The Kansas City Times from Kansas City, Missouri • 20

10ATHE KANSAS CITY TIMES Tuadoy January 1973 of 1906 Brownsville Incident Survivor Tells His Version ever saw in Kansas City I remember what kind it was but it had a chain drive to buggy styled wheels worked as a janitor for a while in Omaha Nebraska and then came here in 1913 and have stayed here ever since I got a job shining shoes in a barber shop to pay about 14000 in medical bills over the years that the Veterans Administration might have paid if been honorably discharged my wife and I went out recently and bought cemetery i lots Maybe otherwise I been eligible for a mil- itary burial remember that one colored soldier saved his money and when he was discharged be opened a beer garden He figured that if the people in Brownsville want to serve us then have our own place The people burned it down within a discharge was in either October or November of 1906 It said Willis is hereby discharged from the Army of the United States without people would find out about that I get a and it seems like they always found out After my discharge I first went back home to Guthrie Oklahoma picked cotton for a while then I hopped bells for a while in a hotel in Wichita Kan I remember I saw the first car I back and break it to pieces in front of your eyes in the slop bucket It was their way of telling you they want to drink after you their way of insulting you they later came up with the story about the men shooting up the town We had 13 men on guard duty and not one of them saw anybody leave the fort which was surrounded by a four-foot brick wall Immediately locked up all the we used 30-caliber Krag-Jorgensen rifles in those ana found that not one of them had been fired tell you I wouldn't have any reason after all these years to lie We do it They lined us up and questioned us about it We say anything because there was nothing to say the fort and asked Maj Penrose to form the battalion so she could pick him out Maj Penrose-whose brother was a US Senator from told the mayor he would not form the battalion was white but he stood by us He said he was sure the woman would pick out somebody if the battalion was formed He told the mayor that in the four years we were at Ft Niobrara there had been not one such report He said he thought it was strange that within 24 hours of arriving in Brownsville someone would make such a charge tell you what kind of town it was If you were able to get a glass of beer occasionally the people would take the glass we rode the old 30-mile-an-hour train from Ft Niobrara Neb to Brownsville we heard that the 9th and 10th cavalry had had trouble in the town in 1898 The people had sent petitions to Washington trying to keep them from coming They did the same when they heard we were coming Racial prejudice was much worse in those days and lynchings were commonplace "You think people are still fighting the Civil War they were really still fighting It particularly in those little western towns within 24 hours after we arrived this peg-legged a white woman-claimed that one of our soldiers had tried to assault her The mayor of the town came over to By Jack Kneece Service of he weshinoton Star-News -I knew Brownsville was going to be bad when we got off the train and saw the signs at the beer gardens that said dogs or soldiers And they were talking about white soldiers" said Dor-sie Willis 86 apparently the only living black veteran of the so-called Tex Dishonorable discharges were given 167 black three after an alleged midnight rampage through Brownsville in 1906 The Pentagon recently decided to change the discharges to honorable af-j ter reviewing the case but said no other benefits would come from the action Willis was located in Minneapolis after a nationwide search I for Brownsville veterans by Rep August Hawkins (D-Calif) Willis said he would like to testify before Congress His tale differs markedly from what residents of Brownsville claimed in 1906 On Aug 13 1906 townspeople alleged that a group of black troops rode through town firing wildly killing one man in the midnight rampage Black troopers denied they had left the fort and their white officers backed them up But President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the three companies and dishonorably discharged from the Army after not one man would testify about the allegations Willis who still is alert and extremely articulate tells his story Army let us keep every-1 thing that was issued to us and 1 1 wore that old uniform for a i long time ask am I bitter Well let me put it to you this way In this country a man is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty Well I was never even tried for much less proven guilty this thing has hung over my head my whole life had made a mistake And some of those men men who had pulled 17 and 18 years helped him capture San Juan Hill in the Spanish-Ameri-can War this was a long time ago a dream or something But I still remember it all I can tell you anything about it you want to know But the main thing is we do those people any PROPORTIONED TO FIT DOUBLE KNIT PANTS WITH FLARE JUST 899 100 acrylic double knit Fully machine washable Elasticized pull-on waist Extra wide 28-inch flare Black navy brown berry 8-16 petite 10-18 average 12-18 tall THE SHOE FITS! CORRECT STEP FOR COMFORT JR BALLOON SLEEVE NO-IRON BLOUSE SALE Reg $5 each rayon and polyester blend Long collar wide cuff Machine-wash 9-15 10-16 white gold navy orange black pink brown DOUBLE KNIT BRAS FOR SMOOTH COMFORT ALL DAY SUPPORT SALE 199 quality support style NOW 990 for one pair Built for 1 Soft double knit with slight plunge For a smooth look under knits Gently fiberfill lined for comfort non-slip stretch straps 32-36A 32-38B 34-40C Reg 259 2 Criss-cross styling in double knit with spandex sides back stretch straps 32-36A 32-38B 34-40C Reg 300 SALE Long line bra to smooth midriff No-roll band spandex sides Plus the super comfort and look of double knit! 34-42B 34-44C Reg $5 SALE 399 (Not Shown) Flirtation Walk gicdlesSidezip crossed panels of rayon and cotton brocade Downtown Only 27-38 16-inch Reg 900 SALE 699 28-44 18-inch Reg 1000 SALE 799 THE SAME GREAT BLOUSE IN EXTRA SIZES 36-40 2S11 Reg $6 ea white blue navy red beige pink black brown Sketched is just one of a variety of style colors 5V2-10 Not all sizes in every Sorry no phone or mail orders WARM SOFT ACRYLIC PILE FUR LOOK TOQUE ONLY $4 1ST QUALITY DOUBLE KNIT DUO SPORT COATS: REG 3499 100 polyester double knit wrinkle Wide lapels center vent flap pockets Assorted solids and fancies 38-46 regs 39-44 longs SALE 2888 SLACKS: REG 1099 100 polyester double knit is machine-wash Wide belt loops slight flare legs Great for traveling because they don't wrinkle Solids: burgundy navy choc royal pecan Geometric fancies burgundy navy chocolate Plaid fancies bluechocolate 30-42 waist (29V2) (31) (32V2) prehemmed length SALE 888 NO IRONING -EVER! 1ST QUALITY KNIT DRESS SHIRTS SHOP ALL MACYS TONIGHT 9:00 444 EACH 3-tiers of soft acrylic pile to keep you warm The luxurious look of fur without the expense! Black brown navy white coffee grey green gold beige Jersey ties Downtown Only Reg 499 each 80 polyester20 nylon Machine washable with no ironing needed Long collar two-button cuff styling Assorted patterns on white 1 4Vz-1 7 32-35 S-M-L-XL ALL ITEMS DOWNTOWN MISSION LANDING ANTIOCH INDIAN SPRINGS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED 4" POLYESTER TIES SALE Solid red navy chocolate white royal MACY 8 BUDGET STORES.