Evening star., 1918-01-19
FATE OF RIOTERS IObE
DECIDED BY PRESIDENT
Fifteen Members Of Colored Infantry
Convicted After Hanging and
Imprisonment Of Others.


President Wilson soon will have to
determine the fate Of the surviving
members of the cath United States In
fantry (colored) convicted by courts
martial of charges of mutiny and mur-
der at and near Houston. Tex. August
% last. There were two trials. one fol-
lowing the other after q short interval.
At the first trial sixty-one soldiers
were arraigned. OF that number five
were acquitted and restored to duty. OF
the remaining fifty-six who were con-
victed Of various degrees of guilt, thir-
teen we're hanged at the Army post
few days after conviction. thirty-nine
were sentenced to Imprisonment at
hard labor for life. three. to imprison-
ment for two years, and one to 1mpr1s-
onment for two years and six months.
In all those cases, the findings and SEN
tences of the court were approved by
Maj. Gen. Ruckman, commanding the
Department of Texas, and carried Into
effect without reference to the views
of the officials at Washington.
Subsequently fifteen members of the
same battalion were tried on somewhat
similar charges in connection with riot
ing at a different place on the same
night. All were convicted. Five were
sentenced to be hanged. three to ten
years Imprisonment and seven to seven
years imprisonment. Following the
summary execution Of the thirteen men
convicted at the first trial before the
law officers of the War Department had
been permitted to determine that the
proceedings of the court-martial were
in strict conformity with the laws gov
erning such cases and that there had
been no miscarriage of justice. the
President issued an order that there
after the death sentence imposed BY
court-martial in any case arising In the
United States should not be carried into
effect unless the proceedings OF the
court had been reviewed and approved
by the judge advocate general of the
Army.
In accordance with that order, the
execution Of the sentences imposed in
the second trial has been suspended,
and the record of the proceedings sent
to the War Department for review. Al
though thirteen men of the first batch
tried were hanged December II. the
record of the court-martial proceedings
in that case has just reached the War
Department. It is being considered in
conjunction with the proceedings at tne %
second trial. When the officers OF the
Judge advocate generals office have
completed their review of the volumin-
GUS proceedings Of both trials the cases
will be submitted to the President for
final action. OF course nothing can be
done in the cases Of the thirteen men
who already have expiated their crime,
but it is now possible. 1t is stated at
the department. in case 1t is found
justiflab1e. to exercise clemency in the
cases of all the survivors. including the
five under sentence Of death as well as
those serving their terms Of imprison-
ment and those sentenced to imprison-
ment.
There is no reason to suppose that
irr ri n
in either of the two trials, but II there
was it is fully within the power Of the
President to apply any remedy he may
deem proper. He has been deluged
with appeals to save the men con-
demned to death.