The Washington times., 1908-12-14

up the alley. Il viii be remembered u at
one OF the witnesses testified 20 hearing
some one OF the group OF soldiers eX-
claim There they ger Wherein on
up the alley
Conyers' Gun Jams.
Boyd Conyers is the man whose gun
jammed at the exit Of the alley BY the
Cowen house. testified TO by Herbert
Elkins. and it was taken from him by
De Saussure and fixed ia the street
where the light from the street lamp at
the corner Of Elizabeth street shone on
them.
Less than five minutes elapsed from
the time the first shot Was fired until
these men were all hack inside the fort.
Conyers stated thai Reid was told that
they were going 20 shoot up the town,
and no had laughed and said. Don't go
out there and let the crackers get the
best Of you
reached the gCardhOuse they ran in the
back way and got !ntO their hunks.
Sergeant Reid came IN and swOTe at
them, but ConyerS was so excited ana
out Of breath that he could hardly
stand. so Reid stationed him at the rear
of the gUardh ouse in the dark where he
could not be scruuaized 50 closely.
HollOman came around with extra
cartridges about daybreak and Reid
passed them out. The guns were all
cleaned before daylight
This day personally appeared before
me William Lawson. who, being duly
Sworn. depOses and says
''On June D. 1908. i was sent to Monroe,
the soldiers who was stationed al
Brownsville, Tex, in August. 1906 / was
sent by Mr.. Baldwin to get IN with Con-
yers and ascertain II he knew who did
Fzn aNFT HFWUHr a a
given the names Of any Of the members
Of either OF the companies stationed al
that point, nor was ] given any other
information, except the fact that
above mentioned and that Boyd Conyers
was suspected OF knowing who did
same.
"I arrived at Monroe. Ca. on June .,
and stopped at the home Of Esther
Crews. colored. I met Boyd Conyers.
Who IS known as 'Buddie' Conyers. on
the morning OF June 8, but had very
little conversation with him. but was
introd iced to him as an old soldier
on .i.,- morning Of June s. between
and 9 O'Clock. I met Conyers about hall
wav between the station house and
Main street We talked some twenty
or twenty-five minutes. 1 broached
the RrownsviIIe case, and mentioned
the fact that the soldiers had SHOWN
their good sense by keeping their
mouths while at Washington then
asked him what thc motive was ior ne
shooting He told me that the crack
ers' AT RrOwnSVi'." had made threats
that they woulC lave no negro SOL
diers at Brownsville. and the soIole5s
had made il I'D in their Inlnus ma -
in and clean up the ground He also
said that they mentioned this 20 Ser
geant Reid, who was c0mmanoer OF - -
guards. and that Reid said, All i'''''
7 nave to say IS to take care OF "
self and the boys when you so down
there s Il. Parker, whose nome =
at Charleston. s .. was present anu
heard the same conversation
Takes q Drink.
ssAbout then gentleman called Con
vars TO come and clean some cloJhes'
and Convers left. and nothing further
was said about the matter at this time
7 was with Conyers nearly every DAY
and went 10 Gainesville. Ga, on an eX-
cursion with him on the 18th Of June
7 did not mention the Brownsville mat
ter TO Convers again until on the 18th
Of Jupe. when I returned from Atlanta,
having gone there on June q On this
date l met him at Joe Blassingame'
ana had a mint bottle OF liquor. offered
him a drink-he would not drink in the
house, but we went up the street ana
we stopped under a storehouse porch'
near Main street We took drink or
two. and I started the Brownsville case
again He told me that he was doing
guard duty at the time Of the shooting
at Brownsville, and was stationed at
the outlet toward the town He said
that when the guard was called the
night of the shooting they mentioned to
v,N oil NH 4 al
town, and he said. Boys, if you are not
satisfied. you will have to go and get
and they remarked that they
were going to get satisfaction that
night Reid then laughed and said,
Boys. don't you go down there and let
them get the best or you He then as
signed the guard and went away
In this conversation. COnyers told !
me that John Brown, J. h HOllOman. (
and a man named Powell, and several
others, came down where he was on
guaro and that they went dow 1t1wn
and Just gave them hell, and after they
shot out all of their cartridges they ran /
back to the barracks and when they got |
back to the barracks they found that /
the alarm had been sounded and Off
,ers were calling the roll. HOllOman. I
Brown and himself were late for roll |
AL, but that some one answered for !
Brown and HOllOman. but that he was
ate, and that Reid told him THAI they /
hell of a hole, and told him to go to the /
and pretend to be asleep, !
which he cid.
He told me that they had slipped a (
.ew cartridges when at target practice,
md that before inspection. after the 4
shooting, Reid gave him some car !
ridges TO replace the ones he had used. /
he further said that they had all /
agreed before they went out that they /
would keep their mouths, and that he 4
would have told them at the invastiga- |
ion at Washington all about the shoot /
ng, but that he was afraid I had no I
urther talk with Conyers, because I /
'aw that l was being suspected BY the /
legroes around Monroe, Ca
WILLIAM Chis X mark LAWSON"
Witnesses:
II. J. BROWNE
GEORGE W. MADERT.
District OF Columbia. IS:
subscribed and sworn to before me. A
rotary public in and for the District
tforesaid. this 18th day OF October.
l. D., 1908.
(Seal) GEO. W RTADERT
BfOwne's Report.
rms Gay personally appeared before
ne Herbert J. Browne, of Washington.
c, who, being duly sworn, deposes
nd says