New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-11
4 STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC.
B7tGe Governor:
+. Il. DESLoSDE,

Having Eel: l: my duty to ISSUE my proclamation
offering . large coward for the apprehension and
conviction of The 'lrdeyers in the Corslatts OFT.
l-. ana 70 the end that the law abiding citizens
OF the state may fully comprehend til. magnitude
o: the crime committed. and be induced to yccdey
more active assisrancs to the officers Of the !av.
deem i. proper 20 make the following statement.
Tines. facts are gathered from reliable ia:o.ua.
ton received! d. the Executive Department..
On or about :ae twenty-e, ghth day @: August.
t3,;, body Of persons. belonging sem. -,hi...
tary organization known az the White League 0:
Louisiana, assembled in the town o! Co.s!lat,a,
parish Of Rcd River. in this state :or III. purpose
OF compelling, bv force o: arms. the State officers
o. that oaTist! to resign thei. positions.
These officers were men O. good character: mos,
o. Them largely interested IL planting and mclean.
tile pGrsiiiis. They held :he: positions With IN.
:! consent OF al admittedly large majority Of the,
legal voters OF The parish, this being a largely
Republican parish. as admitted evea b. the Fusion
returning boards.
The only known objection 20 them was tfa. thew
were Of Republican principles. Frank s. Ei-erton.
the duly qualified sherf of the parish, in stric.
compliance with the laws of this State and of III.
UEitec States. summoned posse comi:a.,,s OF ci..
izsns white and colored. to assist him i. protaoc
1 the parish officers in the exercise of their IN.
doubted rights and duties from ths threatened IN.
!awau! violence OF the " hite Leagues, Hls posse
consisting Of sixty-fve nen was overpsyyered nv
superior force assembled from. the adjacent mar,
isnes. and finally, after several eoors.; and whi..
men hat! been KILLED, surrendered tLemssIrea nrs.
anefs, With .he expiicl. guarantee sa. .h.ir lives
wou.! be spared if the more prominent Reprh
la:'As would agree to leave she parish, and tboss
holding office would ssssn theiy positions
ihese s'lpulations, though Snlawfl.Ily e.ar.e,s
were complied with on the part of She Republican
Officials, who were then locked Sc II tie la, Cor
the Night.
The tol.e%eg named PERSONS vs.s auo.. thos.
so surrendeTinz and resignins:
Homes J. VwitcheI, planter ani tax so:iec.o: q.
Red Rivesr and deputy United States postmaster
il.eharSe OF the postotice at Coushatta; Robert A.
Devices supervisor OF registration De 500 parish.
Clark Holland. merchant AID supervisor of sepis,
tration Red River parish; v. ). Bowel parish
attorney and United States commissioner. Frank
s. Edserton, sheriff of Red River parisls n. C.
Willis, merchant and justice of the peace.
On the following morning. Sunday, the .hi,-iet,,
day Of August, these persons were bound and
conducted by an armed guard to the Mcfarland
plantation just over the parish line of Red Rivar
within the boundaries of Bossier narisb ato,,.
forty miles east OF the Texas lima There 10
were Sc. upon and deliberately murdered in cod
blood Thelr bodies were buried near where theT
fell without indnest or any formality whateve-
On the night preceding the Surrender a hodr Of
forty members OF the White Leacue NJ Cs6Gn
parish, mounted and armed left the CITY Of
OF the place where the murder was eubseaUentlv
committed.
., WILLIAM 2. KELLOGG.
se'SP Gever2oS.