The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-15
Denouuce. Whites.

without the testimony of these four
witnesses the testimony Of the officers
and the men of the battalion that the
shooting commenced at some point
outside the reservation stands, prac-
ticaly iuncontraGictcd."
The circumstantial evidence against
the soldiers concerning the shells and
bullets found after the shooting, he
declared turned out to be favorable to
them, because of the imposslbility for
them to have had such ammunition
without that fact being developed in
the examinations that were made.
The case against the soldiers he
said, fails in another important par
ticular. No adequate motive--in fact.
no motive whatcver--is shown for such
an assault upon the town"
The character of the soldiers, he said
was good They had never given their
officers any trouble This good record,
he said. should greatly strengthen the
presumption of innocence.
He reviewed the various incidents
and orders that led UP to the discharge
of the men without honor. Most of
the witnesses against the soldiers. he
said testified four different times con-
corning the aftray.
Their testimony. 80 given, Is suf-
ficiontly contradictory to show that
1t Is unEelldblt, nc Sdid. Iout' oS't'
from The contradictions on account of
darkness of the night, many things
that were testified to by these wit
ncsscs could not have possibly been
observed by them.
1T is unnecessary to go over this
evidence III a detailed way. for. con-
cedlng for the sake of argument that
the witnesses undertook to testify
truthrully, tho flimsy and unreliable
character of the whole of it is fairly
indicated by the testimony Of the four
personal so-ca1led 'eye-witnesscs,'
"Without their testimony there is no
credible evidence whatever to support
the charge that the first shots We're
fired from the barracks or from any
place within the reservation, or that
there was any jumping over the wall
by arybod5,
The senator began his remarks by
saving there was evidently misap-
III elnsion concerning his speech, and
read from newspaper clipping to the
effect that he was to deliver a three
days speech In denrnciaton of the
President and the Secretary of War,
He laushingly disavowed his intention
to do either of the things charged
against him.
THE purpose Of this investigation
has not been to embarrass the l2rcsl
dent, or anybody else" said Mr.. Fora
kcr. Nor has it been to make any
capital of any kind, political or othcr
wise. against anybody or for any
body
Praises Negro Witness.
He continued to say that the inves-
tipation was to find the facts in the
case as guide To Intelligent action,
He reviewed the incidents preceding
the Senate investigation, and said the
soldiers gave their evidence with such
straightforward frankness and with
such manifest rruthfulness that..n
his opinion nothing remains to show
their complete vlndlcation except only
tho discovery of the read culprits,
which time will surely make unless the
adage that murder will out has ceased
To he a truth"
Mn. Foraker devoted considerable.
time to q comparison OF bills produced
hefore the Senate providing for tbeI
ot.the soldiers, ono by SEN
ntor Warner, OF Missouri, giving tllei
president 0uthority to re-snl!st theml