Bisbee daily review., 1917-11-02
NEGROES Who
REVOLTED IN
HOUSTONNOW
ARE ON TRIAL
Court-Martial of So Members
of the Twenty-fourth Infan-
try Starts at Fort Sam Hous-
ton, Texas.
(By Review Leased wirel.

| SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Nov. l.
Sixty-three negro soldiers of the oath
infantry on guard at Camp Logan,
Houston, we're placed on court-martial
trial here today on charges of mu-
tiny. murder and rioting in Houston
on the night of August %. last. dur
ing which % lives were lost, armed
themselves and left the camp in dis.
obedience to orders from Mai. X. s.
Snow after he had warned them of
the consequences, and advised them
that Corporal Charles w. Baltimore.
negro soldier, had not been killed by
Houston police officers. Major Snow
testified this afternoon. Earlier re-
ports. Major Snow said. were that
Baltimore had been killed and the
negro soldiers were incensed.
Major Snow was in command of the
Third battalion of the infantry. num-
bers of which participated in the
shooting up of Houston. He was the
only material witness at the first day
OF the military trial.
Courtroom Guarded
The trial is being held in Gift chan
Ell at Camp Travis. which has been
converted into a temporary court.
room. Armed guards with fixed bavo-
nets are stationed at points of van
tage in the auditorium and spacious
yard surrounding the building during
the course of the trial. Spectators
are permitted in the gallery. All of
the defendants we're seated in the
courtroom. There were originally ga
defendants. but one, Grant Anderson.
Ill of pneumonia, was unable to at
tend. The defendants entered pleas
of not guilty when court opened.
Major Snow testified that a report
reached camp about o'clock on the
afternoon preceding the shooting that
Corporal Baltimore had been shot and
killed by Houston policeman. Later.
the witness said. he went to Houston
police headquarters, where the chief
of police told him that Baltimore had
not been shot, but had been arrested
and roughly handled by a policeman
named Sparks; that Sparks had been
suspended and would be further pun
ished. Baltimore's arrest is said TO
have followed his asking Sparks why
he had arrested a negro woman.
= Soldiers Angry
Returning to camp, Major Snow
. rQSrlflad no he
ready angry and making threats. 1t
was then he told them Baltimore had
not been killed. as they believed.
IL talked with them, telling them
they were sticking their necks in
ropes. committing suicide and to put
their guns down." Major Snow testi-
fed. But all | said was unavailing.
Twenty or thirty of the negroes had
guns pointed at him. Major Snow said
and seeing he could do nothing he
lodged between some tents and went
into X company station.
When he reached company's sup.
ply tent. the major said. he saw many
negroes helping themselves to rifles
and ammunition and shortly the fir
b, ing broke loose"
Many Shots Fired
Major Snow estimated that 1000 or
1900 shots were fired within 10 min
utes. The negroes seemed to be fir.
ing toward the city of Houston, he
said 1t was too dark to recognize
any of them but he kept trying to per
suade them to stop firing.
About this time. according to the
testimony, upwards of 100 negroes left
camp, starting toward Houston. Snow
then had all the negroes in camp
rounded up so he could check up on
those absent. The firing meantime
could be heard in the direction of the
city. he testified.
/ Snow did not witness any of the
shooting in the city, he said, and did
not know the names of any of the
negroes who mutinied