USA > Texas > A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume I > Part 65
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"There will be some talk, of course, that South Texas doesn't raise enough hogs to justify a packing house for San Antonio, but we need not become alarmed at the suggestion, when we recall that at least 50,000 farmers will settle this year in Texas within San Antonio's limit, who come from the hog producing sections of the North. These men are not as timid as some of us Texans are, and they will proceed to breed hogs from the time they put in their first crop. Hog pro- duction in South Texas has already increased fully 500 per cent in the past two years and, as an instance of how popular the hog is in my section, I will state that eleven loads were shipped to market last year from Pettus, and was the first shipment ever made from that place.
"San Antonio, situated as she is, at the gateway to our sister Republic, I am in a position now to prove that she cannot supply the demand for hogs, bacon, lard, horses and mules of every description, and they go past our town every day in the year in search of these products. One or more packing houses in San Antonio with the capacity of Swift and Armour's at Fort Worth would add 25,000 population to San Antonio in the next three years."
Fire Department.
The annual report of Phil Wright, Chief of the local Fire Department, was completed yesterday. It contains some interesting figures relative to the amount of loss in this city from conflagrations.
The report shows the total loss from fire in this city during the calendar year of 1906 was $97,624.69. The total loss during the year 1905 was $170,437. The total value of property involved in the fires was, building, $592,025; contents, $186,115; total, $778,140. The total insurance in this amount of property was $203,029 on buildings, $146,445.28 on contents, making a total of $349,474.28.
The total insurance loss was $72,251.44, divided as follows: Buildings, $32,- 795.66; contents, $39,455.78. The total loss, insured and uninsured, is $97,624.69, divided as follows: Contents, $52,722.78; buildings, $44,491.91.
The report shows that the losses on buildings and contents in which the fires originated, that is direct losses, amounted to $85,835.09. Exposure losses are reported at $11,789.60.
The total number of fire alarms responded to during the year was 232, and
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of these 28 were false alarms. The fires in brick or stone buildings numbered 51, in wooden buildings 134, fires not in buildings 8.
The number of fires confined to the place of origin was 192. Twelve ex- tended to the adjoining buildings according to the report, but none extended be- yond the buildings immediately adjoining the place where the fire originated. This is a record which it is thought few fire departments of cities covering thirty- six square miles of territory will be able to equal. The number of fires con- fined to the floor on which they originated was 185.
The report for 1905 is very incomplete, so that a comprehensive comparison cannot be given. The total number of fires that year was 179, of which 20 were false alarms. The total insurance loss was $139,189.89, and the total loss, insured and uninsured, is $170,437.
The fire department is now equipped with blanks which are filled out after every fire in order that information about the fires may be complete and accu- rate. The purpose of these reports is to fix a reasonable insurance rate by show- ing what the reasonable risk is in this city.
International Club.
Permanent organization of the International club was effected yesterday afternoon at a meeting of the members in the club's offices in the Book building. Theodore Harris was elected president; L. Orynski, secretary, and Joseph Frost, treasurer.
The secretary read the report of the membership committee, which showed 318 members enrolled. The charter committee submitted a draft of the charter. The charter as amended was unanimously adopted.
An advisory board of directors was elected as follows: Colonel George Le Roy Brown, chairman; Enrique Ornelas, consul of Mexico, San Antonio; Manuel de Zamacona e Inclan, Tesorero National, Mexico City; Miguel Cardenas, Gover- nador de Coahuila, Mexico; Rafael Reyes Spindola, director Imparcial-Mundo, Mexico City; Juan F. Brittingham, director general Compania Industrial, Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico; Francisco G. Sada, director general Gerveceria Guatemoc, S. A., Monterey, Mexico; Francisco Gomez, haciendado, San Pedro, Coah., Mexico; Juan Carbajal, comerciante y depositos de maquinaria, Sultepec, Mexico; Andres Garza Galan, ingenerio, Monterey, Mexico; M. Dahlgren, haciendado, Durango, Mexico; Primo Feliciano Velazquez, director El Estandarte, San Luis Potosi, Mexico; J. A. Robertson, proprietor Monterey News; Fran- cisco de P. Venzor. sucursal de Banco Minero de Chihuahua, Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico; George W. Brackenridge, president San Antonio National bank; General John L. Bullis; Rear Admiral George M. Book, United States navy; Senator Robert B. Green, Frederick Groos, Dr. J. S. Lankford, president board of education; L. E. Wolfe, superintendent public schools; Colonel Uriah Lott, J. P. Barclay, president National Bank of Commerce; Captain Charles Schreiner, Ernesto . Madero, presidento Banco de Nueva Leon, Monterey ; Rabbi Samuel Marks.
