Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-02-13
BY JACK

40 9AOA O&6LDo
"A When q stranger enters a town
with the purpose Of making it his
future home; when a tourist arrive:
In the city: and when children are
raised amid certain surroundings
they ell are interested In knowing
the history Of the locality, and the
places Of interest
Brownsville has had a lurid past
It has been the headquarters Of
bandits and criminals. 1t was at one
time the temporary home OF q fam
Gus Confederate general II was the
scene of the last battle OF the Civil
\ War. In the dim past 1t was a port
nd ships navigated the Rio Grande
Many Of the ancient buildings
laill stand, and others, on the main
street Of the town, have been razeo
but recently. Old timers scattered
around Brownsville still recall in
cidents that are now history. One OF
these incidents was the negro up
rising in Fort Brown, not SO very
long ago.
Outrage Described
An old copy OF Pearson's Maya
zine bearing a September, 1903 date
and owned by Mrs. Mary Holiday
1888 w. Elizabeth. carries a COM
plete description OF the outrage
written by Albert Bigelow Paine
and profusely illustrated by photo
graphs taken by Mrs. Holiday, al
that time Miss Mary Waltgenbach
Hundreds of people now living ir
Brownsville vividly recall that night
in August, 1906. when negro soldier:
stationed at the fort spread a reign
OF terror that enraged the citizen:
and made life miserable for months
On the night of August 18th. arm
ed men numbering between ten ano
twenty. colored soldiers of the
Twepty-fifth Infantry, appeared
abouA midnight upon the streets
and Blot up the town. killing one
white man, severly wounding an
other and endangering the lives Of
Eesny citizens.
hAE that time Brownsville had Q
population Of less than ten thous-
and, and Matamoros, on the Mex
lean side OF the Rio Grande, wa:
the larger town OF the two. 1t hac
long been a military point, and late
in the summer of 1906 three negro
companies were ordered to For
Brown.
Bad Humor
They arrived in a bad humor, be-
cause a military encampment Of
state troops al Austin were parti-
cipating in sham battles. drills anc
the like. and companies b, c. and u
were ordered south and were not
allowed TO join in the fun. In adj
dition, the negroes were from the
north. and their anger grew when
they found that they were not per-
mitted to drink at the bar with white
men. They increased still further
in violence when one of the saloons
set UP a separate bar for their &C
commodationS. They became loud
and inSolent on the street. crowded
white women from the walks. and
made themselves generally often
Sive and hateful.
Attitude Resented
Many Texans resente dthe ne
groes attitudes. A m. Tate. an in
spector OF customs, whose wife was
run over and rudely ioStled by q
negro soldier administered summary
correction with the butt Of his re-
volver. An ex-ranger named Bates
applied similar treatment for q like
offense. A Mr.. Baker in a fit OF
rage showed one soldier in a puddle
of mud and threatened to shoot him
II he bothered whites further. A
lady OF refinement. q Mrs. Evans,
dismounted from her horse and was
seized by her hair by a tall negro
soldier and dragged violently to the
ground. She chung TO the brides OF
the horse. and It reared and final
~ tore her free from her assailant,
who ran away. AS a result Of this
assault, passes were cancelled, and
doubtless added 10 the ire Of the
negroes.
Their retaliation was net delayed.
On Monday, August Is, at midnight,
the raid was made. Around the
midnight hour. a bartender named
Natus, remembered by many local
residents. heard a succession OF
a7kPts, loud voices. and general COM
r31btion from the direction OF the
fort.
That must be the niggers CON-
ing, now!" someone shouted.
Natus locked the front doors. and
ran to the rear 70 do likewise. but
a volley Of shots fired point-blank
by the raiders killed him instantly.
The mob OF murderers passed on
and fired into houses where men.
women, and little children slept.
Several were wounded. One home,