The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-09-11
How Radical Capital is Made.

the Radical clique of this city we find it in the New
Orleans Times of the 4th together with the editors
remarks, which covers the case so completely that
4 ANYTHING we could add would seem supertuous, fur
Their than that the letters of McVean and McLeran are
a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end;
From the Governor we have obtained copies of the
following documents in the course OF TRANSMISSION to
headquarters Such unhlushng Impotence we have
! seldom been called upon to notice. The duiest OF
comprehension fail to see that the letters are
gotten up by ring of oficeseekers, who recklessly
disregard the injury and injustice they DO others IN or
der to advance their own plans and interests Our
readers need not be astonshed, however, should thei
effrontery procure for them the coveted reward.
The first letter is from one McLeran, to Capt. Jas
e. Ingraham we believe, coored politician, for
merly resident in New Orleans. 1t is as follows:
! SHREVEPORT, La, August26, 1867
oa bar vS ~ The Eb Roach af:
fair is very bad one; it has embroed the public for
two days. The case will give you in brief: lnGited
nv the notice. be broke into collation. held at Har
per's HAIL. created serious disturbance, stabbed
VIM. Harper, exchanged shots with Professor r bon
ner, the latter being Immediately arrested-leaying
Roach in the hall to continue his depredatlons, which
he did BY turning tables, and breaking crockery
ware, and frightening women and children The po-
licemen then returned placed Roach IN JAIL from when
he was bailed next morning by OF his abettors Jus
tice Allen setting the bail at $500. Lieut.. Latch1ord,
commanding the post refused to arrest Roach alleging
that he had not sulclent mafy force W prevent h0
citizens (white) from rescung hlfn.
J. J. Hope the sheriff. has not attempted to hoa saiu
Roach but has abused every one who mas attempted 10
have Roach properly held for IT, s;toa ~
! fear that popular vengeance VIII be visited on
Roach as Allen the Justice of the Peace will not com,
nit him (Roach to jail to await the result OF the wound
of VIM Harper We cannot have justice administered
here so long as Justices Allen and Beae are the com
hitting magistrates; and the military are hand IN
This man Roach broke into se1ni-relrgious meeting
| no for
the wishes of his rebel associates.
NV blood bois at this state of affairs, and you can
do ANYTHING to have this state of affairs put at an end
Won will incur the astng thanks of this community
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
BENZ. MLERAN.
The above ia Ken as it stands does seem to show a
terrible state of affairs at Shreveport but let us ex-
anime into it, In the first place. McLeran fails to
state that Roach is negro, well those he at
tackled but leaves the inference that he is a /" white
rebeln Roach is notorious character> and has no
countenance from any except few rowdles OF his own
complexion The charge that he was melted by the
police is therefore wholly grauitous. The assertion
that Lieut. Latchford AFRAID to arrest the cuprt
is ridiculous in the face of McLerans own admission
that Roach in favor Of popular vengeance" Had
the Lieutenant "alleged amy such thing as is atrb
ued to him. he would deserve instant trial by court
martial as unfit to wear the Union uniform. But
Lieut.. Iatchford did tell number Of freedmen who
attempted to lynch Roach that he would protect the
latter from their fury with his troops. A convenient
memory has cLeran in overlooking this fact, and the
still more important that he denounces Justice
Allen for the purpose of obtaining his official position
for himself. For the reason as is given in the
case of the commandaEt of the post the charge against
sheriff Hope may be set down a freak OF vivid
imag inaon.
McIeran does not, when stating how his blood
boils that Allen should be retained in Office, propose
himself as canddate-hs friend McV ean kindly does
hat for him in this letter. Read:
SHREVEPORT, La, August 26, 1857
| Capt. JAS H. Ingraham New Orleans, La.
! Deer Sn-We would respectfully call to your atten
ton that in the reimbursement of the Board of Trustees
of this city the second ward has two members on the
Board of Trustees and only one has been appointed
We therefore respectfully recommend that Mr. G. G.
