Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-18
FROM HIGHLAND PARISH,
RAYvILLE, September 80, 1873,

'o'NhiS. WV pdPtIs dIe iuDllsileu IN lfllS J
parish (Richland), but they do not give the |
news unless it suits them. They are Demo |
cratic sheets, and their mission is not to enlgh.
en- the people by telling the truth, but to de
cevc and mislead 10y falsehood. The Re
publican exchanges which come to the Beacon
office are not even read 10y the editor Its rea-
ders do not know that Blanchard has confess
ed. As to local ou;rages these papers are
carefully silent.
On the nineteenth of last August one Rob-
ert Williams, who claimed to be a constable,
arrested colored man, Joshua Harris, near
Latourche lake, eight miles from Ray sille
He gave no reason for the arrest, but told Har-
ris he must 80 before a justice at Grard for
examination.
After proceeding a short distance, five arm
ell men met Williams and Harrs, and ordered
the constable to give up the prisoner to them,
saying they "wnn'ed him. OF course, these
five good citizens had their way. They took
Harris and led him off into the woods Ii
does not appear what became of Williams
Just then. Ii is certain, however, that he made
no resistance, and was suffered TO go home
unmoiested. Harris was made 10 lie down.
and his captors commenced whipping him.
They gave no reason for it, He was not told
why Williams arrested him in the first place,
nor why these five men took him from the
constable and whipped him. While beating
b.. hey said they meant to kill him. Up 10
IT,, tine Harris lad submitted quietly, think
iny that the bes, 10 save his life.
but on being told they intended to kill him, he
resolved to make an effort TO escape, so he
sprang up suddenly, and ran. The men seiz-
ed their guns and fired al him, but lie dashed
into the ,hickets and managed 10 eludc pur-
suit. He was. however severely wounded.
Those who saw him soon after describe him
as full of shot" A great number of shots
struck him, inflicting flesh wounds. and what
appeared to have been a pistol ball passed
through his side. He knew the men, and
gave their names, as follows: Byron Burnett
Mr.. Hyman, Sam NJ. Duffy, Mr. Coony and
Henry Spencer.
Not long after this outrage warrants were
issued for their arrest, but no arrests were
made. Plenty of time was allowed TO ena
HE the accused to leave the parish, and they
left. In a few weeks or months they will be
back, and nothing will be done.
Many such ou,raees are committed which
never become public. In parts of Richand
and Franklin, and in ceran communities in
other parishes, the colored people are not free
They do not enjoy the rights Of freemen
are often most sllamefully wronged and in
jured without hope ofJustce. Men in Ray
vile openly say that certain Republicans
ought to be killed. Senator Crawford is one
thus honored. Public schools doSot exist in
Richand The old board, which was APP
pointed early in 1871 was Democratic, and
the funds were used for the benefit of a CO..
tain class and not for the good of all the peo-
pie, This old board turned over to the pres.
ent school directors debt with no money to
pay it, Aiier deducting the amount Of the
debt the present board did not have enough
money TO establish schools until it was too
late to do any &C Cd tins year, and with the adj
vice of the division superintendent, they te-
termined TO make no attempt till after the ems
of the cotton picking season. Most of the
children are in the fields now. and schools
opened in September would have few pu.
pills.
The proceeds of the parish tax will enable
the board to build school houses next year
ami they expect to begin the work of educa
ton in earnest. or the 500 colored children
in the parish, less Than one fifth have received
the slightest benefit from the $4,000 which
was spent ostensibly for school purposes.
The present board will do Justice to all.
Hoping TO write to you again. remain,
SCRUTA1OR.
We copy the above communication from a
late number Of the New Orleans Republican
1t will no doubt astonish many Of our less
suspectng readers, in this immediate vicinity,
to find that so great parsonage as the Chief
Of Liars, did ac,us lily pass through the town
ofRayville in the shape of a human being.
Among the readers of the BEACON, we have
considerable number ofprofessed Republi.
cans, no will be equally surprised at the
startling revelations made in their behalf by
this lying "Scrutator" whom they will recog.
nize as bastard ofpremature birth who owes
his existence to an extraordinary effort of the
Princess of lies to stretch human ingenuity for
fabricating purposes-and the author of "Scru.
tator" came forth. 1t is indeed a pi,iabe
state OF affairs in which poor humanity can
sink so deep in infamy as to lie just for the
fun OF it. We are unable to identity TIL.
bump on natures putrelac,on who has thu.
''scru,ated'' around Rayvlle, and wrote suct
bare-faced lies about our people with noncha
lance that would almost make Satan blush
But he is evidently the Superintendent of Pub
lie Instruction, commissioned, qualified ant
sent forth from the Council Chamber of Pan
demoninm, to teach young ideas how to Ii.
and steal. lie would make people beiiev,
that he is a member of the republican party
but lie lies. No political party even, howev
er demoraizcd, ever owned member S
utterly destitute of principle and veraci,y
He is naugh, bu, fy-bow on the page c
nature. We have too much respect even 70
the good name Of our political opponents nc
TO refute the claim which this two-iegged
scrutating animal insect would make to ,hei
sympathies.
We do not believe that there is citizen il
the Parish of Richland, white or black, demo
ocrat or republican, but who will agree wit
us in saying that no political difference la
broken the peace between the races, nor caus
ed the least disturbance or injustice to an
member Of either or party hereabou
within the past twelve months. Politica
prejudices and animosities have died a natur
/ al death in Richland Parish, and her inbabi
tants, withou, regard TO politics, constitute tn
mos, agreeable society in which man ca
live, lest he remove from this mundane sphere
If the New Orleans Republican be true I