Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-03
THREE HOUSTON RIOTERS
ARE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED
Captains Testimony Before Court
martial Fixes Guilt on Three
OF Sixty-Thrce Arrested.
POLICE BLAMABLE, HE SAYS
Officer Sparks Said to hive Abused
and Beaten Negro Guard Who
Asked for Information Relative to
Arrest OF Soldier.
IBy Associated Press. |

ISL
SAN ANTONIO. TEN. November g.
Positive identification of three negroes
Of the Twenty Infantry who
participated In the Houston riot, Au-
gust %, which resulted in the death OF
twenty-five persons. was made to-day
by captain Iiaig ShekorJinn. OF the
Twenty-fOurth Infantry. testifyinr at
the court martial Of sixty three
negroes charged with mutiny, murder
and rioting. The Identification was
made in connection with n detailed mr.
ration Of events leading up TO the riot
Ing.
The three negroes who were posi-
lively identified were Coruoral 7 y
hawkins. Corporal G. Brown and Pri-
Stc IRA DAVIS They were among tho
defendants in the courtroom.
The "shoo;ing-up" OF Houston ,c
cord'ns TO Captain Shekerjian's tes,i-
mony. was prcciptated by tho ,ct;o,
or policeman Sparks, in abusing Cor
porai Charles Baltimore. Of the Tween
ty-fourth Infantry, when he arrested
Inn In tae streets of Houston on the
a.ternooh preceding the night of tho
outbreak At the time OF Baltimooro..
arrest. the witness testified. BaItInoora
was on military duty and wore no
ilce badge that was plainly Visible 70
Policeman Sparks.
The trouble started, Captain Sbck.r.
nan testified, when BALTIMORE aslt.d
Foliccman Sparks why he had arrest ed
r.eero member of the Twenty-fou
infantry. BALTIMORE, ACCORDING RI C,,.
kerjian. said Sparks "curscd III, ;, 80
to!d hin II was none of his b,.inns.
baltimore then told Sparks thar he W.,
on Euhrd duty and would have to renort
10 ms commanding officer why the SOL
uei IA" peefi arrested. To this. ac-
SoFuing 70 the witness. Sparks replicd
pistol. w" MS
" FIRED THREE SHOTS
AT THE FLEEING SF,f:uO
BALTIMORE then ram down the stroo,
anu INTO house while Sparks nroI
'hree shots after him. Baltimoore tooL
.etuse un4er n bed. Sparks following
rninhE MIN out and striking him twic.
,lo,e WIN ms pistol. BALTIMORE then
49,, 80. 10 jail Meantime. the re-
port reached Camp Logan that Da1ti-
moore had been shot ana killed TIL.
.ncenscd The negro troops, Shelscrii,n
.Stihed' and. Notwithstanding tho T,ct
'nat 'hey Later wcrc told thar R.i,,
moore was not killed. thew mutiniea
"nHt 10 houston. and slot-up the town
MAJOR snow. he said, sent hin, 49,
the city 20 investigate. ue cnnt ..o
~" az, Ghief or Police Brock, I'm whosa
once Baltimore and Spnrks told tho,s
stories Sparks saying that BaltJmoor
used insulting language to him. An
queer: with Sparks mt the time. do
MED this. tho witness said chier R,ocIr
then suspended Sparks.
captain Shckerjian took BaItimoor.
10 camp, no said. instructinr him en-
route 10 belittle the whole affair A,
camp Shekerjian said he called all the
hrst serSeants into his tent and err
pihined that Sparks would he nrnJ.rnH
and instructed the noncommissIoneG
oihcers TO explain the situation fully
10 tho men at retreat" Major Snow
nae previously cancelled all passe, far
the night. he said.
oheKer3ian said that later in tho
evening he learned the negro soldiers
were obtaining ammunition and seemeJ
possessed with the idea that a moh
Oh Houston civilians was coming TO
the camp.
I pushed into the crowd" the wit.
ness testified, saying There is no ono
coming. We will take the law into
our own hands, one negro shouted.
CAPTAIN KNOCKED down
BY MUTISOUS SOLDIER
Somebody knocked me over. ro,
up pulled my fashliEht and threw II
IN me face OF Il man whose face i'm
pressed me. Drop that light or Will
put a hole through you he commanded
me- put out the light"
The captain pointed out Ira Davis
as the man he referred to. Shekerjian
then testified:
1T all happened faster than can
tell you. Men began firing: there was
too much noise for them to hear my
commands TO stop. / saw a group OF
men lying prone behind a stump. ap-
parently firing proniscuously. I ran
up and grabbed their guns into my
arms and told them there was no dan
ger: to quit firing and help restore
order. They quit. continued run
ming to men and taking hold OF them,
issuing orders to cease firing into their
ears. was having some success
About this time I heard some one yell: