
smaller towns where these men are
living with a demand from colored
men for information as to their busf-
ness.
We have located over 13O of these
ex-soIdiers. and have been in 80 states
in quest of information. The appen-
diceS give statements as to the re-
suits obtained. They indicate a gen.
eral knowledge on the part of the eX-
soldiers that the raid came from in
side the fort, and that the soldiers of
company d were the guilty parties.
We earnestly urge that we be per-
mitted to continue the investigation.
field, and within the coming week q
number of afidavits will be forth
coming
Conyers's Story.
Boyd Conyers' story is given here in
narrative form:
The rumors of trouble over the as
signment Of colored troops to Browns
Vile were circulated before the troops
left FIT. Niobrara, and preparations
were made among the men to "get
even with the crackers SO the whites
were called.
Some cartridges were held out at
range practice, but more enroute to
Brownsville. Pretense was made that
they were given away at stations
along the road. Some were, but a
large number were secreted.
At inspection in Brownsville. Lieu
tenant Lawson, company B. threat
ened punishment to the men who
were short of ammunition, but moth
ing was done about it, and the
deficiency was supplied
The friction with citizens of
Brownsville began at once. In Boyd
Conyers' language, whisky made all
the trouble. If we hadn't been drink
ing we wouldn't have had the nerve
to shoot up the town"
1t was agreed, at a gathering of a
few men in the saloon of Allison, the
colored ex-soldier, on the afternoon
of August 13, 1905, that the raid
should take place that night at IL
O'Clock. 1t seems to have been de-
layed few minutes to let Tamayo.
the Mexican scavenger, get away from
the 3 barracks.
John Holloman, the money lender
of Company B, was the chief con-
spirator and leader in the raid and
custodian and distributor of the cart
ridges, Dut his plans could not have
been carried out had not Sergeant G.
0. jackson of Company B, in charge
racks, and Sergeant Reid, in command
of the guards. eo-operated both be-
fore and after the raid.
Took Guns to Bed
The four men who led the raid
were John HoIloman, John Brown,
Boyd Conyers and Carolina De Saus-
sure, all of Company B, (and probably
r. L. Collier of Company c.. Hollo-
man was in barracks, Brown in the
bake shop, Conyers and De Saussure
were in the same detail and had been
relieved at about IL o'clock, De Saus-
sure on the post at the guard house
and ConyerS on No. 2, around the bar
racks and facing the town. Holloman
got the party together. Conyers and
De Saussure slept on the same bunk
in the guard house. claiming that they
wanted to get under the MOSQUITO
net and they had the trick of taking
their guns into the bunk instead of
placing them in the open rack, on the
excuse that they didn't rust so badly
under cover, but really SO the absence
of the guns from the open guard house
rack would not attract attention and
their own absence would be ascribed
to visit to the closet which was back
of the guard house. These two men
slipped out the rear door of the guard
house, passed through the sally port
and Joined HoIloman and Brown
The party crossed the wall of the
fort down near the end of A barracks,
went up the roadway to the entrance
to the Cowen alley, where the signal