The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-05-27
The Killing at Big Cane.

The day before the killing, Sun
day, in one of the stores at Big
Cane, Wallace Small, who was
drunk, stepped up to Keller and
told him that he, Keller, was a good
man, but that he, Small, was a bet
ter one. He alluded to physical
strength. Keller pushed him off,
told him that he was drunk and to
go away. Small went in front of
the store, and invited Keller to
come out and settle the matter by a
fist fight. Keller went out and
hammered him on the head a little
with his pistol, when Small went
off, threatening to return, it is said,
prepared to fight Keller in a differ
ent manner. Next day, Monday,
Wallace Small, and his brother,
Bruce Small, went to Big Cane,
with their wives, to attend to some
business at one of the stores. On
arriving theres Wallace was told
that he had better settle his difficult
ty with Keller, because, from the
reports in circulation, something
serious was likely to grow out of it.
He replied that he was drunk when
he had the difficulty with MI.
Keller, that he knew not what he
was about, and was willing5 to apollo
gize. Keller was sent for, and said
he was willing to let the matter
drop if Small would apologize;
which he did. After t%ransacting
their business, the two. Smalls and
their wives left for home. Keller
followed after them with a double
barrel gun. He returned in a short
time, and stated that while passing
the Smalls in the road he stopped
and inquired of Wallace if the diff
Guilty was not settled, and that he
replied that it was for auhile;
whereupon, he shot him. And that
Bruce Small. then attempted to
draw his pistol on him, when he
shot him also. @
It is stated that Bruce Small,
while at Big Game just before being
shot, was in his shirt sleeves, and
that no pistol was visible about him.
Their wives, who were with the
Smalls when Keller killed them,
give the other side of the story.
They say that Keller, on riding up
behind them, exclaimed: "Wallace,
helFs afoat and the Jordan's a ris-
ing.' Wallace protested that the
difficulty between them had been
amicably settled; but Keller, with
out saying anything further, imme-
diately shot and killed Wallace with
one barrel of his gun, and then shot
and killed Bruce with the other
barrel.
Keller was not arrested, but left
the parish a few days afterwards, it
is said, going by way of the Atch-
afalaya and Mississippi rivers in the
direction of New Orleans.
Such occurrences as this are Ia
mentable in the extreme, and we
are sorry that they + not less COM
mon. Since this affair it has been
said that Congress erred in, leaving
out that part of the Kuklux bill
making the inhabitants of a district
responsible in damages for the
crimes committed within it's limits ;
for such responsibility would put a
stop, in a great measure, to murder,
by causing the prompt arrest and
punishment of criminals, and the
expulsion Of bad characters from
the district. We have no organized
Kuklux in our parish, but lawless
characters, singly Or in bands, often
commit depredations and acts of
violence for which the community
at large are in nowise responsible,
except that they are negligent in
the guilty parties brought
to punishment.
The only way the South can es-
cape Kuklux laws under the present
government, is to furnish no occa-
sion for their enforcement.
The CRoPs.-The crops in this
are fourishing. We have
'ecently had an opportunity of see
ng a good deal of growing corn and
saw none but what looked well.
There is a good stand of cotton, but
t is comparatively small, owing to
been planted late and the
Tery cool dry weather two OF three
weeks 81 which checked its growth.
cane is also doing well, espe-