Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-28
ARMY COURT At WORK
Busy Reading Up Records of
Brownsville Case.
OLD TESTIMONY TO STAND
Money and Time to Be Saved by
Proposed Methods.
VISIT TO SCENE IN THE FALL
New Witnesses to Be Called on Re-
turn-Few Negro Soldiers Ex-
pected to Seek Redress.
VISIT TO SCENE IN THE FAIL

Although not generally known. it is a
fact that the army court of inquiry, OF
which Maj Gen. Young is president, is
| industriously employed on its difficult
| task of determining what individuals
shot up the sleepy village of Browns
| vile on the night of August L., 1906.
Public interest in the investigation has
been temporarily revived by the action
of Congress in appropriating $4,000 to
meet the extraordinary expenses of
the court. The appropriation is con-
tanned in the urgent deficiency bill and
was made at the request Of the Secretary
of War, to meet necessary expenditures
not chargeable against the current ap-
preparations for the military esta bHsh-
ment
AS the main purpose of the inquiry is
questions in dispute regarding the So
called Brownsville affair.", the court has
been specially charged to make search
ing and most thorough investigation of
the affair in all its phases. but particu-
larly with reference to the alleged par
ticipation therein of members OF the bat
talon of the 25th Colored Infantry, sta
toned at Fort Brown at the time.
That entire battalion was discharged
without honor by President Roosevelt.
That action was based mainly on the re-
port of Inspector General Darlington of
the army.
He charged in effect that about ten or
twelve of the colored soldiers took part
in the raid and that the remaining MEM
bers of the battalion. about $50 in num-
Der. practically defeated the ends Of jus
tice by the suppression of evidence pre-
sumably within their knowledge.
Last Of Many Inquiries.
The affair has been investigated again
and again by army officers, special COM
missions of the Department of Justice,
the grand jury of Brownsville. detectives
and secret service men, and, lastly, by "A
special committee of the Senate. without
conclusive results as to the identity of
the actual perpetrators of the outrage.
On the representation of ex-senator
Foraker that it was unjust to punish all
the members of the battalion for a crime
that was attributed to less than one
eighth of their number, Congress passed
an act at the last regular session pro-
viding for a reinvestigation of the affair
by a regular military board and au
thorizing the re-enlistment, without
prejudice, of all the discharged soldiers
shown to be innocent of participation in
the raid of having shielded any of the
participants.
All soldiers reinstated under this act
will receive full pay and allowances from
the date of discharge. and their service
will be treated as continuous in regard
to retirement and other benefits. On the
other hand. if the pending investigation
shows that any one of the soldiers was
connected with the midnight raid he will
be turned over to the proper authorities
for prosecution and punishment.
Since the court was appointed in March
last it has devoted its entire time TO
careful study of the evidence adduced
at prior Investigations. including that
conducted by the Senate committee. The
evidence of each witness is separately
read and digested by each member of the
court and is then discussed by all in a
general meeting, after which the essen
tial points established are summarized
and recorded for the future information
and guidance of the court.
Much Preliminary Work.
Owing to the large number of witnesses
examined, including many of the SOL
diers and all civilians known to have any
information on the subject, the records
of evidence fill many large printed VOL
umes. Their careful consideration is a
stupendous task.
1t is calculated that the court will not
complete this necessary but tedious
phase of the investigation before the mid !
die or end of September. Daily meetings |
are held at the quarters of the court on
New York avenue near 1ttn street and
1t is reported lildl LARRY Sood PToSfSSS
is being made.
So far all the sessions of the court have |
been secret, but it is expected that when
the court begins taking oral testimony
the doors will be opened to the public. |
From the fact that the court is devoting
so much time and study to the evidence /
adduced by the Senate committee and
prior investigations it is inferred that |
the military court has concluded to ac- |
cept such evidence for its own purposes /
and so avoid the necessity of a re-exam-
nation of host of witnesses, except in
cases where it is considered essential to |
clear up points in dispute.
The court has not announced its inten- |
tons in that regard, SO 1t cannot be con- /
sidered as finally settled Beyond the
fact that the court is reading up the old
evidence, very little is known OF the ac-
tual proceedings and intentions of the |
court in the prosecution Of its inquiry. /
There is good ground for the statement
however, that the members of the court
will visit Brownsville in body in order
to make a personal inspection OF Fort
Brown and that part OF the city of
visited by the raiders. Their
visit may be made late in September. be-
fore beginning the taking of new testi-
mony.
Applicants Must Testify.
Among those to be personally examined
by the court are all the discharged sol
diers who apply for re-enlistment. Each
Of these men will be closely questioned as
to his Whereabouts and movements on the
night of the raid and his knowledge or
lack of knowledge as TO the raid and the