The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-09-10
VOLUME 26-NUMBER 40.
The COushatIa Affair.


NEW ORLEANS, September 3.-Gov.
ernOr kellogg has issued procIama.
lion placing s. reward of s., 900 a head
on the persons implicated in the
Coushatta affair, aud ACCOMPANIES
his proclamation by the following
STATEMENT To THE PUBLIC.
Having felt il my duty to issue nv
proclamation offering q large reward
for the apprehension and conviction
OF the murderers in the COushatta out
rage, and to the end that the law-abi-
ding citizens of the State may fully
comprehend the magnitude of the
crime committed, and be induced to
render more active assistance to the
officers of the land, l deem it proper
to make the following statement.
These facts are gathered from reliable
information received at the executive
department:
On or about the 2SEh day of August,
1874 body Of persons belonging to 3
seml-mllitary organization known as
the White League of OfLOuisiana assem-
0led IN the town of COushstta, parish
OF Red River, this State, for the pur-
pose of compelling by force of arms
the Slate officials OF that parish to re-
sign their positions. These officers
were men OF good character, most of
them largely interested in planting
and mercantile pursuits. They held
their positions with the full consent
of an admittedly large majority OF the
legal voters of the parish, this being a
heavily Republican parish, as admit
ted by the fusion returning boards.
The only known objection to them
was that they We're of Republican
principles. Frank EdgertOn, the duly
qualified sheriff Of the parish, in strict
compliance with the laws of this
State and of the United States, sum-
mOned posse cOmitatus of citizens,
white and cOlOred, to assist him in
protecting the parish officers in the
exercise of their undOubted rights and
duties from the White League. His
posse, consisting of sixty-five men,
were overpOwered by superior force,
assembled from the adjacent parishes,
and finally, after several cOlOred
and white men had been killed, sur
rended themselves prisoners with the
explicit guarantee that their lives
would be spared il the more prOni-
nent Republicans would agree to leave
the parish, and those holding office
would resign their positions. The
though uulawfally exact
ed, were complied with on the part
Of the Republican officials, who were
then locked up i'm Jail for the
night. The following named persons
were amongst those so surrendered
and resigning: Homer ]. Twitchell,
and the deputy United States post
master In charge OF the postoffiee at
COushatta RIbert y Dewes, super
visor of registration in DeS0tO parish;
Clark Holland, mercnaut and super
visor OF registration, Red river par
ish w. q. Howell, parish attorney
and United States G. immissioner;
Frank s. EjgertOn, Sheriff of Red
river parish NJ. G.. Wells, merchant
aud Justice Of the Peace.
On the following morning, Sun
day. the 30lh of August, these per-
sons were bound together, two and
two, and conducted by an armed
guard to the Mcfarland plantation,
just over the parish line of Red river
within the boundaries of BOssier par
ish, about forty miles east Of the Tex
as line. There they were set upon
and deliberately murdered in cold
blood. On the night preceding the
murder, body of forty members Of
the White League, of COldet parish,
and armed, left the city of
and were seen riding to
the place where the murder was sub
committed. Their bodies
were buried where they fell, without
inquest or any fOrmality whate yer.
(Signed) w. p. KELLOGG,
Governor.