Membership on the advisory board is chiefly an honorary position.
The following compose the acting board of directors who were elected : E. J. Eltgelt, H. F. Anderson, Carlos Bee, Dwight D. Book, R. J. Boyce. F. A. Chapa, Fred Cook, Selig Deutschmann, Joseph H. Frost, Rev. A. W. S. Garden, Alfred Giles, A. H. Halff, Theodore Harris, Ellis Allbaugh, Winchester Kelso, George McQuaid, T. J. Murphy, B. F. Nicholson, Leonard Orynski, W. C. Rigsby, Van A. Webster, T. O. Murphy, G. S. McElroy, H. S. Affleck, Edward Dreiss, C. H. Florian, T. D. Cobbs. Marshall Hicks, A. W. Houston, Dr. William Hope Davis, Dr. J. F. Bindley, W. B. Tuttle, Vories P. Brown, J. J. Stevens, C. L. Bass, Otto Wahrmund and Dr. Frank Paschal.
Discussion arose as to whether the directors should meet and elect officers, or whether the convention should elect the permanent officers. The latter method was decided upon. The president was voted power to appoint a committee on by- laws, but will not appoint them until the last of the week.
The charter of the International club will be forwarded to Austin at once
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and as soon as it is filed by the secretary of state the organization will be com- plete.
Steps will be taken at once upon receiving a charter for the active business of the club, and the first thing will be the securing of suitable quarters. A meet- ing of the board of directors is to be held soon.
Organization of the publicity committee of the International Club was effected yesterday at a meeting held in the club rooms. A number of projects for the advancement of the club and the benefit of its members were discussed. and it was decided by resolution unanimously adopted to begin at once a system of promotion and advertising in the Republic looking to broadening the influence of the club and extending the business interests of the club members in that country. It was decided by the same resolution to restrict the publicity efforts of the club strictly to the Republic of Mexico for an indefinite time. A full attendance of the committee was present.
Those of the committee present were: Marshall Hicks, Rev. A. W. S. Garden, Van A. Webster, Selig Deutschman, Frank J. Murphy, George Mc- Quaid.
Secretary Leonard Orynski said yesterday afternoon that many had formed an erroneous impression regarding the scope of the club and its permanent ex- hibits. Regarding this matter, Mr. Orynski said:
"I take great pleasure in stating that the International Club of San Antonio is a permanent institution and is here to stay.
"Its membership cannot be limited to San Antonio alone. It shall soon reach the mark of 1,000, as its sphere of usefulness shall extend north, east and south, without any detriment to our local manufacturers or our local merchants, whose interests it shall always foster and promote.
"There will be a permanent exhibit of mineral and vegetable resources from our sister Republic as well as our own great state, but it is questionable if the club will admit a permanent exhibit of eastern manufactured goods or products. Such goods are always sold or introduced direct through the business houses of San Antonio or through members of the club.
"Eastern manufacturers and industrial houses will become members and have the same advantages of contact with other members, as well as advertising their houses through the medium of the club, in order to employ their surplus capital in other enterprises which may be promoted through the club, and thus find outlay in profitable investments either in our immediate section or in Mexico. Such Eastern firms will prefer to have their catalogues and literature on file with the club rooms for convenience of Mexican buyers who may or will be represented by their San Antonio members of the club.
"It is the intention to advertise and to expand the manufacturing interests of San Antonio through Mexico and Central America; to bring the capital to extend and enlarge our own enterprises and to make San Antonio a clearing house between the east and our southern neighbors."
Plazas.
Editor Daily Light: "Honor to whom honor is due!" Lately there has been much said and published regarding our public parks, and being quite an old inhabitant-a native citizen since 1851, the writer. with all the earlier inhabitants identified with the old city's history, gives credit to whom credit is due, and corroborates herewith the statements of Mr. A. I. Lockwood in yesterday's Light in toto. At the time before the era of improving the principal parks of the city by Alderman A. F. Wulff, Alamo, Main and Military plazas were more or less a frontier town's wilderness with stagnating mud pools. There was no pavement on these plazas and nothing but high weeds and stagnating water was seen after rains in most of the streets and open plazas, which then were studded with small but picturesque adobe houses and jakals.
