Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-05-16

were not guilty. and they have so
Testified.
They testify that they were infiu-
tenced to change their opinions and
reach the conclusion that their men
were not guilty by a number OF facts
| developed, including among others.
the results of a microscopic exami-
nation that was made of the explod-
ed shells that were picked up In the
streets of Brownsville. In other
words, the testimony by which they
had been first led to believe that
| their men were guilty turned out.
as a result of this investigate, to
be conclusive proof TO their minds
that their men were not guilty. The
part this testimony has thus played
shows that IL is sufficiently impor-
tant TO receive special consideration
NUMBER OF SHELLS FOUND.
1. According TO the weight OF the
testimony there were from $50 to
500 shots fired that night in Browns
vile by the raiders. whoever theS
may have been. There should have
been found. therefore. that many ex-
ploded shells. The testimony shows
that careful search was made to find
the shells and every other species
of evidence that might tend TO show
that the soldiers werel guilty. but
with the result that, all told, only
about 40 OF these exploded shells
were found. In other words, there
were from 100 to 200 or 800 explod-
ed shells, according to the theory Of
those who claim that the soldiers did
the firing. scattered somewhere as
a result of that firing I'm the alleys
and the streets of Brownsville which
have never been found. Nobody pre-
tends that there was any difficulty
on account of the nature of the
ground or for any other reason about
finding any exploded shells there may
have been, or ought TO have been. in
the streets where the firing occurred.
Seven Of these empty shells were
found at the mouth OF the Cowen al
ley near the fort by Captain Mack
lin.
Others were found I'm the alley and
in Washington street at the point
where the firing is said to have oc-
Cured. These shells so found. ex-
cept those found by Captain Macklin.
were turned over to the authorities
and subsequently forwarded TO the
Senate for use as evidence. There
We're only SO of them I'm all. There
may possibly have been n few others
picked up that were not turned over.
but we have no account OF them. and
the testimony is Of such character as
TO warrant the conclusion that there|
could have bern but very few. N any
picked up in addition 10 the 80 men,
toned.
Il is reasonable to conclude that
the other shells that must have been
exploded. IL there were as many shots
fired as the witnesses state, were not
found TO be such shells as the SOL
diers used. or there must have been
some other good reason for not sub
hitting them as evidence. Whatev-I
er the explanation may be. the fact
remains, and it is a fact that I'm and
of Itself discredits the deductions
drawn to the prejudices OF the SOL
.diers from the finding of the shells
that have been submitted.
SHELLS AND CLIPS FOUND BY
CAPTAIN MACKLIN.
It is testified by Captain Afacklin.
who was officer OF the day. that Just
at the break OF dawn he made a
careful search for any evidence that
would show who had done the firing
In this behalf he searched. both In
side the reservation wall and outside
TO find shells and clips or other evil
dence that the soldiers had done the
firing. as the citizens were at thatI
time charging.
He found no shell. no clip, no evil
dence OF any kind inside the reser-
walton wall, but outside the wall, a
cross the street. in front Of the gar
rison and at the mouth OF Cowen al
ley, where. according TO the testi-
mony OF the guard and the scavenger
and other witnesses, the first shots
were heard, he found seven shells
and six clips in a circular area not
more than ten inches in diameter.
The testimony is conclusive that i'll
these shells had fallen from Spring
field rifles as they were fired they
would have been scattered over an
area perhaps 10 feet in diameter.
1t is the opinion of all the wit
nesses who testified on that point
that the shells found by Captain
Macklin could not have fallen in the
position In which he found them ifI
they had fallen as they were fired.
This fact, coupled with the further
Ae-NN NAAaN Win NutSG EGNGn SAtllS
there were found six clips. enough
TO hold thirty cartridges, further dis
credits the finding of the shells in
the alleys and streets as evidence of
the guilt OF the soldiers.
MICROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION.
But while the investigation was In
progress the War Department, on its
own motion, caused all the rifles that
were In the hands of the three com
panies at Brownsville that night to
be forwarded to the Springfield Ar
mory, and detailed two officers, who,
under instructions from the War De
partment, caused to be fired out of
each OF these rifles two cartridges.
The indentations on the heads OF the
exploded shells so fired were put un-
der the microscope and compared with
the indentations found on the heads
of the thirty-three exploded shells
picked up in the streets OF Browns
Vile, which indentations were SINH
larly magnified.
In order that Senators may have
a better idea than / can convey by