The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-02
EXCITEMENT IN COUShlTTA.
The Late News Confirmed.

! SHREVEPORT, Sept. 1.-Major A. +. Stephenson,
OF De Soto parish, who arrived here to-day, fur
illshes the following account OF the Coushatta
troubles. which is no doubt substantially correct
1t seems that in Red River PARISH, where the
negroes are largely in excess Of the white ,
much apprehension and alarm has been felt by
| the latter, on account Of a threatened outbreak
Of the negroes. instiSated, as was generally be-
| lleved by Edgerton, Devices Twitchell. Howell
! Willis, Holland and others.
| The lives Of several respectable white citizens
| OF the parish had been threatened by negroes,
and a few days ago Mr. Williams, a respectable
citizen OF the third ward of Red River parish, was
attempted to be asaasslnated by two notorlo US and
desper4 tc negroes near Brownsville, i'll the lower
edge OF he parish, lie having been fired at by
| them with double -balrelled shot guns. On last
Thursday small party of white men went to the
cabins of these negroes with the view of arrest
ing and lodging them in jail, when they were
fired upon from the cabin and one OF the party
instantly killed.
The negroes then attempted to run to the
woods. when they were both shot and killed by
the party attempting the arrest. On the next
day, Friday, a large body Of armed heroes, be-
tween 300 and 400 IN number, assembled near
Brownsville, swearing vengence against the
whole white race, and declaring they would not
leave a white man, woman or child alive III the
parish.
This created great apprehension and excite
ment at Coushatta and throughout the surround
ing country, and on Friday night the roads lead
men, ,lr. Joe Dickson and Mr.. Picken,, who Were.
on one Of the posts, halted negro who was COM
ing INTO town with a sack OF buckwheat. lie paid
no attention to the sulnmo IS to halt, and ran of
into the darkness beng fred at by one OF the par
ties, without effect, however. They immediately
went into the town ~ report what had occurred
and We're returning to their post, when they were
aecosted in the streets of Couslatta by Homer
Iwtlchell and two notorious negro desperadoes
Andrew Bosley and Bob Smith, all Of whom were
armed. They m
with them, not OF q violent nature, and had
turned round to proceed to their post. when they
were fired upon twice by this armed party from the
rear and without warning. Dickson was danger
ousy ii not MORALLY wounded by this fire.
He now lies in very critical condition. Mr.
Plckens escaped unhnrt. The firing party then
ran oft, Bosley and Smith escaping altogether
and Twtcheli for the time being. That night
Twlchell, Il. A. Devices, W. L. Howell, G. Holland.
and VI. C. Willis, all whites. besides "a number Of
negroes were arrested and placed under guard.
All Of the party who held office, then volur tariy
rendered and wrote ont their resignatlons and
they, with the others. voluntarily proposed if Il
guard were furnished them to Shreveport they
would leave the state to return no more.
This was at once assented to and the prisoners
requested Mr.. John Carr, a reliable and trust
worthy citizen present, to take charge of the
guard for their protection. On Sunday morning
at 10 o'clock, MIR. Carr, with guard of bout
sixteen men, started with the above-named pris-
oners, except the negroes, who were released
Not long afterwards, party of between forty to
fifty men, supposed to be all Texans, who had
come in Coushatta, started III pursuit with the
avowed purpose OF lynchng the prisoners.
Later in the day Mr.. Carr was appraised Of
this fact, and put his horses and those of the
prisoners to the top Of their speed to avoid be-
ing overtaken. While nearing the Hutchinson
plantation on Red River, some thirty miles be-
low Shreveport, with the view of crossing there
and destroying the fatboat to prevent further
pursuit, he was overtaken by the pur -ulng party,
away from him, and three of them, Edserton,
Twichell and Devices shot on the spot.
The other three, Howell, Holland and Willis
were carried back short distance to near Wards
store and there shot. The citizens in the neigh
borhood assembled yesterday morning and buried
the parties who had been killed. The first three
in the graveyard near Hutchns' plantation, and
the last three on the spot where they had been
killed near Wards store.