New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-10-05


gress" Omee-A Conflict Out of Town
Mr.. D'Avy. a Republican, shot at IN
Bed-Another Visit To the Z" Progress
Ohce-Tke French Editor Taken to the
Woods Mt Night-He il Heard from NO
M0re-A Third visit 90 the "PrOgress.'
The Type and Press Bestroyed-Bn~
reau Agent N Rebel FraternIzer.
EDITOR REPUBLIcAN. ,.-..,.-
The following is statement of the So
called "negro riot" in St. Landry parish:
Last Monday morning three members Of
the Opelousas "Seymour Knights" went
to the colored school, on the outer edge of
the town, and severely whipped Mr.. Emer-
son Bentley, the teacher. and also English
editor of the St. Landry Progress, because
of an article published by him giving an
account Of Republican meeting in WASH
ington and saying that some rebel spirit
was exhibited by the Democratic organiza-
tions who met the procession at Washing
ton, thoroughly armed and equipped. The
account was tue in every particular, which
can be proved by over 500 persons who
were present at the meeting at Washington.
Mr.. Bentley was an active leader of the
Republican party in the parish, and as the
news of his being whipped spread over
| Opelousas the freedmen began assembling
| armed. But Mr.. Bentley and many Others
| told them to go back to their homes and not
to start any riot, which advice was followed,
and apprehensions OF a difficulty subsided.
Mr.. Bentley made affidavits against the
three persons who assaulted him and war
rants were issued for their arrest, the time
set for the trial being three o'clock in the
afternoon. About eleven O'Clock A. III. the
rebels had assembled in strong force,
armed with new guns, revolvers, ETC., and,
taking advantage of the return of the Re-
publicans to their homes, took possession
of the town, and sent patrols around to
disarm the freedmen and capture the
leaders of their party, who were obliged to
conceal themselves or take refuge in fight,
if they were lucky enough to get out Of
town.
AT eleven or twelve o'clock A, NJ. the
same day, body of armed men went to-
the office of the Progress to see Messrs.
GustaVe and Cornelius Donate, who were
at the office, and told them that the town
belonged to them (the rebels) and il the
Radicals wanted to get possession of it
they could only do so by riding over the
dead bodies of the peaee-loving,n "much-
abused" /" " down-trodden white people Of
the parish.
They had captured courier on the road
to Washington, who had told them that Mr..
q. Donate had sent him to Washington to
- tell Sam johnson TO bring the Washington
club. armed, to 0pelousas but when this
. courier was brought face to face with Mr..
Donate he said that somebody had told
him that Mfr. Donate wanted him to go to
Washington. At this iuncture courier
informed the crowd at the Progress office
that there was fighting at Mr.. Hilaire Pail
let's place, short distance out OF town,
+ whereupon the crowd mounted their horses
? and rushed to the scene Of action. The
fight. as far as | was able to learn, resulted
in the death of one white man and two or
three colored, and three or four
wounded on both sides. The number of
freedmen was about fifteen, headed by one
Adolphe Donate, and they only threw
down their arms when strong reinforce
ments of whites arrived. Adolphe Donate,
succeeded in making his escape.
On Monday night armed bands of men
were sent oyer town TO seek for the con-
cealed Republican leaders. The Progress
office was searched without success.
} One band went to the residence of Mr.
7 Francois D'Avy, the acknowledged leader
of the Republican party, and forced an
entrance to his room where he was asleep,
, and only awakened at the moment they
T entered. He was shot at while lying on
the bed, but missed. He fell to the floor,
} feigning death, and the armed crowd start
f ed to leave. Mr.. D'Avy jumped out of the
s back window and ran through the garden.
He was shot at again while running and the
F, ball grazed the side of his head Iear the ear,
without infiicting serious damage. Mr.. D'Ayy
succeeded in making his escape, as did all
/ the rest of the leaders Of our parry, ex-
| cepting Mr.. Durand, French editor of the
T Progress, who has been in Opelousas twelve,
or fifteen years, but is citizen of France,
never having been nsturalized. He was
/, , taken from his house Monday night by
armed men into the woods and was not
seen or heard from afterward.
All day Tuesday and the succeeding
t night the roads were strictly guarded and
persons were arrested and searched before
being permitted to enter town. Tuesday
night the Progress office was again entered
and the material entirely destroyed. The
, type was strewed over the streets and the
+ press broken. Two young men who were
/ employed in the Progress Office were ad-
= vised by the rebels to leave, which they did
I on Wednesday morning by the boat
Mr. Violet, who is agent for the Freed
l mems Bureau in St. Landry, fraternizes
l with and assists the rebels in their unlawful
, depredations. He was with the crowd who
5 went to the Progress office to see the
Messrs. Donate. The men who assaulted
J. Mr.. Bentley rode around town armed, and
|. no attempt was made to arrest them Their
E names we're Mayo, Dixon and Williams. All
4 is now quiet, but strict watch is kept by
I the rebels to prevent an uprising.
The above is true statement of the
) facts as they occurred, 7. G. Compton.
Opelousas Courier, New Orleans Crescent,
and rebels in general, TO the contrary not
withstanding. BENTLEY.
L The above letter was written by an intel
ligent young gentleman, who was in Ope-
lousas during the disturbance. To COM
plete the picture We give the Democratic
version from the BoilJstin of this morning,
! from which it will appear that the massacre
t of colored men in the outskirts ofthe town
was most horrible; I al ,l5a De-,
We learn the following partieularslof the
riot in 0pelousas, from DR.. Taylor, Of that
place, who was present at the time, and an
eye witness at the terrible scene It's origin
is traced to an article published in a Rad
i ical paper called the Progress, recently
established there to disseminate Republican.
g principles, 10 promote peace and good
order In that part Of the State, and to do
| the printing under the famous bill Of the