The New York herald., 1874-09-16

to be true copy OF the original. Iound among the
papers OF /. ;. Edgerton and the same witnesses
swear "a a tnat tne orgnal Is In the handwriting OF
The letter, IL win be seen. was written at New
orleans on the 4th OF August and was apparently
the result OF conference with the acting Governor
and the United States Marshal. The evidence
shows that there had been no disturbance In the
parish until after tnis letter must have been re-
celved by Edgerton; that no demand had been
mace lor inc RESIGNATION OF the parish officers and
no movement made against them, and that the
outbreak on the 9th or August TOOK the white
people completely by surprise.
me nrst symptoms OF violence were restless
ana leVerisn excitement among the negroes, re.
sultlng IN the Killing by them OF Mr.. BrothcrsOn,
white citizen OF that parish. The immediate cause
OF the outbreak was the discovery OF plot IN
stlgated by the parish offcials to murder the per-
sons composing dancing party in the town OF
negroes concerned
EDarn,os sheriff psriss oSssss kss vsr Es 4asns 1874
peceyeH yGaf letter this have seen the Gov
act une cSn BE-
sent up there and he viii doubtless take United states
made TOR your reservations to be certain first that
s In you do not and then to
Natchitoches matters not settled yet, The Gov
NJ Ii. TwifCHELL
THE STATEMENTS OF THE WITNESSES
Testimony taken before the Citizens Safety In.
vestgatng Committee commenced at COnshatta,
parish OF Red River state OF Louisiana. on Sep
tember l. 1874, and closing september g. 1874. The
following witnesses were examined:-
Louis johnson testines as fOows:-I, in COM
pany with Gentry Beard, Dan Daley. Joe Norrid
and Wash Morgan went, by order or Henry Smith,
armed, early i'll the nlghg OF the 9th day OF August
to the house OF II. J. Iwitche, in the town or Con-
the house; there were twenty or twenty-five men
armed under the house; we had come. not know
orders ord smith inopmed Us that he wantea
us for guards; Henry Smith said that
he would furnish a%Smunt,on; after re;
or two hours we were ordered to 20 out TO the
TwItche field, between Homer Twltchel's house
and the levee some went back into the 1ed near
the small pecan bushes, and some in the weeds
near the fence next to the road leading IRON Con-
shatta to the planning mill wolfe living there two
men passed there gong down the public road to
the planning mil, both mounted; few seconds
after these two men passed | saw the Hash and
fifty yards rom the man VINO shot the gun; Paul
Williams fired the gun; he told me so, and saw
him Immediately after the firing reoad'ng his
field a short while after Dixon was shot; some
white men were standing at Mr.. scott's house.
near us, Just before the shooting took place, and
ordered US to go into the field and stay there.
TIE CONsPIRArORS NAMED.
VOCey Den3iSOn teS ided as follows On Thurs
day night, August 27, 1874, the following men came
TO my house Tom Irwin, Charley Scott, Paul
Williams. Daley, Ben Smith, Wash Morgan and
win asked me If there was party at Conshatta;
told them there was three or Our or
the '' BALI; i1 Henry smith aS tod tod us Thursday
evening the Ku Klux were coming, and he
wanted us TO TAKE q Stanu; some men laQ tnfeaC-
ened to Kill him; Henry Smith took all the men
that were collected and placed them under Homer
TwltcheL's house; was win them; Henry smith
was under the house; Homer Twitcnell was in
the house at the time; fifteen men under
the house were armed; Henry Smith gave gun
uted ammunition while under the house; Bob
Devices gave Henry Smith one box OF caps that
night to distributes; Bob Devices passed backward
three or Our times from the party to Twlchell's
house, apparently as a courier. We remained un-
der the house until Devices said they, the white
into the field and renamed there was at the
lence, near the levee, when the gun fired; Alfred
Tom Irwin SAID they were gong to tue ball. and
they all knew 1t was white mans ball; a
nalI nour alter after the men nsn, LETT rwitcnel,s
road l was IN the field when the gun
was fired, but did not see 1t, nor the flash OF IL;
have heard henry Smith make the remark great
many times tnat he would thrash any negro that
would vote ,he white ticket; we came together
by command. of Henry Smith, in the night time,
armed, and l suppose he got his authority from
Mr.. Twitcnel; don't know how Henry Smith
gets his living, but think That Mr.. Twltchel pays
get the party together: Henry Smith obtained
authority from Homer Twtcnell and Bob Devices
to attack the citizens of Conshatta; Wade Hamp-
ton Carried all oroers from iIenry smith: they got
them from Twltchell and Dewees.
THE CONFESSION OF WILLIAMS.
Paul Williams testified as folows:-I shot Mr..
Dixon did; came over TO this side and went
under Homer 1wltchell's house: was told to
come because the white people were coming to
Kill the black people; Dan bailey, Louis Johnson
and myself went down the field; when Dixon
passed Louis Johnson snapped cap At him aud
fired both oarrels at him; Devices was running
backward and forward as courier; | was told
that Homer Twltcnell gave his gun TO some
one; Henry, smith was In command; Homer
Twtchell and the rest OF his crowd to blame
Tor this trouble; Devices and Edgerton were
riding IRON the party to the colored men,
Homer Twitcheil told US to go home the white
party was TOO strong that night; Devices
counted the white men; we were ordered by
Homer fwitchel to fire on any Of tie White people
wnen they came along; Dan Daley led US TO
Twitchell's home, and we went into the yard at
the back gate; Henry Smith delivered SnOt to the
men Homer Twtcnell stald at home while we
were there; when we lett we went to Scott's
house: Henry Smith told US to stop at certain
places shot Dixon in his back; 1t had been ru.
mored IOr some time among the radicals that
there would be fight between the whites and the
blacks, and the minds OF the negroes have been
greatly in1amed by these rumors; now. gentle
men, you can take me and shoot me or hang me,
as you please; know | deserve TO die prefer to
be shot.
Published by order OF the Committee OF Seventy
II IA