Military plaza with its high flag-pole in the center-about where the present elegant city hall is located-presented a very lively aspect during "drill time" and the sale of market products. It was then the main market plaza, and a very interesting scene it was when the entire Military plaza was filled up with throngs
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of people of all classes, all sorts of market products-immense wagon loads of wood-mostly Mexican carretas-hay wagons, fruit and vegetables, and immense long rows of Mexican dishes, regaled on neat tables and supplied with lanterns and candles at night time.
Milam, Washington and Franklin square were then nothing but a prairie wilderness where we boys used to shoot at jack rabbits and blackbirds.
How wonderfully all this has changed, the present generation now knows after above facts; and, as Mr. Lockwood stated, it was after Alderman Wulff began improving the three main plazas of San Antonio into parks that the old Alamo City put on a new, modern-like dress and permanently inaugurated under Mayor Callaghan's administration, the present beautiful parks and paved plazas. Ludwig Mahncke, however, deserves lasting remembrance for having beautified and kept those parks and many others in good repair and taking good care of the zoological departments.
DR. R. MENGER.
Immigrants.
A solid train load of Swede agriculturists from Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas, every one with money enough to pay for a home and with that inten- tion in view, it is asserted, arrived in the city today over the Missouri, Kansas and Texas.
This is in addition to the three solid trains which arrived over the Missouri, Kansas and Texas and the two which arrived over the International and Great Northern yesterday on the regular homeseekers' excursion.
This is the first invasion of Southwest Texas by this class of immigrants, who are conceded to be among the most satisfactory of all agricultural colonists. These Swedes have gone into Minnesota, Jowa and the Dakotas and with the short seasons, the hardships of the rigorous winter and with every conceivable hardship to contend against, have changed those states from a dreary wilderness to great agricultural states.
Many of them have amassed considerable money and tired of the cold, bleak country of the northwest are seeking a more equitable climate where they can turn their attention to diversified farming. The failure of the grain crop in the states from which the Swedes have come means total failure for that year. There is no other crop that can be depended upon.
The Swedes make good, law abiding and industrious citizens. There are a number of colonies already located in Texas and wherever they have settled the country has been turned into a garden and its productiveness doubled. They are especially trained and adapted to the diversified farming and truck raising. Travis county has a Swedish colony and in "Little Sweden." as it is known, is to be found the richest producing section of the entire country. The farms are the best, the stock is of the highest grade and the schools and churches are the best to be found in the entire country.
Preceding the Swedes was S. G. Lanston of St. Louis, general land and immigration agent of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas system and secretary of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas land bureau. He is enthusiastic over the fact the he has succeeded in turning the Swede farmers of the northwest to Texas and the southwest. He knows thoroughly what these people have done for that section and knows what they are capable of doing for Texas.
He believes that the present delegation is only a forerunner of a much larger movement. He feels sure that the Swedes will be delighted with the rich soil and climate of Texas and remain. He said :
"These Swedes have the money in their pockets to pay for their homes and they are here for that purpose. The Swedes mean business and Texas can do no better than to encourage their coming. I expect thousands of substantial farmers to follow these and they will turn this country into a garden."
Penrose Courtmartial.
The Penrose courtmartial convening on the morning of February 4 and ending on the evening of March 23 broke all records for the United States Army.
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Never before in the history of American arms had the trial of an officer extended over so long and continuous a session. Only on one day did the court have no session, this being by reason of the illness of the accused. On all other week days during the opening and closing of the case sessions were held, including Washington's birthday, February 22. Of course, the Sabbath was observed.
The record of itself has established a new mark, between 2,600 and 2,700 pages of typewritten legal cap being required to transcribe what the witnesses had to say. The prosecution placed thirty-one witnesses on the stand, calling two in rebuttal, while the defense had twenty-three witnesses. Some of the latter were former soldiers of the Fort Brown battalion.
Testimony in the case was not concluded until the afternoon of March 22. Arguments in the case were made by counsel and those of the Judges Advocate were made March 23.
In order to impeach the testimony of a number of Brownsville people the defense had a number of experiments made at Fort McIntosh and Nye, Tex., to demonstrate that the flashes of rifles did not emit light enough to make it possi- ble for people to recognize the persons firing the guns.
Other experiments were also made to show that bullets would invariably deflect after striking the first object.
