New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-23
4 STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC

Having felt it my duty to issue my proclamation
| Offering large reward for the apprehension an,
conviction Oft the murderers IN the Coushatta out
rage and to the end that the law abiding citizens
| of the State may fully comprehend the magnitrd,
of the crime committed. and be induced to 1cnde
more active assistance to the officers of the law.
deem it proper to make the folio wing statement.
These facts are gathered from reiia ole intorma-
ton received at tine Executive Department.:
ON or about the twenty.eighth day Of August
1874. body of persons. belonging to semi.mili
tary organization known as the White League O.
Louisiana. assembled in the town of Coushatta
parish OF Red River in this State. for the purpose
Of compelling. by force Of arms the State officers
Of that parish to resign their positions.
These officers were men of good character: inoss
Of them largely interested III planting and merean.
tile pursuits. They held their positions with the
full consent Of admittedly large majority of the
ie.a! voters OF :he parish. this being largely
Republican parish. as admitted even by ;he Fusion
returning boards.
The only known objection to them was that they
were of Republic an principles. Frank S. Edgerton
the duly qualified sheriff Of the parish. in strict
compliance with the laws Of this State. and of the
United States. summoned posse comitatus Of cit
izens. white and colored to assist him in protect.
ing the parish officers in the exercise of their un.
doubted rights and duties from the threatened I'm.
lawful violence OF the W bite Leagues. HIS posse.
consisting o! sixty.fve men. was overpowered by
a superior force assembled fsom the adjacent par.
ishes. and finally. after several coored and white
men had been killed. surrendered themselves pris.
oners. with the explicit guarantee that their lives
would be spared II the more prominent Repub
1icans would agree to leave the parish, and those
holding office would resign their positions.
These stipuiations. though unlawfully exacted
were complied with on the par. Of the Republican
officials. who were then locked up in the Jail for
the night.
The following named persons were among those
SO surrendering and resignipg:
Homer J. Twitchell. planter and tax collector Of
Red River. and deputy United States postmaster
in charge of the postofhce a: Coushatta Robert A.
Devices. supervisor Of registration, De Soto parish.
Clark Holland. merchant and supervisor of regis.
trat:cn. Red River parish: W. J. Howell, parish
attorney and United States commissioner: Frank
s. Edserton. sheriff Of Red River parish: n. c.
Willis. merchant and justice Of the peace.
On the following morning, Sunday. the thirtieth
day of August. these persons were bound and
conducted by an armed guard to the Mcfarland
Just over the parish line of Red River
WITHIN the boundaries Of BOssier parish. about
lorty miles east OF the Texas line. There they
were set upon and deliberately murdered in cold
blood. Their bodies were buried near where they
lel. without inquest or any f0rmaty whatever
On me night preceding the surrender a body of
forty members OF the White League Of Caddo
parish. mounted and armed, left the ctv of
shreveport and were seeneriding in the direction
Of the place where the murder was subsequently
committed
WILLIAM P. KELLOGG.