Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-01-06
PESTECE THREATENS To COMPLETE WORK Of DEATH IN DEVASTATED ITALY

which Mr.. Baldwin serves to know
whether he is considered by them to
be trustworthy, reliable and skllful
and until have an affirmative answer
from them on the subject ! shall not
sign the contract The contract has
been prepared by the judge advocate
general
Il have talked with MI Baldwin
and With MI Browne, and they think
that unless within thirty days the
prospects Of success are bright, Il
would be useless to continue the in
vostigation further. IT, however. theil
clews are found, as they expect to find
them, through the use of the large
force of detectives in the employ of
Mr. Baldwin, then thirty days further
may be needed in order to render tn,
proofs satisfactory. There is, as You
viii see in the contract, the right to
cancel the contract at the end of thirty
days and thus save half of the eX-
pense should it turn out that the eft
fort is wholly useless. You viii find
written on the back Of the contract Il
formal endorsement and authorization
by you to sign in order that the
money may be withdrawn and paid
from the appropriation there mem
toned
VERY sincerely yours,
WILLIAM II. TAFT"
The contract recommended by Mr.
TAFT was for the payment: Of $4,000
in four weekly installments and the
secretary of war pointed out that it
a tt+t,
ton in the event that the investiga-
ton by private detectives had been
concluded or that il We're not success
full
Secretary Wright's letter covers fully
the employment of Browne and Bald
win. He says that since the discharge
order was promulgated numerous APP
plications for enlistmest had been
made By soldiers who asserted theii
innocence Of participation in the
Brownsville affair 1t appeared to the
department, says Secretary Wright
that some of the members were inno-
cent and for that reason the contract
was made with Browne under which
he was to associate Baldwin with him
and undertake an independent investi-
CATION of the incident. Baldwin is de-
scribed in the letter as a railway de-
tective of large experience and un-
usual ability who was recommended
to the department by the presidents
of several of the biggest railroads of
the south.
Ordinary agencies at the disposal of
the executive, says Secretary Wright
had not been completely successful,
and especially in determining what
particular individuals had been en-
gagged in the Brownsville afiray as
participants He reviews the inVest-
CATIONS ana expresses the opiniun tlat
it was wise to employe Browne and
Baldwin and to place the conduct OF
the investigation in their hands" Sec
retarv Wright justifies that course as
follows:
''To that end, an expression of view
from the Judge advocate general as to
the legality of the undertaking was
called for and it was his opinion in
view of the existing executive and leg
islatve conditions referred to- that
existed sufficiently urgent
in character to bring it within the OPP
GRAFTON OF the emergency clause OF the
deficiency appropriation act
Considerable difficulty was encoun-
tered in locating the forty members
of the negro battalion, according to
Secretary Wrights letter, but before
the expiration of the first contract suf
ficient Information had been obtained,
he says. to warrant the department in
continuing the investigation by the
same persons.
ON September I. 1908. q supple
mental agreement was entered into
calling for the payment Of $1,000 aud
on December 3 a third contract was
made calling for further payment OF
$1,000, making $4,000 in all under
the three contracts. The fun amount
involved in the three contracts was
paid between April "a and January
2 last in ten installments varying in
amounts from 1000 to s2.500.