The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-06
THUGGERY REDIVIVUs.

The action Of Supt. Loan in promptly sus
pending the officers of the police charged a
being participants in the disgraceful row
which occurred on Royal street, on Saturda.
night last, is commendable, and We trust viii
be followed up by the Police Board with equa
promptness.
Since the time Of thuggery, when the Law
was silent and its officers mere fgure-heads
We remember nothing SO shameful and mex
cusable as this unseemly and violent brawl
among the constituted officers of the law.
For nearly enc hour on Saturday night nc
mans life was safe on Royal street, between
Canal and Customhouse streets. A crowd Of
drunken and disorderly rowdies held COM
plete possession of the place, and while
echoes of pistol shots and the utterance OF
fierce oaths reverberated along the thorough
fare, the CLEAN Of deadly knives lent a CHASTITY
horror to the scene.
That one citizen-an exemplary and quiet
gentleman-was nearly shot to death while
accidently passing the murderous crowd, is
not wonderful the only wonder is that a
number of citizens were not killed outright.
If the men who fomented the trouble and in
augurated this midnight reign of terror in a
peaceful and frequented thoroughfare had
been discovered by the bullets that found
Judgement in an innocent gentleman, we should
endeavor to bear with becoming meekness
the Providential dispensation, but the trouble
is that in these melees the red handed and
bloody minded disturbers of the peace gen.
orally manage to carry off their carcasses
without scratch or puncture. If private citi-
zens had been guilty of such fragrant and
criminal infraction of the law, they would
be held to the strictest and most rigid
accountability; and in behalf Of an out
ragged community = in behalf of the
gentleman wounded by the bullets from the
pistol of desperate on the police force, we
demand that the case be Investigated by the
proper officers Of the law, and that the
sternest justice be melted out to those who
shall be found guilty. There must be no
favoritism in the matter, no attempt for any
reason whatever to slur the matter over, but
an open and impartial trial, in which justice
shall be meted out without fear or favor, who
ever the offender may be.
We believe Superintendent Loan under
stands very clearly that the stigma of this
shameful affair will rest upon the entire police
force and color his administration, unless the
real offenders are summary brought to JUS
tice and dismissed the force which they so
signally disgraced. His prompt action in the
matter gives assurance that he fully appreci-
ates the magnitude of the offense and will not
shrink from the performance of his plain duty
N the premises.
There is one thing very sure. if citizens
walking peacefully along frequented thorough
ares are to run the risk of encountering bull
cts from rival and jealous factions in the
police force, and if the law should prove un-
'qual to giving all citizens that security of
lie which is the highest duty of govern
nent, then the higher law of self-preserva-
ion will assuredly assert itself and work
ure of the evils complained Of
We have no such fear, however. and are
ontent to give the authorities, that be, every
opportunity to prove their will and their
'bility to punish lawless and violent men,
whoever they may be and wherever they may
,e found.