The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-12

San Antonio, Texas. Dec 11-A trampled clearing in a lonely mesquite thiIket, no different in appearanc, rom hundreds of other clearings or the big government reservation here except for the ashes of two huge bon fires show no signs tonight that 1t was the execution place for thirteen negro soldiers of the Twenty fourth Infantry this morning The negroes convicted of participating in the fatal riots at Houston, Texas, August 23. last, were hanged at 7:I7 o'clock. one minute before sunrise in this latitude
 The bonfire illumination for the hanging just as streaks of dayligbt were beginning to appear through a cloudy sky, the bleak landscape of dull ray and browns against which the new timber of the double scaffold stood out sharply, the khaki clad miIi- tary guard officers with coat collars turned up, for the morning was cold. made an unforgettable picture.
 In only one detail did the execution differ from other military executions which have preceded it. That was the part which the modern army motor truck played in making the execution itself and all the preparations for it secret
 After dark last night motor trcuks 9 carried the lumber for the scaffolds and company of engineers to the clearing. The scaffolds were built by firelieht Motor trucks, shortly after five o'clock this morning, carried the condemned negroes from the barracks where they spent their last night. and the officers and military guard to the place of execution Motor trucks carried the negroes bodies to a place as indistinguishable as the execution site. where the burial took place and then the trucks hauled back to Fort sam Houston every bit of timber used in the scaffold so that the site was clear before, formal announce ment of the executions had been is sued by southern department head quarters.
 One might tramp for hours over the hundreds of brush covered acres of the military reservation without find ing either execution site or burial ground as there are no landmarks near. The hanging took place not more than a hundred yards from bath houses which have been built near a swimming pool in the Salado Creek used by men of the national army at Camp Travis half a mile away, but mesquite trees effectually screen the trampled ground
 The condemned negroes had known of their fate since Sunday Twelve of them sought spiritual counsel of army Y NJ. c. A. workers The thir teenth, whose name has not been dis closed, gave no inkling that he knew Outwardly all of the negroes were stocial. They did not know the date of the execution. but last night they were taken from the cavalry guard house. where they have been prison CTS more than month. and placed in separate barracks
 Aside from less than a dozen off cers of the south department and the sheriff of BeXar county, no one in the city or the army csmps knew of the execution, date or place. The other negro defendants were ignorant of the fate of their companions until after the formal announcement had been made.
 They were aroused this morning a few minutes before regular army rev elry, 5:30 o'clock The military guard had been summoned silently and no sound was heard in the camp where nearly 10000 men were sleeping. eN- cept the purring of the army truck motors awaiting their loads. The ne groes dressed in their regular uni forms as carefully as for inspection
 The negroes executed displayed neither hravado nor fear, They rode to the execution singing hymn. tul the singing was as that of soldiers on the march Arriving al the clear ing the singing stopped, the men shackled were helped from the trucks to the scaffolds and seated on chairs. A low good bye, boys" addressed to members of their military guard who had been in charge of the negroes