The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-01-21


quite number of negroes were killed, the
Judge states that most of those who were killed
were taken prisoners. Fifteen or sixteen of
| the blacks had lifted the boards and
taken refuge under the floor of the
Court House. They were all cap
tured about thirty-seven men taken
prisoners; the number is not def
until dark. They were led out two by two,
aud shot. Most Of the men were shot to
death. A few were wounded, but not mortality
and by pretending to be dead We're afttrward
during the night, able to make their escape
Among them was the Levi Nelson named in
the Indictment. The dead bodies of negroes
killed in this affair we're left unburied till
Tue day. April Is, when they vera buried by
| Deputy Marshal and an officer of the militia
from New Orleans These persons found
| fifty-nine dead bodies. They showed pistol
shot wounds, the great ma ority in the heart,
and many of them in the back of the head
In addition to the dead found, some charred
remains of dead bodies were discovered
near the Court House. Six dead bodies
were found under a warehouse all shot
| in the heart but one or two, who
/ injured, from the beginning of these troubles
| to their close, were Hadnot aud Harris. The
| Courthouse and it's contents were entirely
consumed. There is 80 evidence that any
one in the crowd of the whites bore any law
full warrant for the arrest Of any of the blacks.
| There is no evidence that either Nash or Caz
| abat, after the affair, ever demanded trial
before an officer who even set up claim to
| legally act but the Register continued to act
as Parish Judge"
| These are the facts in this case, as I under
stand them to be admitted. To hold the peo-
| pie of Louisiana generally responsible for
these atrocities would not be just; but it is q
lamentable fact that insuperable distractions
were thrown in the way OF Furnishing these
murderers, and the so-called Conservative !"
papers of the State not only justified the mas
sacre, but denounced as s. Federal tyranny and
despotsm' the attempt of the United States
officers to bring them to justice Fierce de-
nunciations ring through the country about
office-holdlng and election matters in Louis
| iana while every one of the Colfax miscreants
| goes unwhipped of justice, and no way can be
found in this land of boosted civilization and
| Christianity to punish the perpetrators of this
bloody and monstrous crime.
Not unlike this was the massacre in August
last. Sever4l Northern young men of capital
and enterprise had started the little and
fourishng town of Coushatta; some of them
were Republicans and office-holders under
Kellogg. They we're, therefore, doomed to
death Six of them were seized and carried
away from their homes and murdered in cold
blood. No one has been punished, and the
conservative" press Of the State denounced
all efforts to that end, and boldly justified
| the crime.
Many murders of Ike character have been
| committed in individual cases, which cannot
here be detailed. For example: T. S. Cliff
ford, Judge of the parish. and the District
Attorney of the Twelfth judicial District OF
the State, on their way to the court, were
shot from their horses by men in ambush. on
the 9Th Of October, 1878, and the wife of the
former, in communication to the Depart
ment of Justice, tells piteous tale of the
/ prosecutions of her husband, because he was
a Union man, and of the efforts made to seize
those who had committed crime which, to
use her language left two widows and nine
orphans desolate."
To say that the murder of negro or q
white Republican is not considered crime in
Louisiana, would probably be unjust to q
great part Of the people, but it is true that q
great number of such murders have been
committed and no one has been punished
I therefor. and it is manifestly true that the
spirit of hatred and violence there is stronger
| than law,
Representations we're made TO me that the
presence of troops in Louisiana was unneces-
sary, and that there was no danger of public
# th they taken away oonse
withdrawn from the State, with the OK.
4 ception of a small garrison at New
Orleans barracks 1t was stated that
a comparative state of quiet had supervened
that the political excitement as to Louisiana
affairs seemed to be dying out : but the No
vember election was approaching, and it was
necessary for party purposes that the flame
should be relighted. Accordingly, on the
18th of September, D. B. Penn, claiming he
was elected Northumberland in 1872.
issued an iDfammatory proclamation, calling
upon the militia Of the State to arm, assem-
Bile and drive cut the "usurpers," as he des-
ignated the officers of the State. The White
Leaguers, armed and ready for the conflict.
promptly responded. On the same day the
Governor made formal requisition upon
me, in pursuance of the set of 179
and section 4, article of the Con-
stitution, to aid in suppressing
domestic violence. On the next day I issued
my proclamation, commanding the insurgents
to dispense within five days from the date
thereof; but before the proclamation was pub
llshed in New Orleans the organized and
armed forces reorganzlng usurplng gov
eminent, had taken forclble possession of the
State House and temporarily subverted the
government. Twenty or more people were
killed. including number of the police of the
city. The streets of the city were stained
with blood. All that was desired in the way
OF excitement had been accomplished.
Prior to, and with a view to. the late cleo
ton in Louisiana, white men associated them
selves together ia armed bodies, called
. White Leagues" and at the same time
threats were made in the Democratic journals
of the State that the election should be car
ried against the Republicans at all hazards,
which very naturally greatly alarmed the col
ored voters. By section of the act of Feb i.
%. 1871, it is made the duty of United States
Marehals and their deputies, at the polls
where votes are cast for Representatives in
Congress, to keep the peace and prevent any
violations of the 80 called Enforcement act
and other offenses against the laws of the
| United States, and upon requlsition of the
Marshal of Louisiana, and in view of said
armed organization and other portentous CIR
cumstances, L caused detachnents of troops
to be stationed in various localities in the
State to aid him in the performance of his
official duties and the enforcement of the
State laws. The officers and troops of the
United States may we'll have supposed that it
was their duty to act when called upon by the
government for the purpose.
That there was intimidation of the Repub-