New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-16
A STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC.

Having felt il nv duty to issue my proclamation
Offering large reward for the apprehension and
conviction of the murderers in the Coushatts out.
rage and to the end that the law 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 i. proper to make the following statement
Yhese facts gathered from reliable informa
ton received at the Executive Department.:
On or abou: the twentv-elghth day Of August
1874 q body Of persons. belonging to semi mill.
tary organization known as the White League Of
asiana assembled in the tow2 OF CoUshatta.
parish Of Red River in this State for The purpose
OF compelling. by force of arms. the State officers
OF tnas parish to Eesisa their positions.
These ot.icers were men OF good character; mos:
Of :,lem largely interested Planting AID meIcan.
tile pursuits. They held their positions with the
f... consent of admittedly large majority of the
legal vo.ers ct the parish. this being a largely
republican parish as admitted even By tie Fusion
returning boards.
TIE OIL. known objection 70 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
liens white and colored, to assist him in protect
ing the parish officers in the exercise OF their
doubted rights and duties from the threatened un
lawful violence of the " bite Leagues. His posse
consisting Of s;xty-6ve 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 if the more prominent Repub
lie ans would agree to leave the parish, and those
holding Office would resign their positions
These stipulations though unlawfnlly exscted.
were complied with on the part Of the Republican
officials, who were then locked UP in the jail for
the night
The following named penous were among those
so surrendering aud resiguin&:
Homer J. Twitchell, planter and tax collector of
Red River. and deputy United States postmaster
in charge of the postoffce 1t Coushatts Robert A.
Devices supervisor OF esistration, De Soto parish;
Clark Holland, merchant and supervisor Of regis
| tration. Red River parish; w. 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 were bound and
| conducted By an armed guard to the Mcfarland
plantation just the parish line of Red River
| within the boundaries OF BOssieS parish about
| forty miles east Of the Texas line There they
| were set upon and deliberately murderer In cold
| blood. Their bodies we're buried near whore they
fell. without inquest or any formality whatever.
On .he night preceding the surrender . body Of
! forty members Of the White League OF Caddo
! parish. mounted and armed. left tho city OF
Shreveport and were seen riding in the direction
Of the place whore the nurdes was subsequently
WILLIAM p. KELLOGG.