Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-12-24
NEGRO TROOPS
PROVED GUILTY
ROOSEVELT REiTERATEs pEcLA.
RATION WITH REGARD TO
BRoWNsViLLE RIOT.
FEW EXCEPTIONS NAMED
In Special Message Recommends That
Those Not Guilty who pivuleed
knowledge BE Allowed
10 Re-EnlIst.

Washington, ID. G. 49, President
Roosevelt. In his special message
Monday accompanying the report Of
Investigator Herbert j. Browne into
the shooting up OF Brownsville, Tex,
reiterates his, former declaration that
the shooting by colored soldiers has
been established beyond any posi-.
billty OF doubt"
He again recommends the passage
OF law by congress offering the dis.
charged soldiers an opportunity TO re.
enlist in the army II they can clear
themselves OF responsibility for the
murderous attack TO the satisfaction
OF the secretary Of war.
The investigation will be continued,
the president says. In order to sep.
arate the less guilty from those
whose guilt was heinous." for he be-
lieves there we're hardly any innocent
among the colored men stationed at
Fort Brown.
Among the documents accompany
ing Browns report are the confession
OF Boy Conyers, a private in Company
b. Twenty.hfth Infantry, who claimed
TO be leader in the affair; the AMI
dayit OF William Lawson, a detective
TO whom Conyers made his comics.
sion a summary Of the testimony In.
volving Conyors. Private Carolina de
Saussure Sergt J. X. Reid and 9th.
ers, and the opinions OF experts as TO
the Identity Of the ammunition used In
the raid.
The letter which is incorporated in
the message follows:
ITO the Senate: inclose herewith
q letter from the secretary OF war
transmitting a report OF the investiga.
ton made by Mr. Herbert J. Browne
employed by the department in con.
junction with Capt w. c. Baldwin TO
investigate as far as possible what
happened at Brownsville on the 18th
and l4th Of August, 1906.
The report and documents contain
some information Of great value and
some statements that are obviously
worthless, but submit them in their
entirety.
This report enables us 20 Ak with
tolerable definitencss at least some OF
the criminals who took the lead In
the murderous shooting OF private cit.
liens of Brownsville.
Negroes Did Shooting.
1T establishes clearly the fact that
the colored soldiers did the shooting
but upon this point further record was
Unnecessary. as the fact that the col.
ored soldiers did the shooting has al.
ready been established beyond all pos.
sibility Of doubt.
The investigation has not gone far
enough to enable us to determine all
the facts. and we will proceed with It;
but II has gone far enough to deter.
mine with sufficient accuracy certain
facts Of enough Importance TO make II
advisable that | place the report be.
fore you.
1T appears that almost all the mem,
bers OF Company b must have been
actively concerned in the shooting
either to the extent of being partici
pants or to the extent OF virtually en-
couraging those who were partici
pants.
"As TO Companies c and d there
can be no question that practically
every man In them must have had
knowledge that the shooting was done
by some Of the soldiers OF b Troop
and possibly by one or two others IN
one OF the other troops.
This concealment was itself 9
grave offenBe. which was greatly az
gravated by their testifying before this
senate committee that they were tx
norant OF what they must have known
Nevertheless. II is to be said II
partial extenuation that they wer,
probably cowed by threats. made bS
the more desperate Of the men who
had actually been engaged in tn,
shooting. as TO what would happen e
any man who failed to protect tn,
wrongdoers.
Moreover. there are circumstance,
tending TO show that these misguidet
men were encouraged by outsiders 4
persist in their course OF concealmen
. and denial.
Il feel, therefore. that the guilt o
the men who, after the event, thu
shielded the perpetrators OF the wron,
by refusing TO tell the truth abou
them. though serious. was in part du,
&c the unwise and improper attitude o
titude Of others. and that some meas
ure Of allowance should be made 10
the misconduct.
Theodore Jr. 10 a Colonel Now.