Transcript
Lindsey Graham (0:00)
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@ebookist.com it's just after midnight on August 13, 1906, in Brownsville, Texas. Mayor Fred Coombe races down the street in a horse drawn wagon. He's headed for the town's main strip. The humid night air whips his face and every now and then he clutches his hat so it doesn't fly off. As he approaches the center of town, he sees saloons shuttered and hotel doors locked. Minutes before, men had been drinking together after a long day's work, but now every window's curtains are drawn, except for just enough to reveal curious spying eyes. When Fred's wagon reaches a group of huddled police officers in the street, he brings his horses to a stop and hops down from the carriage. Fred pushes through the cluster of men and spots one officer clutching his bloody arm. He asks what happened? But before the man can answer, Fred notices something else the body of a young bartender, lifeless on the ground. Coombs bows his head, removes his hat and holds it against his heart. After a moment, he looks up and asks again, what happened here? The men all rush to speak at once, accusing army soldiers stationed on the outskirts of Town. The 25th infantry is an all black unit, and the police say they saw dark faces lit up behind the gunfire. Fred is confused. The 25th infantry is under a strict curfew tonight. He and their commanding officer set the curfew themselves. Racial tensions in Brownsville are already high and the curfew is in place to prevent violence. Along the street, doors start to creak open and men step out from nearby buildings. They gaze at the scene with stunned eyes and make slow paces toward Fred. He asks them what they saw. They tell him the same thing as the police. Soldiers from the 25th infantry came into town and and fired on the men milling about. Everybody rushed for safety, but two of them didn't make it in time, one the policeman and the other the slain bartender. As more men emerge from their hiding spots, Fred hears the same story over and over. Some people even say they found army bullet casings and footprints of military boots at the scene. Whatever happened, it's Fred's job to make sure no one else gets hurt and justice is served. But it will soon become clear that the mystery of tonight's events is too big for the mayor to solve alone. The incident known as the Brownsville Affair will go down in U.S. army history. Some will see the eventual outcome as a righteous act of justice. Others will see it as a dark stain on the fabric of the nation itself. But one thing is certain. Over 150 lives were changed forever after the deadly shooting in Brownsville that night on August 13, 19, 1906. History Daily is sponsored by A Truby. Lately you may have been hearing about a serious but rare heart condition called attr, Cardiac Amyloidosis, or attrcm. Because symptoms can be similar to other heart conditions, it may take time to be diagnosed, but learning more about ATTRCM and a treatment called a truby, also called Acharamidus, could be important for you or a loved one. Atruby is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with ATTRCM to reduce death and hospitalization due to heart issues. In one study, people taking a truby saw an impact on their health related quality of life and 50% fewer hospitalizations due to heart issues than people who didn't take a truby, giving you more chances to do what you love with who you love. Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding and about the medications you take. The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain. If you have AttRCM, talk to your cardiologist about AttRuby or visit attruby.com that's att r u b-y.com to learn more.
