New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-05
THE KING OF BRASHEAR
HIS TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP
Western Union Telegraph Man.
agement.
How Three Conspirators Suppressed
Dispatch from the Republican
and Sent a Fraudulent Reply.

1t Is frequently that we have had to COM
plain of the management of the Western
Union Telegraph Company In the South,
and always with cause. 1t and its close
| ally, the Associated Press, are in con-
| spiracy against the Republican party, Re
publican interests and Republican news
| papers all along the line. Much of this is
open, however, and undisguised, and there
| fore in great measure harmless. 1t is not
often that we are called upon to furnish
| circumstances like The following. where the
| telegraph wires are used to impose a bogus
| dispatch upon newspaper for the purpose
| of bringing bad name upon an entire
community of law-abiding citizens In order
to divert attention from official misconduct
and individual improperly.
| On the night of Monday August 90, news
was received at the REPUBLICAN, office that
Mr.. st. Clair, mayor of Brashear City. had
| Just telegraphed to the Superintendent of
! Police in New Orleans for twenty five Win
| chester rifles. 1t was ai.eady known that
| there had been an alteration the day
before, at Brashear. between white man
and some colored men employed by Charles
| Morgan at that place; but it was regarded
as an insignitican. affair, and no particular
notice was taken of it. The dispatch from
the mayor asking for arms, however, very
naturally excited the belief that there was
some grave trouble at that point. A dis
patch was sent Immediately from the
| REPUBLICAN office. to w. b. Merchant
| Esq. Of Brashear. asking that gentle
man to telegraph full details of the
disturbance rumorad to be in progress at
that place. The dispatch was sent h1ough
the Western Union Telegraph office in this
city about eight o'clock in the evening
The services of Mr.. Merchant were solicited
| in this matter, on account of his well
| known character for truthfulness and in.
telligence. lie is the leading lawyer of the
place. and from him it was known a fair,
impartial and bipartisan statement
would be obtained.
Nothing more was heard of the matter
until, shortly before midnight, long dis
patch was received, signed M" contain
ing in substance the following statement:
BRAsHEAR, La, August 49, 1875.
Under guidance OF the Union Labor AS
sociaton, Morgans coal gang yesterday de-
manded higher wages. treble the amount
| received heretofore. The agent refused
and all unwilling to work at regular stated
wages were informed that they could leave.
l. AT IL A. nj. about fifty negroes, headed
| by one James Harrison, assaulted, in the
| railroad depot. one of the officers of the
| road: thereupon the police of the town
| were called upon to arrest the principal
+! offenders. The negroes gathered in great
| numbers, and refused to allow their men to
be sent to Jail. There were few shots and
| IA few knock-dowIs between the whites and
| blacks. A short time ensued without any
| fight, but harsh language came IRON the
| negroes who are opposed both to the whites
| and to those of their own class who had
| consented to go to work on the coal boats.
| The mayor of the town passed through
| and around all the knots of collected ne-
| groes begging them to disperse and let the
| law have its course, as Justice would be
done to all by the courts. This had no
effect except to prevent bloodshed. The
negroes in arms surrounded the house of
the railroad officer against whom their
| spite was leveled. when again the mayor
and two or three friends went to the rioters
| and commanded them to lay down their
arms, which they refused to do. The
| proclamation of the mayor then issued or
| dering all bar rooms, etc, to be closed,
which was obeyed promptly by all the citi-
zens; and this wise measure to prevent
| further excitement had its good elect for
| the time.
| About two hours afterward the storm
seemed to gather and grow darker, when
| the mayor and town attorney, with the
assistance of the railroad agent, command
oG the rioters again to disperse, and in.
| formed them that unlass such was done
Immediately they would not be responsible
| Tor the cOnseq equences.
The mob then dispersed, and the mayor
| appointed ten white men and ten colored
| men as special policemen, with instructions
to arrest any one violating his instructions
or trampllng upon the law.
| Upon the appearance OF the rairod Off
ciai going to his home, the rioters, to the
| number of 300, assembled along the railroad
track to prevent him. When the agent ap-
peared in his car he called the official 10
| take seat with him, said few brief, but
| telling words, and without further molesta-
| ton, but between armed negroes, passed
| on and accompanied the official to his home.
After this quiet appeared to reign.
Upon the arrest of the negro chief, Hon.
c. b. Darrall. Congressman from this dis
| trict, sent slip of paper to the mayor, say
| ing he would go his bond. The railroad
official was also arrested. when one of our
prominent citizens stepped forward and
went on his bond.
/ MOQuay morning. long DelOTo tue COuFu
met to have preliminary examination of
the previous days horrors, the colored ele-
ment sent a communication to the town au-
thOri'y, asking parley before going into
court.
To this the mayor answered, "The law
must have it's course and justice must be
done," and the parley was refused. The
mayor, at the request of citizens, again is
sued proclamation ordering all bar-r0oms
and places where liquor was to be had to be
closed, and the citizens obeyed and even
closed all establishments.
At the preliminary examination which
took place before Judge Train the parties
arrested the day before waived examination
and gave bond to appear before the next
session of the parish court. There was also
another affidavit made against number of
the colored rioters, when counsel appeared
1or them, waived examination, and the
Judge fixed their bond at $50 each. That
of the railroad official was fixed at $500.
The action of the court did not please the
rioters, and they freely express their opin-
ion that moi thing but blood will satisfy them.
The property owners are unable to defend
themselves, and the mayor has autographed
to the Superintendent of the Metropolitan
Police of New Orleans for arms. The fire.
men of the town are sleeping in their engine
houses and are prepared to fight threat
ened conhagration.
This is the first act OF the Union Labor
Association in this parish. There are
branches In Patterson, Centreville, Frank.
lin and in the Cypremort.
During the riot several were wounded,
but not seriously, though part OF one mans
ear was shot off. M.