New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-05

pdtcu WAS received from Mayor st. Clair,
stating he had learned that Mr.. Merchant
was going to send dispatch to the REpuB-
LIcAN concerning the riot; that his state
ment could not be relied or; that correct
was the first intimation this Office had that
the dispatch in the mornings paper was not
from Mr.. Merchant, but was the production of
another party or other parties who imposed
it upon us over his initial. An hour later
this was more fully verified by dispatch
from Mr.. Merchant, stating that our tele-
gram to him had been received that morn
ing, and that the answer would be sent by
mail.
Before night. lett 3rs and addlt onal dis
patches were received which clearly showed
there hal been re rot at Brasheai: that
the sole trouble was caused by tle protest
of few laborers at being paid through Mr..
Ermanns grocery store. inst BAD Of in cash
at the railroad Office; that only few men
participated in the controversy; that but
one man fred shot, and he white man;
that the trouble lasted olly for q short time
on Sunday; that all was quiet on Monday.
the work going on a. usual; and that there
was not the remotest probability of a dis
turbance at the time May or St. Clair sent
his wild dispatch over tGc wires asking
for Capt ain Loans Winchester rifles.
This led to an investigation on the
part of the REPUBLICAN Office with the To-
lowing result.
The dispatch to Mr.. Merchant was il tar.
cepted in the Brashear Office of the Western
Union Telegraph line. 1t was not delivered
to him for twelve hours after its reception,
although, under ordinary circumst ances,
it would have been delivered Immediately.
The operator, when questioned, stated that
he did send it to Mr.. Merchants Office, but
he was not there, and it was returned tc
the office. Now, it was known that Mr.
Merchant was at his residence, perhaps a
hundred yards from his office, and the
same messenger that took it to his Office
could as we'll have taken it to his house
and it was the duty of the operator to sec
that he got it,
|. The dispatch was imperative 1t re
guired an immediate delivery, and an
answer forthwith, or it would have been
worthless. Its reception at the Western
Union office in this city, the prepayment O
the charges in the ctice here, we accepted
liyered.
The fact is, the operator then on duty al
the Brashear telegraph office has a master
| superior to his employers Of the Western
Union Company. This master is none Other
than Mr.. Rene Macready, the chief agent OF
Mr.. Morgan at that place. AS soon as oul
dispatch was received at Brashear, Mr.
Macready was informed of its contents
This was no exceptional case as the proc
is at hand that Mr.. Macready is in the habit
of informing himself of the contents of dis
patches received at the telegraph Office al
Brasbear. Mr.. Macready knowing. there.
fore, that the REPUBLICAN was seeking in
formation of the reported disturbances at
Brashear took measures to supply it to sui
the views of one party to the contro
yersy. With this object he sought out
Mr.. B. F. Winchester, the town attorney,
who had just distinguished himself by his
letter to Judge Train, asking if there was
no law to justify the mayor in obtaining
arms and shooting Mr.. Macready's disatfect
ed iaborers. With Mr.. Winchester can't
the third light upon the scene-Mayor ST
Clara man whose livelihood depends up
on Mr.. Macready's will Between these, then
the plot was concocted to fix up tle dispatcl
to impose upon the REPUBLICAN. They re
paired to the operators room, where, MIR
Wnche ser acting as amanuers's, the dis
patch was written. Mr.. Macready's initial
affixed and made to stand for that of Mr.
Merchant, and sent to us-the three hours
hard labor of these three gentlemen-with
out any explanation, and at our expense.
These are the bare facts of the case
Fortunately, it was not long before the
fraud was detected. The cause of the
quarrel was made known by better wit
nesses, and under imperative orders from
the agents OF Mr. Morgan in this city, Mr
Macre ady's combination with the grocery
keeper to extort their hard earnings from
his colored laborers was broken up. The
following Saturday the laborers received
for the first time in many months, their pay
for their labor in good crisp greenbacks
from the compeny's office.
Thus much good has been done by
by this affair. Perhaps more good will be
accomplished when this statement of how
Mr.. Macready manipulates the Western
Union TalepraDh office in Bra shear goes be.
fore the people of the United States, and
comes to the attention of the officers of the
line