The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-11-29


eight pages, the affidavits and state
ments made by the discharged sol
I diers of the Twenty-fifth Infantry.
/ applying to reinstatement.
Taking two complete sets of each
4 OF these documents, using one to
supply the right hand side of a page
and the other the left hand side,
/ Captain Rowland, went through the
/ list of witnesses in turn, tearing out
I the pages containing statements or
affidayits made by each one and
FASTING them in separate blank
books in chronological order. When
/ this work was completed, he had, in
I effect, built up 1925 booklets, that
number of people having given testi-
mOny, each one containing in SPAR
! ate and convenient form, the COM
| plete evidence given by a certain
witness, whether orally or by affi-
/ davit, in connection with this case.
/ He then condensed the matter given
! ing ueStiO nand answer form in each
booklet, by picking out the material
! evidence and weaving it into a con
! tinuous narrative, and placed a
/ typewriter copy of the condensa-
/ ton of each book in the back of
/ that booklet. Each statement made
] in the condensation is accompanied
! by reference to the printed page
from winch il is taken.
These are impartial CONVERSATIONS
of the evidence, not briefs for or
j against any man or men,
Six copies of each booklet and con-
densatiOn were made, one for each
member fC the court, to assist him
in the preparation of his own mem
orandum. and one for the recorder.
These booklets and CONVERSATIONS
have been carefully indexed by
by names, by groups, and by names
and groups tOgether-group in this
instance signifying testimony upon
the same point-and the set retained
by the recorder filed in a cabinet
which was sent here when the court
adjourned at washington.
Thus, the testimony of any wit
ness as a whole or upon any GER
tain point or points, or that given
at particular investigation or hear
ingOr court martial or by affidavit,
or the testimony of different witness
es upon the same point, forming
thus a test of the evidence upon
any certain point, without regard to
the persons giving it, may be found
easily and quickly.
By this truly remarkable work, /
accomplished in the short space of
six months, Captain Rowland has
reduced more than 5000 pages OF !
printed testimony to approximately
500 pages, and what is more import |
ant, has gathered in concise, acces- !
sible form, the material points of /
evidence, that in the original docu- /
ments are buried under a cOnglOmer- /
ate mass of testimony.
Practically the entire time of the /
court, then, from May 10 until last
Saturday has been given to the con-
sideratiOn of these statements in !
book form presented from time to !
time as prepared by the recorder, /
the final batch being turned over at /
the last meeting in Washington on
November Is.
At that meeting it was decided /
that the court would visit Browns
Vile, for the purpose of viewing /
the scene Of the affray and also OF /
taking any new and material eyi
dence that may be presented, and (
also that upon the return of the /
court to Washington, it viii consider +
the cases Of the discharged negro /
soldiers, holding daily sessions if (
practicable, until the work shall /
have been finished
The court then adjourned to meet .
at the call of the president, Gen. .
Young, at Brownsville.
May Finish BY Wednesday. I
The first meeting was held last .
Saturday, as told in The Herald of /
that day, and others will be held /
daily until the work here is com /
pleted, which, from present indica- |
lions will be in time to allow the |
court to leave on the Wednesday
afternoon train.
In compliance with the rules of /
procedure, the recorder has endeav- /
ored TO locate each of the discharged !
negro soldiers and ascertain whether |
or not he desires reenlistment, and, |
if so, if he has engaged counsel to /
represent him. Up to the present, /
he has found about one hundred of |
the 1877 discharged Of these, all /
but seven have signified Their in
tentiOn of appearing before the /
court
Brig. Gen. a. S. Daggett, retired, /
has been retained by Mingo San
ders, former sergeant of company |
B, 18th Infantry, and w Simmons |
and w. B. Marshall of Washing
ton, D. C.,and Gilcrist Stewart of /
New York by several offers to ap-
pear for them. Gen. Daggett ar
rived in Brownsville last night
To date four partial reports to the
Secretary of War have been made !
in accordance with the provisions of
the act creating the court. These |
have treated of the organization Of |
the coart, the adoption of he Rdles /
Of Procedure and The transaction
Of tho business o. he court