The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-15
Ohio Senator Makes Plea for Discharged Members of
 Negro Company
SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM
 ROOSEVELT IS READ
President Suggests That Special ln- vestigaton Be Made In Order to To Clear Negro Soldiers Who
 Are Not Guilty.

To Clear Negro Soldiers Who
 Are Not Guilty.
 Washington. December 14-Senator For aker today introduced an amendment to the bill providing for the re-enlistment of the negro troops discharged without honor because of alleged participation in the affray at Brownsville, Tex. and addressed the Senate concerning the amendment. He proposed in his new measure to es- tablish a tribunal consisting of retired army officers, naming these officers in the bill, before whom evidence may be submitted as to the guilt of the de- fendants and before whom the defend ants themselves might appear to answer to charges. The measure Is so drawn as practically to take out of the hands of the executive and give to a tribunal appointed by congress full authority to consider the Brownsville question and by its findings provide for the re-enlist- ment of the discharged negroes.
 In addressing the Senate MT. Foraker said 1t was an elementary proposition in American law that the accused may have an opportunity to confront the aceuser and appear in person and answer evil deuce with evidence. He said that he had not expected it would be necessary to enter into a new investigation of the Brownsville question but thaa during the summer letters have been coming to him l from these discharged negro soldiers de- claring that detectives. were constantly engaging them in conversation.
 These men, said Senator Foraker. "are not secret service detectives of course. for they would have no right under the law to engage in such serv- ice"
 Continuing the Senator spoke of the activities of the detectives as outlined by his correspondents, saying that in many cases they went so far as to take up their dwelling with the discharged soldiers for the purpose of securing their confidence and spying on their move ments
 Batch of Letters.
 The Senator read extracts of the let ters, large batch of which he held in his hand as he spoke. One of the sol- dlers wrote to Senator Foraker that he was questioned by a detective in re- spect to any letters he might have re- ceived from the Senator.
 There seems to be a good deal of in- terest about my correspondence added MT. Foraker
 The soldier told the detective that he had one letter from the Senator and when he showed it to him he remarked that there was nothing in it to hurt" MT. Foraker approved ferreting out the facts about the Brownsville affair, but declared that there was right way to do that. The accused, he said, ought to have a right to answer testimony with ether testimony On the conclusion of MT. Foraker's remarks, MT. Culberson asked that the Presidents message on tlie Brownsville affair be read and Vice President Fairbanks directed that that be done, all the Senators present remain- Ing in their seats and listening atten- t'vely to the reading.
 After the reading of the Presidents message which was brief, the clerk read all of the statements and other evidences submitted to the war department for winch the Presidents message was merely a letter of transmittal. This is con- trary to the usual custom. Ordinarily the general reports are sent to the proper committee without the formality of reading.
 In view of the fact that the report contains what purports to be a partial confession of guilt by one of the dis charged negro soldiers, much interest was shown in the reading
 Special Message.
 The Presidents $ message was as follows: To the Senate
 l inclose herewith a letter from the Sec retary of War transmitting a report of the investi ton made by Mr Herbert J. Browne. employed by the department in conjunction witt Capt. w. G. Baldwin to investigate ag far as possible what hap pened at Brownsville on August 13 and II, 1906 The report and documents con tain some information of great value and some statements that are obviously worth less. but submit them in their entirety.
 This report enables us to fix with toler- able definiIeness at least some of the criminals who took the lead in the mur- derous shooting of private citizens at Brownsville. It establishes clearly the fact that the colored soldiers did the shooting, but upon this point further rec ord was unnecessary, as the fact that the cclored soldiers did the shooting has al- ready been established beyond all possi- hility of doubt The investigation has not gone far enough to enable us to determine al. the facts. and will proceed with it; but it has gone far enough to deter mine with sufficient accuracy certain facts of enough Importance to make it advisable that I place the report before you. It ap- pears that almost all the members of Company must have been actively con- cerned in the shooting, either to the ex- tent of being participants or to the extent of virtually encouraging those who were participants. As to Companies c and D there can he no question that practically