Antoine, property-holder and good citizen, be up
pointed as Trustee for the second ward.
| Trustees Dickinson and Iinnaan claim that they are
| not removed from Office How about the matter?
hope that the order is explicit and that they are re-
moved.
Justices Allen and Beale should be removed for the
reasons assigned in petition forwarded to the Gen
era. DR.. W. NJ Turner and Benjamin McLeran should
be appointed to fill the vacancies thus made We will
then have loyal city government, and justice be i'm
partially administered to white and black, Union and
rebel.
And if W. F. midget can be appointed sheriff, no
murderer henceforth can escape with impunity after
his acts have been made known, has been the
heretofore.
Very respectfully, J. Il. M'vEAS,
Chairman Parish Ex Committee
The above letters were forwarded with the follow
ing by lngraham:
New ORLEANS Sept 8, 1867
Hon. B. F. Flanders, Governor State of Louisiana
Dear iSir-1ncosed find affidavit of George Washing
ton which you will please to bring to the notice of the
commanding general. Also copies of statements Of;
H. McVean, Trustee of the city of Shreveport, and
Benjamin McLeran, citizen.
Your Excellency will perceive that lamentable
state of affairs exist in the city of Shreveport and so
long as Justices Fl. E. Allen, and Thomas F. Beale
main the committing magistrates, no man in the ring
formed by the e5s need be apprehensive of prosecu
by these men, who are disgrace to the offices they
hold. John j. Hope, the sheriff of said parish is
ted scoundrel and though claiming to be Union man,
is being prosecuted for having swinded the Uni
ted States Government in connection with Martin Tally
out of several thousand (seven) bales of cotton.
The appointment os Gen: VIM. S. MIDGET, late of
the United States army, who is engaged in mercantile
business IN Caddo parish as sheriff, would be the
means of putting at end the lawless and reckless
men who are now committing outrages in that parish,
upheld by the rebels who in office, and whose re-
movas requested.
When man can, as Eb. Roach has done, 90 into
public assembly and stab one man. exchange shots with
another brutaiy kick boy of seven years of age and
threaten the life of the boys father for coming to his
rescue, and then only be bound in $500 to keep
the peace, there amentabe error in some person
in authority All ofwhich is respectfully submitted.
JAMES H. INGRAHAM,
of Caddo parish.
In the above, reference is made to the following af.
fdavit signed George Washington his X mark"
which is really most remarkable production even for
the Radical gtators, who not usually cautious or
scrupuous Knowing that in the present excited state
ofpubc feeling North they find gulls to swallow
almost any atrocious SANDER. But how they can ex-
pect to this down the threats of persons with the
least common sense upon the simple statement of
single ignorant darkey, who can neither read nor
write, is beyond comprehension. Certainly if band
of more than 100 armed and mounted men are prowl-
ing about the country capturing prisoners by the dozen
and taking them from State to another searching
after those who escape and killing others certainly
we repeat, more than poor solitary negro might
be found to verify the fact. Where are the Bureau
agents, that they do not report such wholesale abduc
tons? But it is useless to waste time over such trash
Here is the letter.
STATEMENT OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.
SHREVEPORT, La, August O. 1857
A meeting of the Baptist Society which was being
held the premises of John Harrison on Black bayou
on the 25th inst violently nterfered with BY
company of armed white men horseback, number
ing upwards of one hundred, who declared their pur
pose not to modest tie women tbut to seize upon the
men who belonged to the Republican clubs at that
place. They toek the present who did not escape:
then proceeded to search for all whom they could find
at their homes. They made inquiries for David Reed
(Whte threatening vengeance upon him for his con-
nectlon with the clubs. After having collected together
all Republicans who could be found, they proceeded
with them on their way to Texas. When last heard
from had them at Monterey.
Names OF the men taken Sim Smith Ben Brooks
Joe Louis, Albert -, Samuel Lawson serqeant-at,
arms of the club Argyle Parker Wilson Parker Aleck