New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-29
TIE TESTIMONY IN THE LOUISIANA CASE.

THE TESTIMONY IN THE LOUISIANA CASE.
The Hoar Investigating Committee is having
great success in getting at tho facts in regard
to assassination and intimidation in Louisiana.
The Sub Committee, consisting of Messrs.
Phelps, Foster, and Potter it will be remem-
bered, reported that they were unable to dis
cover any cases of intimidation, or anything
that warranted the interference of the General
Government. The report was a sore disap-
pointment to the friends of the Admlnistra-
ton. 1t is said that there was some wrangllng
in the Committee over its acceptance, ana u
is certain there was great dissatisfaction with
its conclusions on the part OF the Adminlstra-
ton party in Congress and out. 30 far dlu
this extend that several enterprising organs
in various parts of the country have read
Messrs. Phelps and Foster out of the party.
The other Republican members OF the COM
mittee, with the chairman. Mr.. George +. Hoar
of Massachusetts,, though they did not go so
far as to discredit entirely the report of their
associates, were obviously of the opinion that
the Sub Committee had not made as dlllgent
search as they should for outrages and intm-
datOns. SO the remainder of the Committee,
with Mr. Hoar at the head started for New
Orleans themselves with determination to go
to the bottom of the business and bring back
some outrages, if any could be found.
The Committee began with exGOv. Wells,
who was Chairman of the Returning Board
which threw ont so many returns on account
of the intimidation of voters. Mr.. Wells
seemed to be man of intelligence, but very
slow in getting news. He was subpenaed TO
appear before the Subcommittee, but received
no notice whatever about any Committee ex-
| cept through the newspapers until AFTER they
| had left the city. He seemed also to be very
anxious to communicate his intelligence. Ever
since the Sub Committee left he had been
| hunting around for a committee, and had
pretty much made up his mind to go TO
Washington for one when he heard there was
another on the way, and so he waited. 1t was
upon Mr. Weiss affidavit that the vote OF
Rapides Parish was thrown out, his beng the
only testimony in the case. There was no
protest by the election officers, he said, be-
cause it was as much as mans
life was worth to do so. And
so upon his affidavit the vote of the whole
parish was thrown out. 1t turned out, how
ever, that he had never heard anybody
threatened, DuJ utpCuuCu upOi SNHN'"i
"rumor;n such general rumor for instance
as that the persons who had witnessed a
murder were lacerated with bowie knives to
prevent their disclosing anything. Another
story was that in one parish they frightened
the negroes by firing blickbats at them from
q cannon.
In reply to Mr.. lIOar's question whether he
had ever been assaulted, he said he had not,
| but his life was threatened; he had received
letter from his son-in-law. The letter was
such as almost anybOdy's sOn-in-law might
have written. 1t advised him to beware, and
! said he was IN danger OF assassination, but
that his friends would protect him or die with
| him. Afterward his assassination was at
tempted at the CITY Hotel. That is to say,
| there were two strange men III the dining
room with him one day, and they followed
him to within a few feet of the door.
A friend of his told him that these two
persons were assassins and that he had
better go to another hotel. And he went.
| Neither of the assassins assaulted him or said
| ANYTHING to HIM. He declined to give the
name of the friend who told him these persons
were assassins. And that was ex-Gov. Weiss
testimony 1t is entirely conclusive of the in
|
Committee will report whether in their Opin
| ion it justlfies the action Of the Returning
Board and the interference of the Federal
| Government
The Committee examined Mr.. f. L. Pierson
of Natchitochcs, who had also been intmi-
dated He was formerly Democrat, but had
| changed his politics on the 4th of July, 1874,
though why on that day he neglected to say.
For this change he had been ostraclzed."
Gov. Kellogg appointed him Judge of the
Parish in August. Piorson had a very severe
! time. After his appointment as Judge he
was met sixteen miles from home, and told
not to go home. but he went not
withsiandng. A number of friends told
| him not to discharge the functions
of Judge as his life would be in danger if he
should. The next day he was informed that
his life would be attempted; then he got
note from his wife asking him to come home;
then his wife came to his Office and he went
home with her. and when he got home his
sister told him there wero two armed men
lurking round the place. and she suspected
they were waiting to kill him. Afterward
committee pulled watch on him, and gave him
mali an hour to sign uu agreement not to take
part in the campaign, whereupon he begged as
a special favor that the assassination should
take place at his Office instead of in the pres
ence of his family, who were prejudiced
against witnessing murder. Whenever he
made speech he said he was surrounded by
men with bOwie-knives. When the votes
were counted he was fired at three times,
and retreated to the Courthouse. Two Texas
desperadoes were employed to take his life by
L,,th he al l.,