Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-14
made. He could not tell who was in the

made. He could not tell who was in the
guardhouSe.
Senate Document 400. page 15S. private
Carolina de Saussure was sent after the
alarm and guard call with Corporal
Wheeler and Privates Mitchell and Battle
toward quarters, and he was later station
ed over near the officers quarters where
he had ample opportunity to clean his
uncertain about whom he saw in the
guardhouse. The time that he was sent
toward quarters was later than he claim
ed. He admits that he had his gun and
nothing about being In the same bunk
with Boyd Conyers. He says there was
no rack for guns in the guardhouse
Conyers declares now that he and De
had their guns in bed and their ammuni-
ton belts on. though this important fact
was not brought out in his testimony. ne
said that his gun got damned in 18th
street by the Cowen house as he came out
Of the Cowen alley and that De Saussure
fixed 1t for him This corroborates the
testimony of Herbert Elkns, clerk in the
Leahy Hotel. (See Senate Doc. 4O2, Part
II, p: 81, last paragraph: Penrose court
martial, p. 443; S. l., vol. 3, p. 2313 }
Conyers was recruit and not very fam
liar with his weapon, while De Saussure
was serving his third enlistment
"Non-Com." Embarrassed.
The published testimony of the nom
commissioned officers on post bears evil
dence that they were embarrassed by
conflicting purpOses-to satisfy the in
qufries being made and yet not bctray the
guilty men. The guardhouse was we'll
lighted. and it's inmates easily to be seen
and identified. AS stated. there is no
testimony from Sergeant Reid. in charge
OF the guard. Corporal Wheeler, on post,
testified MacKlin trial. poo that Sergeant
Reid was asleep in the non-commissioned
officers room, that he himself was in the
guardhouse awake. but that IS. Doc. No.
4O2, p. 100 he didn't know who was in
the guardrOom
Corporal Franklin testified IS. Doc 4O2,
p. 122) that he thought all his relief was
present. but wasn't certain whether they
were present or absent. He had doZed off
when the firing began. The relief was
formed double rank in front and held for
fifteen or twenty minutes, he teStities. be-
fore being thrown into skirmish line lying
down.
Corporal Burdett testifies IS Doc 4O2
p. H2D that he was asleep but dosen't
remember how many privates We're in the
guardhouSe.
communicative. He was asleep in the
entrance to the guardhouse. Was awak-
ened Is. Doc. 4O2, D. 145. S. l.. o. SGD by
Sergt. Reid and Corporal Wheeler and
told to sound the alarm. Went back into
the guardroom before doing so to see the
time by the clock: found it was II o'clock
Saw Privates Johnson and Battle. but
doesn't remember any others johnson
was sentinel in front of the guardhouse.
post No. -
Mitchell and Battle gave very brief tes-
tlmony at Brownsville and were not ex-
amined thereafter. They all stated that
they were asleep in the guardhouse but
made no statement as to the other mem
bers of the relief
Private Joseph Rogers first testified that
he was asleep IS. Doc. No. ar D. 1an
but at the Macklin trial Macklin D. LII,
and at the Senate investigation IS. l., PIP
?S4-9SJ) claims that he was awake read
ing novel; doesn't remember what
novel or what 1t was about; was sent 10
awake Capt. Mackln. but told several
conflicting stories of what ne did, and is
discredited by the officers of the batta!-
ion. He didn't know how many men or
who were present, but said "they were
supposed to be there He admitted at
the Mackln trial that he had been court
martialed at least five times. yet was
discharged with character good at each
of his first two enliStments.
Summarizing the testimony as to the
presence Of the prvates of the relief
guard In the SuardrOom. it is extremely
non-committal and uncertain as to who
were there and who were absent when
the alarm was sounded. In justice to the
commissioned officers of the battalion il
should be stated that for weeks they con-
Oucted pdlnStdklnS, personal, searching
investigation and examination of the sol
diers in their endeavor to ferret out the
guilty parties but the seal of secrecy had
been put on the mouths of the men. The
few soldiers who conscientiously tried to
aid the officers were called dog robbers"
and made to feel the displeaSure of their
fellows. Private Elmer Brown. Company
B. who slept in the corral the night of
the raid. testifes to this.
Stories of the Sentinels.
Private b. F. johnson, Company d. on
post No I. in front Of the guardhouse, is
personally sufficiently accounted for He
retreated behind dense cloud of igno-
He didn't know anything; didn't even