Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-05-23

were ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS when
the gun was turned ina. Yes, sir
20. State whether or not when
the guns were turned in Captain
Kinney was captain OF the company
A. Yes. sir.
%. And his name is c. c. Kin
ney?-A. Yes. sir.
%. State whether or not he
checked up every number.-A. He
had that book, and he checked IL
up.
20. Can you tell us whore tina,
gun, No 456S3-is that the number?
"A. 1853. / think It is, SIR. lex
aiming book.l There is a check o.
yer 1t. but / think that is what It is,
No. 456S3.
Senator Warner. That is the
number you gave?
Senator Foraker. Yes.
by Senator Foraker:
q. Well, II is the number that
Is there. State where that gun was
on the night OF the 18Th OF August.
lSO6.-A. IL was in the arm chest
sir. in the company.
@. In the arm chest?-A. Yes.
%. Was the arm chest open or
closed?-A. Il was closed. sir.
@. Where was the arm chest -
A. IL was In the storeroom.
@. How long had Il been In that
arm chest. and who had placed 1.
thereY-A. I placed IL there at Fort
Niobrara.
%. At Niobrara?-A. Yes. sir.
@. II was one OF the guns that
were In your charge? IL was one on
a number in your charge at that
time. was it7-A. Yes. sir.
20. You have already testified
that you packed up in the arm chests
all the guns you had charged up TO
you "A. All the surplus guns that
were not In the hands Of the mel.
sir.
q. You have a clear. positive.
distinct recollection OF that fact. have
you?-A. Yes, sir.
@. You can not be mistaken a.
bout TIA. No, sir.
q. II was No. 1858? That
was the number?-A. Yes, sir"
- ~ ? ssssyS'sssssss ssEESSSS%EE~nEHeEas
II this gun was not fired that might
In brownsville, as the testimony con
clublVely shows It was not. then II
Follows that II the shells picked up
IN the streets or Brownsville were
nreu out OF this gun they must have
been Tired at Fort Niobrara. The ties
timony shows this was both possible
and probable.
Before this microscopic investfqa-
ton was made or any such question
was Ioreseen, IL was established ~
uhcontradicted testimony that Con,
pany Is took with Il TO brownsville
as part OF its baggage a box CON
tanning from 500 to 1000 exploded,
shells, with a proportionate number
or clips. and that after arrival ar
Brownsville this box, opened. stood
on the back porch OF b barractxs
where anyone passing might nave ac-
cess TO IL and remove shells and cIin.
from IL. The microscopic renort
says that the shells picked in M
streets or Brownsville and put IN evJ-
dence were. beyond a reasopabI.
doubt. fired out Of these four o1,no
belonging to B Company. II so. tber
II also follows that thew were f-aj
not In Brownsville, but at Fort Mo
Drara' ana that they were found in
the streets not because they fell
mere "hen hred, but because they
had been placed there by persons nm
known. who had secured them from
TINS box or shells standing on the.
back porch and easily accessible m
anyone disposed TO remove them
tnerefrom- In other words. the mi
croscopic inspection shows concIu-
sively, not that the soldiers were
guilty OF the firing, but that the sol-
diers were free from such guilt.
Before / leave that subject LET me
again call attention to the fact that
the next morning, about the break
OF day. as he testified. Captain Mack
TN, who was the officer of the day.
made a very careful search, having
heard that the charge was that the
soldiers had done the firing, both in
side the reservation and outside. to
md any evidence of such firing. In
side the reservation he could find no
smell no clip, no evidence OF any
KIND TO show that any firing had oc-
CURED. Outside the reservation in
the mouth OF Cowen alley, where I'm,
sentinel and the scavenger testified
that the first firing occurred. he
found on circular area, not more
than 10 inches in diameter-think
how small that Is now-seven ex-
pioded Shells and six OF these clfpe.
The testimony Is that IL those ex-
ploded shells had been fired that