Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-04-18

The speech closed. colleagues of
the Ohio Senator crowded about him
Senator Warner, whose bill for the
re-enlistment of the Negro soldiers
he had antagOnized, being among tns
first TO grasp his hand. One after
another of the Senators from both
sides OF the chamber congratulated
him upon his presentation OF the sub
ject.
no PLAN TO EMBARRAss.
Before entering upon this Ia
bor," said Mr.. Foraker. in opening
his speech, 1T may not be amiss to
remark in view OF the many mis-
statements that have been made, thar
the purpose OF this investigation has
not been TO embarrass the President
or anybody else; nor has IL been to
make capital of any kind. political
or otherwise, against anybody or for
anybody"
He continued TO say that the In
vestigation was to find the facts in
the case as a guide to intelligent ac-
ton. He reviewed the incidents pre-
ceding the Senate investigation, and
said the soldiers gave their evidence
with such Straightforward frankness
and with such manifest truthfulness
that. in his opinion. nothing remains
10 show their complete vindicatron
except only the discovery of the real
culprits, which time will surely make
unless the adage that murder viii
out has ceased to be a truth"
Mr.. Foraker reviewed various in
cidents and orders that led up to the
tI n ~ hn
or. Most of the witnesses against
the soldiers, he said. testified four
different times concerning the affraS
Their testimony so given is suf-
hciently contradictory TO show IL is
unreliable" he said; but, aside from
the contradictions on account OF the
darkness of the night, many things
that were testified TO by these wit
nesses could not possibly have been
observed by them"
SAYS TESTIMONY WAS FLIMSY.
Further commenting on the nature
OF the testimony given, he said:
II is unnecessary to go over this
evidence in a detailed way, for. con-
ceding for the sake of argument that
the witnesses undertook to testify
truthfully, the fiimsy and unreliable
character of the whole of It is fairly
indicated by the testimony of the
four principal so-called eyewitnesses
without their testimony there is
no credible evidence whatever to
support the charge that the first shots
were fired from the barracks or from
any place within the reservation or
shat there was any jumping over the
wall by anybody.
Without the testimony of these
tour witnesses, the testimony of the
ohcers and the men OF the battalion
that the shooting commenced at SONS
point outside Of the reservation
stands practically uncontradicted.
Taking up one phase of the tes.
tlmony after another, Mr.. Foraker
commented upon it in great detail.
The circumstantial evidence against
the soldiers concerning the shells
and bullets found after the shooting
ne declared, turned out to be favor
able TO them, because of the impos-
slDllity Tor them to have had such
ammunition without that fact being
developed In the examinations that
were made.
DECLARES THERE WAS NO MO-
| TIVE.
l The case against the soldiers" he
said, fails in another important par-
| ticular. No adequate motive--in
fact, no motive whatever-is shown
for such an assault upon the town.
l 'The evidence shows that the SOL
diers frequented the saloons but lit
tie, and that they never made any
complaint to their officers or any