The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-10-28
Judge Caldwell on the Rampage

| As expected, Judge Caldwell, OF Texas, Wh(
| made his exit from that State under rather peculiar
circumstances, has commenced the labor Of love Of
viliryins the citizens Of Texas He arrived in New
Orleans on the 18th, and the morning Of the 19h the
carpet-bag organ printed the following:
We learn the following facts from Judge Caldwell
of Jefferson member of the Texas Constitutions
Convention, which very clearly narrated. judge
Caldw ell arrived here last evening:
On Sunday night, the fourth instant, tragedy occur
red in the city of Jcierson Texas, which surpassess
ntrociy anything which has taken place in Texas since
the hanging OF 1861.
Hon. George w Smith, member of the Constitu
tional Convention, and three negro were assas
sinatcd There is no pretensc that the cause was not
political.
Mr. Smith had just reached home from the Convcn.
ton His colleague, Rev Mr.. Grigsby brought his
valise in buggy, (5mith having horseback J.
and give it to some coored men 10 take to Smith
While on the road to Smiths residence they were
by party Of Young men who robbed them of the
valise.
III the issue of the g Ku Kluxn newspaper of the
third published what purports to be inventory
of Smiths " carpet-bag." That night Smith, with the
assistance of Lieutenant Ryan, Of the Fifteenth United
States Intunry and squad of men, went in search Of
the carpet bag but failed to find it, 1t was subse-
ouentlv found cut into hundred fragments aud his
clothes scattered the ground but his papers were
missing.
A little after dark Smith was accosted in the street
and ordered to halt. He charged that he was fred
upon and in return exhausted the shots Of his six
shooter, woundug ten Of his assaants. Smith then
ran to headquarters of Major Curtis, commanding
post for protection. He surrendered by Major
Curtis the civil authorities and by the Mayor
fined in the city prison await investigation of the
affair." The Mayor stationed guard of six eight
citizen police the calaboose to protect Smith Maj
Curtis not feeling that be safe, detailed guard
tha Inta R0iS
additional guard.
Between nine and ten o'clock, just after the people
in the churches had been dismissed, body of " Ku
KIuxn estimated to be seventy -rc hundred all
masked or painted armed with double barreled shot
guns and six Shooters rushed upon the guard and dis
armed them. They then began batterng at the prison
door to force it open which MTjor Curtis hearing
to the scene of action with his order insructng his
men to follow So be made his appearance
the " Ku Klux" seized him, said to him. Major,
don't want to hurt you or your men, We have come
for an object, ard that we intend to accomplish.
Resistance was useless. The door was forced and
Smith literally shot to pieces
The "Ku Klux then took four negro men, who
were also confined with Smith, and supposed to be wit
nessess of the assault Smith the previous night.
Two were killed dead effected his escape unin nred,
and the other badly wounded in the shoulder. The
cry was then raised, We have got smith-Culdwell
and Campbell next"
Judge Campbell anticipated trouble, and took re-
fuge at Major Curtis headquarters in the evening,
Judge Caldwell had Just retired to bed when the firing
was heard He Immediately arose, taking with him
his two sons of whom is nineteen the other fifteen
and retired to dense thick underground tlicket
some two hundred yards from his house. In few
moments some twenty -Eve or thirty of the hu hux"
passed the road within few feet OF the Judge and his
sons going in the direction Of his house. Tie Judge
then directed bis Youngest sou to take clrcuous route
home and inform his mother and sisters Of lis safety
When the lad reached the OF the garden he
was arrested by masked :" Ku klnx" The whole
Kan then surrounded him. aud resored TO every means
short of actual violence extoft from the youth the
locality of his father. Failing in this after refining
him two hours in captivity the boy was released
Another party of the $ Ku klux' undertook to as
sassinate Hon. e. f. Slaughter, member of the Con-
stitutonal Convention The same evening they visited
the house where he was VISIT and finding that he
too had fled, then dispersed.