One of the remarkable features in connection with the case is that but very few negroes were among the spectators in the court room, and especially in view of the fact that a number of the witnesses were discharged negro soldiers.
All sessions of the courtmartial were held in the post hop room at depart- ment headquarters.
In the latter part of December last General McCaskey announced the per- sonnel of officers detailed on the Penrose courtmartial. The public received its first information thereof through the columns of The Express. At that time the court was under orders to convene Friday, January 4. It was but a short time thereafter that Captain Macklin was shot on the Fort Reno reservation. This necessitated an adjournment of the court until a later day, February 4, Captain Macklin having been officer of the day at Fort Brown upon August 13, and he was looked upon as one of the most important witnesses.
Major Penrose, accused in the case, reached San Antonio on the night of January 3. Captain Murphy, one of his counsel, reached here January 30. Lieu- tenant Colonel Glenn, who so ably defended Major Penrose, arrived in the city February I from his station at Columbus Barracks, Ohio.
The courtmartial was convened on the morning of February 4 at 10:05 a. m., Colonel George LeRoy Brown, Twenty-sixth Infantry, calling it to order. Aside from Colonel Brown members of the court were:
Lieut. Col. Louis M. Maus, Deputy Surgeon General; Lieut. Col. Charles J. Crane, military secretary ; Lieut. Col. Alfred C. Sharpe, Thirtieth Infantry ; Lieut. Col. Edward J. McClernand, First Cavalry ; Lieut. Col. R. R. Stevens, Dep- uty Quartermaster General; Lieut. Col. Frank Baker, ordnance department; Maj. Hamilton S. Wallace, paymaster; Maj. Charles W. Taylor, Thirteenth Cavalry ; Maj. Henry D Snyder, surgeon; Maj. Charles J. T. Clarke, Twenty-sixth In- fantry ; Maj. Charles A. Bennett, artillery corps; Maj. John H. Gardner, First Cavalry.
The first procedure was the announcement of the names of counsel for ac- cused, after which the Judge Advocate administered the oath to the members of the court, the provisions being that none of the members of the court was to di- vulge the findings until announced by the proper authority.
The accused was then arraigned, he pleading not guilty to the charges in the specifications. The charges and specifications were :
"Charge: Neglect of duty to the prejudice of good order and military dis- cipline in violation of the sixty-second article of war.
"Specification I: In that Maj. Charles W. Penrose, Twenty-fifth United States Infantry, commanding the post of Fort Brown, Tex., after being on the morning of August 14, 1906, between 1 and 2 a. m., duly informed by the Mayor of Brownsville, Tex., one Dr. Combe, that soldiers of his command had shot and killed one civilian of the city of Brownsville, Tex., and badly wounded a lieu- tenant of police of that city, did immediately thereafter and until daylight wholly fail and neglect to take or order sufficient measures or action by prompt in-
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spection of guns or pistols or otherwise, or any due exercise of discipline to de- tect the men engaged in said attack and killing, or any of them, or to restrain or bring them to justice for said crime.
"This at Fort Brown, Tex., August 14, 1906.
"Specification 2: In that Maj. Charles W. Penrose, Twenty-fifth United States Infantry, being aware of the feeling of resentment in his command toward citizens of Brownsville as a result of assaults upon certain individuals of the command, and having been notified by a Mr. Evans of Brownsville about 5 p. m., August 13, 1906, of an attack upon his wife by a soldier of the command, and knowing the inflamed feeling existing in the town toward the soldiers as a result therefor, did nevertheless fail to give any orders to Capt. E. A. Macklin, Twenty- fifty Infantry, officer of the day, requiring special vigilance on his part or that of the guard, or to make frequent inspections, or any inspections during the night after 12 o'clock; and did wholly fail and neglect to take or order sufficient measures or precautions to hold at the post the men of his command, or in any manner to watch, restrain or discipline said men, by reason of which failure cer- tain men of his command, to the number of twelve or more, were enabled to assemble, and did assemble, armed with rifles, and did proceed to the town of Brownsville, Tex., and did then and there shoot and wound and kill certain citizens thereof.
"This at Fort Brown and Brownsville, Tex., August 13 and 14, 1906. H. M. BANKHEAD, "First Lieutenant, Seventh United States Infantry, A. D. C., "Officer Preferring the Charge."
