The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-24
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER "a, 1868.
WHO DID ITS

The New orleans Republican, OF the 18Th, con-
tanned an article protesting to give the details Of
the sackiDg and destruction Of the Office of
paper cslled the Rspides Tribune, purporting to
be published at Alexandra. The article had the
following headings: "More KuKlux Outrsges."
Destruction of Another Newspaper Office"
"The Alexandria Tribune Again in Red River"
"Paradisg the Streets in Masks" 4" Barbarism
in Civilized State" The editor and proprietor
of the Rspides Tribune is W. F. Mclean, and 1t
is doubtless from him that the Republican OBJ.
tanned iss inclination.
The Republican AYERS that during the night of
the l5tt of October last, shortly after Mr..
McLesnSs arrival in Alexandria with the material
Necessary for publishing his paper, mis- Office was
invaded the type scattered in the sand of the
street. and parts Of the printing press thrown into
Red River. Also, that Mr.. Mclean, having fshed
us the psrts submerged and gathered sufficient
quantity, of his "pi'' was able to 60 on with the
issue Of lis paper in the form of q halt sheet.
Nothisg dsunted by this sttack-we quote the
Republisan-the editor cool,y packed HE trunk
and rettsrned to New Orleans for fresh material.
On the 10Th November he again landed at Alex
andris ,.iih his new supply, and placed it in his
Office. That night the office was entered the
second 3me and totally stripped. even the EDITORS
trunk b4Dg taken, and sail his loose wearing sp-
parel o.Eside of his trunk" carried away, ''leav-
ing absolutely nothing behind" The same paper
further declares that Mr.. Mclean was brick.
batted and fred at, on the second occasion, under
cover % the night. This is Mr. McLesn's version.
Let II take more responsible and creditable
accouneof these transactions. Two well known
citizens of New Orleans were induced by Mr.. Nc
Lean to accompany him on his second trip to Al
exandr.A. They went up on the Lizzie Tate. The
inducements held out to them by Mclean were.
that, being mayor of the town by appointment
from warmoth, ne needed their services. the one
to act al secretary of the town council treasurer,
etc., tho other as sheriff Of the parish.
They reached Alexandria on the 18th inst. In
company with Mclean they walked about the
sueets,t went to his office. and conversed with
various residents. Their sleeping apartments were
hardly fifty yards from the Office OF the paper, and
that nisht-the night Of the pretended sscking--
they sat up until half-past 10 O'Clock. They
heard no firing and no noise of any kind. When
informed of the Outrage" by Mclean, next
morning, they examined the door and windows of
the buiiiing very closely, as well the fastenings
there was not even a scratch or any other mark
of violence on them. and the lock was unforeed.
These gentlemen learned from the citizens of
Alexandra that Mclean had repeatedly stated to
them after the night in October that his type had
been all destroyed. Yet, coming down on the
steamer Glide, about the end of the month, he
told fellow passenger, merchant of this city,
that be bad six hundred pounds of Brewer type
which he was anxious to exchange for new; the
citizens further told them that, in TRUTH the
forms Of the paper had only been deposited in
the river at depth OF two feet, together with q
bag containing loose type. not used for that edi.
tiou; that next day, negro boy, acting under
McLesn's directions, rolled up bis pants, and
waded out to the spot without any hesitation, and
brought both forms and bag safely in; and that
the forms had been so little disturbed that several
copies were struck of subsequently from them.
The morning after the preparation Of the
second outrage" our infornsnts assure US the
press was found disabled simply by the removal
Of two or three screws, and only fifteen or twenty
types were to be seen on the ground. What
became of the type is not accurately known; but
il is generally believed il was carried of by the
printers who left that day for Bayou Sara.
A mob would scarcely have attempted to
destroy an obnoxious newspaper office by
doing so little damage. II does not look natural
that, in sacking such an office, they should simply
and carefully dsQosit the forms in shallow water.
and gather tn. loose type in bag; or that they
should remove two or three screws, without de-
molishing the press itself. Mr.. DeLacy, the Radi-
cal sheriff of Rspides, who has lived there upwards
oftweniy.fve years, openly stated that be did not
believe the deed was performed by any citizen or
resident Of that or any neghboring parish.
One of our informants was told by Mclean that
there were State warrants In the trunk when it
was carried of, amounting to $500. To Nh Riley,
bsrkeeper at the Ice House, Mclean declared that
he had State warrants in it for the sum of 5000
almost as great discrepancy as in Belots return
to the assessor and his claim on the city for dam
ages.
The names of the gentlemen who have given us
the foregoing information at the service of any
person desiring to learn them.
1t is time men Of both parties should join to-
gether in attempting to expose and crush such
bsrefsced enterprises for swindling the city and
the State.