The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-11-14
Grant Parish Horror.
A MAIDEN OF SEVENTEEN BEGUILED IN
TOTHB WOODS AND RUTHLEssLY
RATIsHED IN THE PRESENCE
OF HER MOTHER. ,
Especial Correspondent New Orleans Times

Especial Correspondent New Orleans Times.l
COLFAx, GRANT PARISH, Oct. 81.
Night before last a terrible outrage
was perpetrated some five or six miles
from this point, which, for cOOl-bloOded
atrOcity and demoniacle devilishness,
has hot been surpassed ut any time in
any country. -
Mistress Lacour, a descendent from
the old French family of that name, her
daughter, a beautiful and intelligent
young lady OF seventeen, (whO has re-
Gently arrived home from boarding
SCHOOL,, two sons aged fourteen and
seven years, and n baby aged II months,
named Cora Kellogg Wells, daughter
of MOmfOrd T. Wells, son Of ex-Gov.
j. Madison Wells, and tax collector for
this parish, were in the house. The la
dies were making preparations to re-
tire Tor night. The hour was : o'clock,
the baby was about being laid in its
cradle, when shots were simultaneously
fired into the room in which the ladies
We're from the front and back of the
house. One shot passed through the
musquitO bar. The shots were evidently
fred from a musket and revolver. An
effort was then made to force open the
front entrance to thehOuse. Hastily col
Letting the family together, Mistress
LacOur passed them out by the back
way un0bserved.
The party who made the attack were
evidently cOlored men under the in
t1uenCe Of liquor. This much was dis
covered by their voice. How many
there We're, it was impossible, i'll the eN-
element, to distinguish. Mistress La
cour, Miss LacOur, carrying the baby,
An6 f1n 1--WE o0ro than trOtIf {n tho hnlICa
of 4 cOlored woman near by and
claimed her protection, They had not
been in the house more than q moment,
however, before the ruffians appeared
ut the door and demanded that they be
driven out, threatening to burn the house
with her and her fugitiYes in it if the
latter were not compelled to leave it,
adding that they were a company who
had been given authority to kill all the
rebels ; that all those in the house were
rebels and that they would kill her and
them too if she gave them protection.
DRIVEN OUT.
The coIOred woman then drove the
party out, saying that she wanted no
| white blood in her house. Peter, the
eldest son, managed to escape unseen
in the darkness, and started off to give
information of what had t%ranspired.
The ladies, with the youngest boy
| Miss LacOur still carrying the baby,
which had been given into her charge
| during the illness of its mother), started
in the direction of the woods, a short
| distance beyond the house. AS on the
former occasion when they left their
own house, they were not Immediately
followed by the negroes, who appeared
for a moment to forget their purpose
in their hurrying and boisterousness.
The ladies had not, however, gone but a
short distance along the lane skirting
the side of the woods before they were
Overtaken by one of them, whom both
recognized as Hampton Henderson, 4
colored man of VIGOROUSLY bad charac-
ter, who three or four years ago out
ragged and murdered a cOlOred woman,
and hid her body in a ditch, but who
escaped punishment for this crime
through the influence of one of the
Hickman brothers, for whom he worked.
OUTRAGE UPON OUTRAGE.
Henderson told the ladies to follow
him, and he would escort them to the
residence of Mr.. Wells. The ladies
obeyed, knowing that they were help
less and absolutely within his power.
Entering the woods on the p~retence of
making . short cut to the house, the
villain took the baby from Miss La
COur's arms, laid it down, and then seiz-
ing the young lady, forced her to the
ground and outraged herin the presence
of her mother and brother, threatening
her with instant death by q butcher
knife which he held in his hand.
Taking up the child, he nov ordered
the party to follow him, conveying them
through the woods into a road to within
three hundred yards of the house Of a
colOred man of good character, named
Ralf Marcus, where he quietly left
| them, after. placing the child In the
read. Finding that Henderson vas not
near them, and giving no thought to
the baby iu their terror, they fled into
the woods, travelling in a circuit al
night, RS was proved when Nh. Wells
discovered them that evening hid in a
BAYOU not more than half 4 mile from
Narcus's house, they being afraid to
venture forth. in the daytime. The
baby was found at sunrise, u%ninjured
though i'll with cold. ~,
VENGEANCE. t.
The news of the outrage spread like
wildfire. The Parish of Rapfdes was II
arms in no time, to aVenge the deed up0r
the heads Of the cavalry Of the Met,
trOpOlitan Brigade on board the Ozark
fwhO we're represented to be the per
petratorsthereof The company ofPeli
can Pioneers of Alexandria were makins
hasty preparations for an overland triT
to Colfay, and the whole country arounC
was in a terrible state of excitement
when the news arrived us given above
and the indignation and threats of ven,
geance took an other direction although
many citizens said that but for tile ar
rival fthe Ozark the outrage would no
have occurred.
Mr.. Wells is determined to shoot Hen
derson on sight, and went to his housl
tonight for that purpose, armed will
. two FeFolyerS. Arriving atHendersOn'
house about 0 o'clock, MI. Wells was il
the act of ~dismOunting when he wa
fred at. Returning the fire seyeFa
times in the direction of the light from
the musket, which was evidently loadeC
with buckshOt, Mr.. Wells rushed int
the house, but Henderson had escaped
AUsELEss GUIDE.
CoLFAx, GRANT PARISH, Oct, IS, 1915
About midnight on the 25th inst, Col
DeKlyne and the entire cavalry CON
mand, under Captain Snow and Lieut.
Van Kirk, left Golfax for Montgomery
distant about thirty miles, taking wit
+ tllema colored man as gnide, name,
John Miles. After travelling miles i
the wrong direction, John was orderel
) to return to Colfax, and the command
in q dilapidated and muddy condition
+ stepped on board the Ozark yesterda,
morning as the. chimes of the breakfas
bell saluted their ears.
Having r~eeuperated and directed job,
/. fOtrayei miles on hisewn account and b
his nwn guide To q cnnnfrv with q hottie