The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-07-29

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While the writer of this article was look
ing intently at the procession, forgetful fol
The moment that it had any enemies o
stood in any danger, he saw a woman rusE
out from the sidewalk and seize. the equip.
ments of one Of the OrangelneH, and seel
TO pull them from his shoulders. She was
crowded aside without hesitation by a sol.
der i~nterposing the butt of his musket ane
warning her off. This bag uttered frequent
cries of rage, spat upon the man and those
nearest to him, and lifted up her arms anG
waved them toward the people on the side
walk, as if reproaching them for their back
wardness. Almost the same instant q half
grown boy, of a slouchy, ~pock-marked, and
wretched guise, almost idiotic in expression,
had it not been for his supremacy vicious
look, which made him even more repulsiye,
produced from under his ragged coat a large
pavi,g-stone as big as his double fist, and
with a single propulsion of his arm above
his shoulder, threw it with force toward
the O%rangemen. It passed just over the
shoG lder Of q policeman, and fell between
the platoons Of the Professionals. Nobody
appeared to give it any attention. The boy
skunk back into a doorway OF Twenty-sixth
street, in the rear of a lager beer estab-
lishment, and directly reappearing, obtained
another stone from the street.
THE MOB MAKE THE ATTACH.
The writer did not notice, SO much was
he absorbed in the actions Of this boy, that
meantime missiles of all descriptions were
being flung from windows, housetops, and
from groups Of people upon both military
and Orangemen. The troops stood perfectly
firm, kept their ranks, and looked neither
to the right nor to the left.
THE FIGHT.
Encouraged by this disregard numbers of
the ~ruffians scattered about them and began
to obtain all sorts Of garbage and missiles,
which they threw directly into the ranks.
Pistol shots were now heard to crack up
and down the street, and one man was seen
on a honsetop with d loaded musket, which
he discharged directly into the lines, and
stopped behind a chimney to reload it.
ii TROOPS REToRT.
Suddenly the foremost regiment came to
a halt, and word was passed in quick sue
cession to those furthe>t in the rear to stand
upon their arms likewise. The head of the
procession had now passed the Grand Opera
House and turned a little way into Twenty
third street, where it met a very different
sort of reception, ladies and men, from the
handsome dwellings on either side, waving
their handkerchiefs and cheering the be-
lcaguered beings who had just passed
through the Valley and the Shadow in
quitting Eighth avenue fora more respect
able highway. 5@
At the instant of the halt volleys of stones
and the scatteringso sound of pistols redoubled.
Nearly every body Of common prudence had
already sought safety by retiring. The tall
horseman at the head OF The Orange process
sion turned about and rode the whole length
of his line, taking off his hat and quietly
wiping his brows meantime. He was the
of admiration for all who were not
~enyenomed, and these looked upon with
deeper hate than ever. He was struck with
violence in the shoulder by an old shoe,
paying no attention to this matter, he
wheeled his horse and resumed his place at
the head of his line.
Suddenly a word Of command. u%nintcl-
ligible to all but the troops, started from
near Twenty-third street, and was repeated
from officer to officer until it expired nearly
up Twenty-scventh street. In an instant
the troops d~eployed flank companies filed
out to the lett and the right; in the twink
ling of IN eye three plantoons of men
emptied their breech-loading muskets in
the direction Of the people on the house..
tops, then, dropping their muskets, fired a
second volley straight into the face of the
crowd. A soldier of the Eighty fourth regi.
ment picked out the man with the musket
the top Of the house, and dropped him
in his tracks. The other platoons of mill.
tary, who had not been ordered 10 fire, re-
manned perfectly still, standing quietly to
their arms while their comrades i~naugurated
the business of the defence.
lin a moment the scene of the parade was
changed to a fearful battlefield. The multi
t,ldc, ringleaders and all, took to their
heels, white with fear, and rushed up the
cross streets, leaping into cellars and un-
finished houses, crowding behind doorsteps
or falling fiat on their faces In the cutters.
The street and pavement were Uttered here
and there with dead bodies OF men and
women, some of whom had fallen with out.
stretched hands in the stiff performance of
immediate death, while others, u~ttering
low means, clenched at the warm stones
and gazed IN helpless agony for relief. Blood
trickled everywhere. A mar was seen lean
ing from 4 second story window In the act
of vomiting blood. Purple streams flowed
from his nose and forehead and ran in a
rill to the cnbstone. CoWardice and Gu
riosity had met their penalty in d moment
of ~proyocation, and those snlooth-faced bows
scattered death left and right in the quiet
consciousness Of a duty demanded. Then,
after q little pause, the music struck up
again from the different bands, and the
whole procession, leaving its dead still on
the street, marched in the direction of Ma
Olsen square.
AfeE of the rabblc had slipped away be-
fore the firing Of this yolley, resolving to
head off the procession at Seventh avenue
and twenty-third street, and give it similar
treatment. But q portion Of the Seventh
and T'Wenty-third regiments, with mounted
police, got around ahead Of them, d~iyining
their intention, and before the military
could use their muskets the police tumbled
in and dubbed the Williams on their heads
and faces. The miserable multitude were
too late-but it was q sort of military who
had not recently been seen III the streets of
tho city-slipped off into by-strcets and
that q long distance between them and the
foray.
When all were gone aud the right Of pro-
cession had been indicated, It was an awful
scene for an American city 10 see these
bleeding and shattered forms or men and
wone littering the %pavefnents and stones
OF Eighth avenue and the oss-streets.
Priests now appeared upon the ground,
seeking to perform the last office for some
nasf nrnuinnr far and little trn,lf,s nf rela.