The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-23
THE OUTRAGE UPON THE BULLETIN.

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The metropolitan police have committed
many gross and inexcusable ou.rages since
their organization; they have overridden all
law, and led by irresponsible and unscrupu-
lous men have made for themselves reputa-
ton scarcely less detestable than that earned
by the barbarian and ruthless hordes that
swarmed down from the north Of Europe and
overran the fair and fertile plains Of Italy.
Recognizing no authority save such as ema-
Mates from the Usurper Kellogg, and no law,
human or Divine, they should inscribe upon
their banners this motto. ..Night makes rigat,"
and have engraved upon their badges the pi-
rates ensign, skull and cross-bones. They
have not hesitated, in defiance of law, to in
wade the country parishes for purposes Of
murder and rapine, and their officers, believ-
ing that they are amenable to no authority
whatever, do not hesitate to ride roughshod,
and with much arrogance and insolence, over
the rights and privileges Of the people.
OF their many high handed acts, however,
their seizure on Saturday night of the forms
of the BULLETIN while they were being car
ried 10 the press-room, must be reckoned as
among the most inexcusable. No more wan
ton insult was ever offered to q community,
NO more fragrant and palpable act Of highway
robbery was ever committed. 1t was an auda-
cious and determined attempt to silence and
suppress journal which had become obnox-
ious by reason of its plainness OF speech in
arraigniDg the usurpation and its army Of
Hessian sold.ery, whenever they trespassed
upon the rights Of the people. 1t was foray
by midnight thieves, who, overpowering the
small escort with the BULLETIN forms, made
them stand and deliver without .one-half the
politeness assumed by the gentlemen Of the
road, when they relieve their victims of sur
plus change watches, etc.
For the first time in the history Of this or
any other country the forms of a newspaper
have been dragged to Jail, thrust into felon's
cell and locked up, and this too without the
shadow of authority, of right, reason, Or
justice. No charge was made against any
individual in the BULLETIN, there was
no affidavit whatever, and the seizul e
was made upon simple order from Superin-
tendent Badger to his subordinates, the tenor
of which we can only imagine, as the officer
in charge refused to show it to the representa-
tive of the BULLETIN. We are informed that
Badgers order was based upon representa-
ton from the man Houlihan that he had pur-
chased the type of the Herald Company
and was afraid that the BULLETIN intended to
make away with it. just here we may as
we'll explain that the type which Houlihan
purchased at the sale on Saturday was occu-
plying the cases, forms, etc, Of the BULLETIN,
and that he failed to keep two appointments
with the Sheriff to receive his property. Sub
sequently, he informed the proprietor Of the
BULLETIN that he could use the type until
Monday to-day, and sent word to the Sheriff
that be would be ready to receive the type on
Monday.
These facts can be established by numerous
witnesses, but even if the BULLETIN had not
received Houlihans permission to use the
type he had no control whatever over them,
as they were still in the custody of the Sher-
i'll, and the proprietor of this paper had been
appointed deputy sheriff and keeper. There
is nothing, therefore, to relieve this seizure
from the charge of high,oay robbery, in which
the police who took part were principals, and
Badger, Flanagan and Houlihan accessories
before the fact.
The claim of Capt Flanagan on Saturday
night, that he acted under the authority OF
Judge Macarthur, was wholly without author
ity, and must have been intended to deceive,
for the Judge came to the BULLETIN Office
yesterday and expressly disclaimed the fact,
leaving with us the following document
OFFICE New ORLEANS BULLETIN,
New Orleans, June 21st, 1874
This is to certify that the seizure of the
forms of the N. .. BULLETIN last night by
metropolitan policemen, was without my
sanction and without any authority whatever
from me. A. w. MACARTHUR.
This throws the entire blame upon Gen.
whom, when the forms were safely under lock
and key, could not refrain from exultant
smiles. To the sheriff, who went to demand
the return of the property, which had been
stolen from him. one of Badgers ieutenants
remarked, 1--WE know your sympathies,. Mr.
sheriff, and we have our own in this matter. "
To which the sheriff, with proper dignity, re-
piled, This is not. q matter OF sympathy sir,
it is matter Of duty. You have taken my
property and demand its return.
1t thus crops out that the police were actu-
ated by malice; they wanted to "get even
with the BULLETIN, under whose lashings
they had SO often writhsd, and to do this they
did not hesitate to commit highway robbery.
We have excellent reason to believe, how
ever. that the raid npon the BULLETIN did not
originate in the shallow brain Of Mr.. Houli-
han, and that he was the mere catspaw on the
occasion of men high in favor with the
Usurper. We were warned by a gentleman
early in the evening that seizure would be
made, and that Houlihan was mere tool in
the matter, who received his orders from a
ring of wealthy rascals to whom the BULLETIN
had become unbearable.
1t was a clumsy scheme, clumsily executed,