Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-25
HOUSTON |SFREED
Of NEGRO RIOTERS
Soldiers Who Shot Up Town
Disarmed and Sent to
Columbus, N. M.
GEN. BELL BEGINS INQUIRY

DAY night took part In shooting in the
streets that killed seventeen persons. were
taken from here and started toward Co
lumbus y. NJ. early today. Among them
were the thirty-four men charged with
murder by District Attorney John II.
Crocker.
The entire s33 members of the battalion.
which came here four weeks ago to guard
Camp Logan during construction. were
entrained by daybreak and shortly after
the train started, westward. Maj X. s.
Snow did not accompany the battalion, az
he has been detailed major to the Ma
tional Army camp at Little Rock. Ark.
With the arrival today OF Maj. Gen.
George Bell. jr.. investigation OF the
shooting was scheduled to begin.
Trial by Military Court. =
The fate of the hundred or more negro
soldiers, who are alleged to. have par
ticipated in the rioting today Is in the
decision of District Attorney John H.
Croker in filing murder charges
against thirty-four of the men, Gen.
Bell indicated that there was slight
possibility of any of the men being res
turned here for civil trial.
II assume" Gen. Bell said. that the
local authorities Will seek to try the
men against whom charges have been
filed. However, their disposition is in
the hands of the military They VIII Dc
court-martialed.
Gen. Bell declined to discuss plans
for court-martial or to comment on the
statement last night of Maj. Snow that
conditions at Camp Logan Thursday
night were practically mutiny. He
pointed out, however, that mutiny in
time of war was punishable by DEATH
Gen. Bell went to Camp Logan tc con-
fer with Maj. Snow shortly before noon-
District Attorney Croker, when he
learned this morning that the thirty
four men held in the Harris county
Jail had been removed and sent to CO.
lumbus with their comrades. said.
II don't think they would have taken
them away SO easily il 1 had had the
power to issue warrants against them
The departure OF the battalion Tor
Columbus appreciably lessened the ten
sion in Houston. although from the
hour the authorities took firm hold OF
the situation there had been little fear
of any serious trouble: Maj. Snow said
that while no charges had yet been pre-
ferred against the more than 100 men
who marched through the San Felipe
district shooting at random. they
might be very serious"
1T was not mutiny in the sense the
word is generally used" he said. but
there was repeated disobedience of
commands. After leaving the camp the
/ There were no commissioned officers
among the men who did the shooting.
The non-commissioned officers with the
shooters were Sergt. Henry and Corps.
and Tillman.
Shooting in the Camp. /.
There was shooting in the camp be-
fore the men marched to the city. he
said. and he pointed to bullet hole
in the frame Of a Shack as proof.
This shooting was indiscriminate. how
ever. the captain said. and he did
not believe any of the bullets were
he went among the negroes commands
ing them TO remain quiet. Mai. Snow
has sent his official report of the affair
to Maj. Gen. James Parker at Fort Sam
Houston.
Disarmed and quiet. the men worked
steadily nearly all night in preparation
for the trip to Columbus Every pre-
caution was taken to avoid any trouble
as departure was made. The chief fear
OF the authorities was that some one
might attempt interference at the last
moment. AS result. the vigilance OF
the white guard around the camp and
the soldiers and civilians who patrolled
the streets was strained to the utmost
With 5o2 men of the 18th Infantry from
Fort Sam Houston. San Antonio and
$50 regulars from Fort Crockett.
thought to be adequate.
Flanked by full battalion OF the 18th
Infantry. under Col. Millard F. Waltz.
and three companies of the Coast Ar
tiilery from Fort Crockett, the negro
soldiers were marched four abreast to
the arade grounds, where their arms
were stacked. Amy trucks then loaded
the rifles and ammunition and conveyed
them to the camp storehsuse, where they
were placed under heavy guard.
Blame on Dead Sergeant. u
The first step taken by the local au-
thorities following Gen. Bells arrival
was to give him the statements gath
cred from Private James Bivins. Risley
Young and lie Roy Pinkett by District
Attorney John II. Crooker.
These agree in declarations that Sergt-
Vida Henry, who lost his life in the
disturbance. the ringleader. They
say he formed the company in line. led
it from camp. issued orders and threw
out rear and point flank guards for pro-
lection All the statements conform in
the declaration that there was no drink
ing, and that the trouble began over a
report that Corp. Baltimore of Company
1 had been shot by mounted officers
The body of Capt. Joseph w. Mates,
Battery A. I'd Illinois Field Artillery.
who was killed while riding with po-
lice officer to the scene of the shooting.
was sent TO his relatives in Illinois
today.
Ali but three of the men who took
part in the shooting have been ac-
counted for.
Military officials. state and federal.
refuse to discuss the seriousness or the
offense and the punishment in store for
the negro soldiers. They indicate that
any statement of this nature must
come from Mai. Gen. Bell or from
Southern Department headquarters.
They had no comment either to make
on the action of state officials In filing
charges against the negroes
who We're arrested. Maj. Snow has be-
gun organization of court-martial to
inquire into the rioting and assess
against the men concerned.
Bodies of Victims Mutilated.
Indignation over the outbreak was
expressed because of the
displayed by the negroes
toward the white police officers. who
were slain and whose bodies in nearly
every instance had been hacked with
Chief of Police Brock has issued q
statement concerning the cause OF the
riot in which he asserted both he and
Lieut. Shekergian of the 24th Infantry
had conferred for two hours Thursday
afternoon regarding the possibility OF
an outbreak and preventive measures
TO be taken. Neither, however. believed
the trouble would reach a crisis so
quickly, the chief asserting fear only
that a dispute between one OF his ON
GERS and a negro sergeant might provo