The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-10-14
ku-kIuX Outlaws.

We learn from Hon. w. +. Phil
lips, parish judge of Grant parish,
whose house was burned over his
head a few nights since, when the
parish recorder, Mr.. ID. W. White.
was killed and his body consumed
in the flames, and who himself (Alr.
Phillips) only saved his OWL life
by falling when he was shot. at,
that there is supposed to be a body
of men banded together, about
three hundred strong, i'll Grant,
Rapidcs and. Natchitoches parishes
who commit outrages on peaceable
citizens, but have sufficient intlu-
ence to avoid conviction in the civil
courts when tried for their otfenseS.
About the first of September the
residence on Spring Lake planta-
ton, one mile above that Of Judge
Phillips, occupied by Mr.. Norbert
Lemoine "a Democrat) and his tami-
", was burned by some of these
m]iscreants. Mr.. Lemoine and his
family escaped with nothing but
their night clothes. Everything
else was consumed. Horse tracks
and other indications afforded con
elusive proof of the dastardly work
of incendiaries. There was no fire
about the house to render, an acct
dental burning possible.
\ week previous to that time a
house near Frazer's Mills, i'll Grant
parish. was attacked in the night
time. and about twenty shots fired
into it. Fortunately no damage
was done.
We have already stated that the
murdercrs and incendiaries who
fired Mr.. Phillips house left a pole
about twelve feet long in the yard,
with a lighted torch on the end OF
it. Some two or three feet from the
upper end q printed speech was tied
around the pole, delivered by Mr..
Phillips in Rapides parish in June,
1867. The speech was moderate
and conservative in tone, and no
sentiments were in it calculated to
excite Indignation. This speech
will be published in full in the
Louisianian this morning. The
torch is filed in court.
The night Of the attack on Mr..
Phillips house, the murderous par
ty made inquiry as to the residences
of Captain Hawthorne and Mr..
Harvey, formerly of the federal
army. When told that they resided
in Colfax, the remark was made in
response: "They are too near the
courthouse.' A colored man whom
they seized so THAT he might not
give information of their move
ments, says that before they reached
Mr.. Phillips house the party was
divided, %stationing twelve men on
each side Of the house, and four
men at each end, before they ap-
piled the torch, with instructions to
| shoot the inmates AS they came out.
When the party was leaving they
called out to know where that
"nigger" was, referring to a colored
man who slept on the premises, and
said: "Let's fix him out now"
The colored man had, however,
previously escaped.
Judge Phillips lost everything
but his night shirt. His crops OF
corn and cotton will be sacrificed,
| since it is unsafe for him to return
there at present. Judge Phillips
is a native of Alabama.
Mr.. White, the parish recorder.
who was killed, received two OF
three charges, almost literally blow
ing off the whole top of his head,
Hc did not come out here in the
Eighteenth New York Cavalry, but
in the Seventh New York Veteran
Cavalry, and was adjutant of that
regiment, which was subsequently
consolidated with Colonel Chryss
! ler's Second New York Veteran
Cavalry. Mr.. White was. a member
of the Grand Army of the Republic
a member of Union League, and 8
member of the Knights of Pythias
He was the only son of his mother
who resides, at Flushing, New
York, and had been anxiously ex
pecting his return to her home.-[N
o. Republican, Oct. Sth.