Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-05
COUSHATTA.
A Prominent Merchants Ac-
count of the Recent
Slaughter.
Two More Negroes Taken Out
of Jail and Killed.


SHREVEPORT, La, Sept. 4.-The Times
publishes the statement of Mr.. Abney, a
leading merchant of COushatta. to the fol-
lowing effect:
I'VE are glad to be able TO report all
quiet in Red River parish. We are inVes-
tigating the charges of melting riot, e.c.,
against some twenty-five negroes now un-
| der arrest, before Citizens committee
some Of the best men we have. The in
vestigatiOn is bringing to light the must
damuable plot that was ever con-
cOcted by any set of men. On the
night Of the 18th of august the young
people Of our town and vicinity had assem-
bled to christen the new brick store Of
Messrs. Abney u Love, by dance. 1t is
evident before this Citizens Committee,
that a number OF negroes h ID been brought
to town armed for the purpose of an in
discriminate murder of the men, women
! and children assembled there; that Frank
EdgertOn, the Sheriff, Homer Twichell
and X. A. Devices and Henry Smith. a
notorious bad negro. were TO lead them in
their assault upon these defenceleSS citizens
The negroes were brought from the adjacent
farms and packed in corn Geld near BY
and under the residence Of S. j. TWitchell.
r a. Devices rode several times 10 the
dancing party and back to the residence of
II. J. Twitchell, where the armed negroes
were concealed and was heard to say to the
negroes 'the party is too strong for US
Learning that large number Of negroes
were assembled about town. the dancing
party broke up about one o'clock The
young men formed themselves into a scout
ing party aud began patrolling the place.
As young Dickson and Jas. Il. Dickson
were riding in the vicinity of Twichell's
house, they saw and talked with II. J.
Twichell and saw near him several armed
negroes. Returning to report what they
had seen, they were fired upon twice and
Mr.. J. b. Dickson was dangerously
wounded.
Couriers arrived Just at that time from
Capt. w. A. Hersey, at Brownsville, some
II miles below, stating that the negroes We're
assembling in force, with arms, and bore
a very threatening attitude. A squad of
some twenty young men was Immediately
dispatched for Brownsville and the clubs in
the county were called on TO come 10 the
rescue Of the people. Their prompt res
pOnse proved our salvation. In ! very few
hours thousand men were here, enraged
at the damnable attempt to assasSinate a
whole community. They demanded the
prisoners. Seeing that they had no safety
here and thdt all that could be done by
the best and most responsible
citizens Of the place could not protect them
many 5hOurs, the prisoners submitted
proposition TO leave the State and never re-
turn. This proposition seemed to appease,
to some extent. the wrath Of the people,
and it was accepted by the citizens. They
Ghe priSOneTs) chose from the people at
large their own guard, with a brave man al
their head, and selected the route up the
river to Shreveport, where they were TO take
the cars for the North.
'sAbout thirty miles abOyehere they were
Ogertaken and the prisoners rescued from
the guard and shot
Since Mr.. Abney's statement was Te-
ceived, report reaches this city that tn
two negroes charged witt ':iOOting Mr..
Dickson had been mur Ter. Il by a mob at
COuslatta. These negro,,s were among those
examined by the investigating committee
who remanded the negroes to Jail, and re-
commended that they be tried by the Dis
trict Court, but the mob removed them
from the Jail and killed them. The affida-
Wits referred to by Mr. Abney, have been
received here, but they contain nothing in
addition TO the matters stated by them.