Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-06
II NEGRO RAID

Wnen IneN arrived NJ FOlJ Diu"hs
and subsequent events did not tend
to change their attitude. The negro
raid took place one month after their
arrival. / shall enumerate the
fuses later.
The setting for this grim drama
is a dark and narrow alley which
runs from the garrison wall between
Elizabeth and Washington streets.
The shooting was all done either be-
hind the garrison wall or into this
alley. or on the streets where "
crosses them.
The raid began on August 10, 1906.
A shot was fired from the post a
few minutes before IL o'clock at
night At 12 o'clock the market bell
usually rang and the Brownsville
policemen changed their beats. On
this night the bell did not ring; the
negroes had cut the rope in order
to prevent the shift in police forces.
Nevertheless. the policemen, upon
hearing the shot which was fired
from Fort Brown. came down Eliza
beth street toward the Fort. The
shot was no doubt a signal. for i'm
mediately afterwards a volley was
fired and from sixteen to twenty
five negro soldiers jumped the gar
rison wall which is OF brick and
about three feet in height, and
rushed into town and fired continual
" into the houses Of the citizens.
This body OF soldiers was command
ed BY a non-commissioned officer.
These soldiers first shot into Mr..
Cowan's house. which was within
fifty yards Of the garrison wall Of
Fort Brown. Forty or more children,
who had been celebrating a birthday
party. had disbanded lust a few min
utes before the shots were fired into
the house. Over twenty shots were
fled into Mr.. Cowan's house, rid
ding furniture. smashing mirrors,
and tearing hangings. These shots
were fired while Mr.. Cowan was in
town smoking a cigar and chatting
with some Of the townsmen. Mrs.
Cowan and her children took refuge
underneath a bed. A bullet came
whizzing through the walls and
lodged in its woodwork. Mrs. Cowan
instructed the servant girl to blow
out the light. but Just as she raised
her hand to do so a bullet whizzed
by her and saved ner the trouble.
A little further up the street eight
shots were fired into TIE house Of
Mrs. Fred SpArck. One of the bull
let's passed through the bed Of his
sleeping children.
AS these soldiers came up the
street they encountered the chief Of
mounted police. This man was Ygna-
clio Dominguez. who rode up on his
horse to stop the trouble. As have
stated before. the policemen upon
hearing the shot from Fort Brown
came down the street to learn the
cause of disturbances.
There he goes yelled the sol
diers, give him hell" As Domin-
guez raised his right arm TO lift
his duirt. the soldiers fired and
wounded IL so badly that IL later had
TO be amputated AZ the elbow. Eight
balls were fired into Dominguez's
faithful white horse; nevertheless
he carried Dominguez several blocks
up Elizabeth street until he tainted
and fell heavily on the sidewalk.
Dominguez's life was probably saved
because the raiders. seeing him in
this condition, believed that he was
dead.
Clerk Shot
Further UP the street was q gro
Gerry store with n bar at the back,
owned By Frisbie T%ilghman. John
NEtus, his clerk. was sent TO close
the double barrel door, which was
in a brick wall. AS he stood before
the door in order to close il the
murderers halted az the open door
and shot John Natus through the
stomach. "Adios," he muttered and
fell forward heavily on his face. A
bullet was shot through the cloth
ing of a citizen, Pauline Preciado,
who was standing nearby.
The negroes went down Elizabeth
street, shot up the Miller hotel,
Brownsville's oldest and most IA
nous hostelry, and fired at Edel-
STEMS furniture store. Other places
which were fired into are the fol-
lowing: Or. Thorn'S residence. the
leahy hotel. J.. B. Wells office. the
rectory Of the Catholic church, Man
mel Barreda's store and dwelling;
and many other places were attacked.
About this time the bugles were
sounding calls in Fort Brown. The
raiders returned to the post, firing
occasional shots as they ran.
The causes leading up to this raid
are based upon quite a few incidents
which happened to the negro soldiers.
These negroes had orders 10 take
part in an encampment of the Texas
national guard in Austin; however,
this order was countermanded when
the Texas national guard informed
the authorities in charge that they
would pack up at once and go home
III the negroes were to be stationed
there. This action on the part of the
Texas national g~uardsmen greatly en-
ragged the negroes. For this reason
they were in a sullen mood when they,
arrived AZ Fort Brown.
After their arrival some OF the
negroes visited the principal saloons
Of the city. They were politely in
formed that only white persons were
served there. Two saloons put up
separate bars and offered to serve
the negroes there. This. of course,
aroused their anger still more. They
appeared in the sty-~ --v-es-s u
four or more (xays marching in
,his Ilans~ ne white men being
Nrced into the street in order TO
pass.
sne down the main street of the
town. They stopped in front Of an
nnfenced vacant lot In order TO chat.
One OF these ladies was Mrs. Fred
Tate. the wife Of Il federal civil Of
fieer. Mr.. Tate was walking az q lit
lie distance behind these ladies. On
the opposite side Of the street were