New Orleans Republican., 1875-09-07
The Headrick Murder.

The New Orleans papers of the twenty
| fourth contain the following comrlunica
| ton, which was received at the executive
office on the day previous:
CARTHAGE, Texas, August 49, 1875.
To HIS Excellence. ". P Kellogg, Governor 0; the
State of louisiana
think can bring the murderers of
george Headrick, near Logansport, in De
Soto parish, to justice if | can get assist
ance.
Ii you would offer a reward of 5000
apiece for them, will make the attempt,
think they are there follow certain narlesj
and perhaps otheIs. They are a regular
clan, and dangerous. If. you will fer The
reward, address Information to B. and
very respectfully, A. W. HOLMES.
Mr. Holmes is well known and reliable
citlzen OF Shreveport who has been soiourn.
ing IN Carthage, Texas. for the past few
weeks, He evidently has strong grounds
.or making the charge that he has, and it
behooves the executive OF the State to AXE
the necessary steps to have the parties
specified By him arrested and brought to
trial, otherwise Mr.. Holmes desire to fur.
ther the ends OF justice will most probably
bs attended with great personal danger to
himself
The publication in the Picoy,,ue of bis
letter to the Governor was certainly irnpoli.
tie, as 1t has forewarned the accused, and
exposes Mr.. Holmes to their ven ngea uce,
we hope to see determined action taken in
the matter, and the law vindicated by the
punishment OF the guilty, If their apprehen.
slol can be accomplished
IN order to refresh the minds Of our read
ers IN regard to the murder of Squire Head.
rick, and to sustain the assertion made in
cur last issue that the murder tgrew out of
the fearful state OF decentralization and
crime that characterized the political cam
paign of 1871, we make the following ex.
tract from the SouttreSte,p,- Tsiequg, Of An.
gust -, 1874:
Nv learn from gentleman who passed
through keachi on Saturday last that con.
siderable excitement was exhibited IN that
place owing to the dastardly murder OF
Squire Headrick on Thursday evening last.
Squire Headlick was an old resident of De
Soto parish. and was always held in esteem
by the community at large as good. quiet
and inotensive citizen. 1t seems that on
Thursday lasta White Mans party meeting
was held at Logansport, which was largely
attended by peopla from Texas as well as
oy residents of De Soto parish At the close
of the meeting, at which there were some
ludammatory speeches made, twenty or
thirty mounted men went after DR., Custer
and Squire Headrck, who had at one time
been acting with the Republican party. DR.,
Custer escaped, but Squire Headrick was
murdered and his body thrown in the woods
and not found until the following Saturday
morning. when an inquest was held, the
verdict OF which we have not learned as
yet"
The above was not contradicted at the
time, and was the true circumstances con.
nected with the murder. 1t ia still not an.
thorltatiyeiy denied. and now it is said that
the murderers are known. DR.. Custer, in
MS statement, which we published in full eft
the same time, said:
''On last Thursday, the twentieth instant.
there was meeting at Logarsport and
Squire Headrick and l were present The
speakers were Two young men from Mans
field, MIR. L. II. Sutheriin and Mr.. Pike
Hall The latter made very intlammatory,
hre-e eating speech, and advised the hanging
OF ali carpet-baggers and scallawags. AT
the close of the meeting | started home,
when mob of drunken men took after me
and by the kindness of Mrs John Norris.
Sr., was saved. They then followed after
Squire Headrick and went after Mr., Pew
ton. as was informed"
TIE meeting of the White Mans party
referred to was held on the same day that
Squire Headrick was murdered. and his
death was the direct result of the advice to
hang all 'carpet-haggers and scallawags."
which the people had heard from the
stump. That there were cases where bad
men took advantage of the state of political
feeling to wreak their private venge eance,
we do not deny, but we do not know that
this was SO in the murder of Squire Head
rick. The murderers were inf amed by the
temper of the speeches to which they had
listened, and demanded victim. Failing
to find DR., Custer, they fell upon Squire
Headrlck and murdered the poor old man
and lett him to rot in the woods Let the
Governor offer reasonable reward Tor his
murderers, and all good citizens will aid in
making their arrest aud in breaking them
up; as it is stated that there is a regu.
larry organized clan of them in the dark
corner OF De Soto near the Texas line
.S!irerrDOrL .SOMthrcSterl. .TpLenrnit