New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-15
A STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC.

Having felt It ny duty to Issue ny proclamation
Offering large reward for the apprehension and
conviction of the snurderers in the Coushatta out.
rage and to the end that the Jaw abiding 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 law,
deem it proper to make the following statement.
These facts are gathered from reliable informa-
ton received at tine Executive Department:
On or about the twenty-elsath day OF August
l3.4. body Of persons. belonging to semi -mli-
tarC organization known as the White League of
Louisiana. assembled In the :owI 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: most
of them Largely interested III planting and mereap.
tile pursuits. They held their positions with the
full! consent of admittedly large majority of the
!ega! voters Of the parish, this being largely
Republican parish. as admitted even by the Fusion
returning boards.
The only known objection to them was that they
were of Republican 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 coiored, to assist him IN protect.
ing the parish officers in the exercise OF their
doubted rights and duties from the threatened I'M.
lawful violence of the W ite Leagues. HIS posse.
consisting OF sixtyfve men, was overpowered by
superior force assembled from the adjacent par.
ishes and finally. after several coiored and white
men had been killed. surrendered themselves pris.
oners. with the explicit guarantee that their lives
would be spared il the more prominent Repub
licaAs would agree to leave the parish. and those
holding Office would resign their positions.
These stinr1afiOns thOu ol, mia yyful1c pvacPad
were complied with on the part of the Republican
officials. who were then locked up in tbs Jail for
the night.
The following named persons were among those
so surrendering and resigning:
Homer J. Twtshelf planter and tax collector of
Red River. and deputy United States postmaster
in charge of the p0stofice at Coushatta; Robert A.
Devices supervisor of registration, De Soto parish:
clark Holland, merchant and supervisor of regis
tration. Red River parish; ". J. Howell, parish
attorney and United States commissioner: Frank
s. Edgerton. 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 we're bound and
conducted by an armed guard to the Mcfarland
plantation, just over the parish line OF Red River,
withiH the boundaries Of B0ssier parish. about
forty miles east Of the Texas line. There they
were set upon and deliberately murdered in cold
blood. Their bodies were buried near where they
fell. without inquest any formality whatever.
On the night preceding the surrender body of
forty members OF the White League of Caddo
parish. mounted and armed. 4eft the city of
Shreveport: and were seen riding in the direction
of the place where the murder was subsequently
WILLIAM P. KELLOGG.
sea 2p Governor