The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-01-13
FORAKER R0ASTS
THE PRESIDENT.
LATTER'S USE OF DETECTIVES
WAS SHOCKING. afro
clous AND REVOLVING"
N 'NEY WAS "fILCAED'
From Spanish War Fund to Secure
Evidence Against Brownsville Sol
diers--Deccit, Treachery,
Liquor Used.

! Washington, Jan 12.-Illegu diver
sion of public funds by the president
and William II. Taft while secretary
CT war, to pay for the investigation b.
private detectives into the Browns
Vile affair whas charged by Senator
Joseph Benson Foraker. of Ohio, In
the senate today In a speech replyins
to statements of Herbert j. Browne,
of this city and William G. Baldwin,
of Roanoke, Va, who were employed
by the secretary of war to secure evi-
dence OF the guilt of negro soldiers
of the 52th Infantry, United States
Army, in shooting up Brownsville on
the night of August 1914, 1906. The
government use of private detectives
was characterized by Mr.. Foraker as
"atrocious, shocking and revolving
This charge of illegally diyerting
$4,000 from the war fund of $1,000
600 appropriated by the deficiency act
Of March 3, 1899, was made by Mr..
Foraker In concluding his remarks
which ccnsister of very careful con-
sideration of certain legal phases of
the Brownsville affair and The reading
of number of affidavits by soldiers
whose testimony and confessions
Mr.. Browne alleged he had secured
to unravel the mystery Of the identity
OF the men who did the shooting and
these affidayits denied with great
particularly nearly every statement
of Importance by the detectives.
Questionable Methods.
speaking OF the reply nf the pfesl-
ident and Of the secretary of war to
a senate resolution calling for infor'
nation on the detectives nvestiga-
tions into the Brownsville affair, Nj.
Foraker said
This message of the president
with its exhibits and this report of the
secretary of war present new and
most serious feature of this unhappy |
business. They not only disclose de-
termined effort on the part of the
president to again bolster up the case |
against these men which he has here
tofore. on numerous occasions, both |
officially and unofficially character
lied as conclusive and overwhelming |
but that he has resorted to a method
in his effort to secure such testimony |
that can not be fittiugly characterized |
without the use of language which. II
employed might appear to be disre-
spectfu to the chief executive. And
worst of ALL in this endeayor to Sc
cure such testimony the president has
himself committed the serious ogense
condemned by every court that ad-
ministers the common law, that has
ever had occasion to speak on the
suiect--of holding out to these men
an induccment, or reward. for giving
such testimony in the form of reen-
IIstment, with full pay, and reinstate-
ment to all their rights as soldiers.
Money F'ched.
"It does not lessen the gravity Of
his odeusc that it appears to be i'm
pcrc,,tib'c to him: or. if not so. that
he has LccCme utterly oblivious to
an the restraints of law. decehcy, and
propriety in his NAL pursuit Of these
helpless victims Of his ill-eonsidered !
action. Moreover. | shall be able to
show. / think, that all this has been
done without authority Of the law and
with public money that has been
hlchcd from the public treasury in
nat defiance Of the constitution and p
statute in full force and effect.
Il do not hesitate TO say hat in my
opinion. aside from the question
whether there has ueen a misappro!-
Ration of public funds, no precedent
Icr anything so shocking eau b.
found IN all the history of American |
criminal Jurisprudence.
Deceit. Treschery, Liquor.
IA will appear from the president
message and the exhibits thereto al /
facbea showing the mode in which
the detectives are operating. and the
testimony in answer thereto. tha'
fraudulent impersonation. misrepre
sentation. lying. deceit. treachery
Iiouor and intoxicstion coupled with
promises Of immunity aHd the excite
ment Of hope and fear and the offer
Of employment al remuneratiYe
wages. have been resorted to secure
The testimony sought for. and that the
so-caIled confessions are not con
fined 10 such as affect the partiss
making them OF 10 those affected By
them who may be present when such
confessions are made. bat who arc
absent and without knowledge OF
What is transpiring. and without any
whatever 70 be heard N
their ovn defense-evcn TO make an