From the very first it was evident that counsel for defense were going to make a strenuous fight in behalf of their client. On the first day John T. Kliber of Brownsville was introduced as associate interpreter. One witness was placed on the stand that day by the prosecution, this being G. W. Rendall. In his ex- amination of this witness, Colonel Glenn made it evident that all witnesses for the government would be subjected to gruelling cross examinations.
The prosecution introduced as assistant judge advocate John S. Kleiber. The witnesses on Feb. 5 were Mrs. G. W. Rendall and Teofilo Martiney. On the following day the court lost one of its members in the person of Lieut. Col. R. R. Stevens, chief quartermaster of the department. Col. Stevens admitted in open court that he had formed an opinion relative to the guilt of certain negro sol- diers at Fort Brown at the time of the raid. On this day First Lieut. Roger S. Fitch, First Cavalry. and J P. McDonnell, a carpenter of Brownsville, testified, as also did Major Blocksom. On Feb. 7 Mrs. Katie E. Leahy made her first appearance as a witness, testimony also being taken from F. A. H. Sanborn. H. Y. Donninguey, who lost his arm in the raid, testified Friday, Feb. 8. Chas. B. Chase and Joe Bodin being on the stand the same day. Donninguey was still on the stand the next day under cross examination. His examination was finished Feb. II and Col. Glenn announced he would attempt to impeach him.
F. E. Starck, a mounted inspector of customs, was on the stand the same day, being followed by Mayor Combe of Brownsville. His examination was not finished until Feb. 14. R. B. Creager was also a witness on the latter date. Mr. Kleiber, retired as assistant judge, was on the stand all of Feb. 15 and a part of the next day. W. F. Dennett then testified. The witnesses following him were Lon W. Evans and A. Littlefield on Feb. 18. Dr. Chas. H. Thorne, Fred Tate and Ignacio Garya testifying Feb. 19. On Feb. 20, the witnesses were Lieutenant Colonel Frank Baker, ordnance department and a member of the court. Capt. Dana W. Kilburn, Twenty-sixth Infantry, Nicolas Alams and Felix Valdey Calderon. Feb. 21 the testimony of Herbert Elkins and Leonard Sanchey was adduced, the stories of both witnesses causing somewhat of a sensation. Second Lieut. George C. Lawrason was on the stand Feb. 22, 23 and 25. E. M. Gephard, a sergeant of the Twenty-sixth infantry, testified Feb. 25. Capt. E. A. Macklin was on the stand Feb. 25 and 27. No court was held Feb. 25, Maj. Penrose be- ing ill. First Lieut. Roger S. Fitch was introduced as assistant judge advocate Feb. 27. Major August Blocksom testified Feb. 28, March 1, 2 and 4. On March 2 the court admonished counsel to facilitate the examinations. Jose Marting testified March 4. Lieut. U. S. Grier testified March 5 and 6, having introduced thirty-two witnesses.
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The defense commenced offering its testimony March 7 by placing Battalion Sergeant Spottswood N. Taliaferro, the surviving negro member of the Fort Brown battalion, on the stand. Post Quartermaster Sergeant Rowland Osborn testified the same day. Matias Tomayo, scavenger at Fort Brown, was in the limelight of examination all of March 8. Samuel Wheeler, former corporal of Co. D. testified March 9 and II. Francois Oltman was on the stand March II. Mingo Sanders, the celebrated bullet expert, was on the stand March 12, as was also former Sergeant Jacob Frazier.
On March 13 the court session was enlivened by a tilt between counsel and the judge advocates. Sergeant Thos. J. Green went on the stand this day. Cap- tain Macklin and Lieutenant Lawrason being recalled for the defense. Newton Carlisle, another former negro soldier, testified March 14. March 15 the defense put "experts" on the stand to testify regarding the light emitted by flashes of guns. These witnesses were H. A. Stucky of Laredo, First Lieut. H. A. Wer- genstein and Second Lieut. James Blyth. Second Lieut. R. P. Harbold, Twenty- fifth Infantry, was in the stand March 16. Two additional discharged negro soldiers, Joseph Howell and Alexander Ash, testified March 18, as also did Capt. Samuel P. Lyon. Second Lieut. Harry G. Leckie testified March 19. Corporal Chas. H. Madison gave his version March 20. Major Chas. W. Penrose, accused in the case, testified in his own behalf March 21. Major Chas. J. T. Clarke and Walker McCurdy, former sergeant of Co. B. also gave testimony.
In rebuttal the defense called Capt. Hanson E. Ely March 22, and Mrs. Kate E. Leahy.
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