The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-09-18
REPUBLICAN ACCOUNT OF THE COU.
SH Alta TROUBLE.

circumstantialy what transpired before
the arrest of Twitchell, Devices and
others the Times continues referring to
the night following their arrest:
Through a miracle they were saved
that night. About nines o'clock next
morning, with a strong and faithful
guard, selected by themselves, they
started to Shreveport. 1t being an eX-
tremely hot day, and exerting their
horses to the utmost, several gave out
entirely-but, so fast would they press
| in more, that not much time was lost.
Everything seemed safe. The prisoners
had begun to cast off the gloom that
mantled their faces and cheerfulness
instead being reinstated. At four
O'Clock they had reached the distance
of forty-five miles, when Heaven help
| them! they were suddenly surrounded
and over fifty men, supposed to be
Texans, had presented rs many double
barrel shot-guns in their rfaces-demand-
ing the guards the instant surrender OF
themselves and prisoners. Nothing
favorable could be done. So, suddenly
finding themselves overpowercd, they
had to yield to prudence and withdraw.
These supposed Texans instantly kill
lied Homer Twitchell, Bob Devices and
Frank Edgerton ON the spot. They
then carried Clark Holland, w. F..
Howell and M. 9. Wills into a thicket
near by, and they, too. soon shared the
same fate. From the most reliable
information that could be obtained, and
from our trust reposed in some of the
guards that we have the honor to know,
everything in their power was done to
avert tho doom of these unfortunate
and erring men. il-r... r~s.
Over dozen negroes were arrested at
the same time on the charge of particip-
ating and being cogniZant M the in
tended massacre. All Monday, Tues
day and "Wednesday was occupied in
trying to ferret out the programme and
the would-be assassin or assassins of
MIR. Dixon. And, from the free cOnfts-
sion. of these poor, deluded negroes, was
discovered a plot that makes us shudder
tothink of. A deed, ,damnablei in design,
and darker than hell! A plot, that,
had it not been crushed in the bud,
must have caused our blood and the
blood of innocent women to ningle to-
gether. Babes, in their innocency,
would have been slain to satiate and
satisfy the dire thirst of these incarnate
demons-led on by these bad leaders.
At this plearure party the work was to
have commenced! The negro who bold
ly confessed the shooting of Mr.. Dixon,
conformity with the balance, also
confessed that, over forty we'll armed
negroes were concealed under and
around Mr.. Twitchell's house and in
the field adjoining:-that, they We're led
and instructed by that notorious villain,
Henry Smith--a negro well known
for his antagonism and hatred to the
white population that, while station
ed under the house ammunition passed
around; also that Mr.. Devices, coming
direct from the dance, said the men in
town were too strong:-that from this
information, they had dispersed in
squads in returning homeland together
Paul Williams and Lewis Johnson had
gotten as far as the point where the
ther deposed:-that, the gun in his
hands did the work, but, that Lewis
johnson first bursted cap and urged
him to shoot. The remainder of the
prisoners, after q timely warning that
they should ever bear in mind their
present condition, how near they had
been led to polIute themselves with a
horrible crime with the blood of their
fellow-men and best friends, their
near approach to a just punishment
death-and never again allow them
selves to become so foolish as to be
induced ojoin in, with set of heart
les men that would be sure to lead
them to destruction-were released.
Not so with the two guilty ones. AL
though they deserved the severest
pun ishment for such a pafpabie crime,
the committee did not feel disposed to
take upon themselves the responsibility
of adjudging, and, consequently, they
were ordered back to prison, to be tried
in due process of.law. But, on the way
they were taken by strong body o:
armed men-who carried them to the
woods and they were. there punished
| by hanging.
We acknowledge that the Republican
party has favored us when most needed;
we acknowledge that these identical
men were once counted our friends,
and some of them have lent us helping
hands on different occasions but
while our gratitude is struggling fol
ascendency, horror and modification at
the attempted crime overstrides every
And, while we'feel sorry for the effects
of their rdelusiop-(for to err is human