New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-30

| DEMOCRATIC CLUBS AFTER THEIR REPUBLICAN
LEADER WAS KILLED-THE MURDER OF DIR.
DINKGRAvE.
FROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRmUNEl
| NEw-ORLEANs, Nov. 23.--I very much regret that
l am unable to spend a few days in each of the
" bulldozed" parishes of this State because | be-
lieve that by such visit, better than in any other
| way, could sft the grains of truth touching the
election in Louisiana from the chaff of msrepre-
sentation which is plentifully mixed with it, and
arrive at conclusions that would be satisfac-
| tory at least to myself. 10 be sure, there
are large delegations in this city
from each of these parishes, every member of
| which is ready and anxious to tell his
story at length to any one who will listen; but
these people have all come here for purpose, and
however closely they may be cross-examined, they
forget that purpose which is to prove one side
or the other of the controversy. But the visitor
who actually goes into of those parishes with
desire to find out the truth, will certainly discover
| it. Politicians on the side the other may
| gather about him they may try to prevent their
| opponents from talking with him except in their
presence they may try to hide the truth much as
they please-if he is sharp and observing, he will
certainly hear something suggesting line of
investigation which, if carefully and persistently
followed Will in the end lead to the disclosure of
| the whole truth
| Ouachita Parish IL one IN regard 10 winch very
much has been said and printed by both political
parties. not only sine but before the late election.
So important has the contest in that parish been
considered that each committee has incurred the
expense of bringing here great number of wit
nesses. On the Democratic side there are something
| more than dozen coored men, representing all the
different wards of the parish, who by their intelli
gence and apparent truthfuness have attracted
much attention among both Democrats and Repub
LEANS For several mornings they have held a sort
of a levee in the parlOr ut the st. Charles
Hotel, which is the Democratic headquarters,
and one after another they have been invited
to relate their experience during the late campaign.
| have listened to what the most of them have had
to say, and no one of them has ever mentioned the
first act of violence or intimidation. From their
narratives Of the events which occurred on election
day and previous, one would suppose that Ouachita
Parish was peaceabe and as orderly as any county
| in New England or New-York.
The Republican administration of the State, they
said had failed TO fulfill its PROMISES it had not
| given them the schools which they had been led to
expect woull be establishes; teachers wages
had been reduced; laborers of all kinds received
less for their work than formerly, and, III short they
had come 10 the conclusion that il was about time
10 have a change. The Democrats abandoned the
white line policy; they promised if they succeeded
10 give the coorcd men more and better schools thah
they had ever had; they said that with Nicholss
election taxes would be reduced and planters would
be able To pay better wages, and the negroes said
that they concluded, the whole, to give the Dem
ocrats a trial for two years. Their leaders joined
the Democratic clubs. and the rank and file of the
! colored voters followed their example. THIS is
brief synopsis Of the story told by these coored men,
They say that on tn, day of election the Republican
/ and Democratic tickets were placed side by SIDE,
| and every one was told that be would be protected
| IN voting as hc pleased.
| Among the Democratic witnesses from Ouachita
Parish in Mr.. John Hogan, Deputy Collector OF In
! ternal Revenue who says that he has been Repub-
lican ever since reconstruction but voted this year
| for Tilden and Nichols because he believed that
change was necessary in order 10 save this Southern
| country from further disasters. During long con-
yersation with him yesterday he replied without
hesitation to all the questions asked INN IN regard
to tbe condition of affairs in the parish IN which he
resides, aud while 10 not suppose that learned
from him everything which would throw light upon
the conduct of the campaign in Ouaclsta, he told
me what seemed to be more impartial story than
any have heard from other sources.
The campaign opened early, he said, and the
| Democrats from the first made an effort to induce
the negroes to unite with them and join their CLUBS
| The means they adopted was the giving OF DarDe-
cues and the holding Of reunions, to which all were
| invited and by having paradcs, music, &c., when
were very attractive to the coored people. lhey
succeeded in inducing some of the negroes 10 JON
them early in the These efforts, he sad ana
the arguments which had heard repeated by the
| colored men now here in his opinion, accounted ior
| tbe great change i'm the political complexion of the
parish. On questioning him further found that,
| about the last of August of this year, Dr. b. IL.
ppk Grave fax collector of the parish and the most
influential white Republican there, was assasSl-
mated in broad daylight very near the town of Mon
roe The assassin was seen by another person, to
whom he was pointed out by Dinkgrave, but he was
nerfect stranger and rode away. All efforts tocap-
| ture him failed.
| Mr.. Hogan does not know whether Dinkgrave was
assassnated on account Of his politics or not Inc
Democrats with whom | have talked about
| il assert that it was a of private vengeance
| About three years ago Dinkgrave murdered man
named Wimberly in fit of passion lie was 'lieu
for the crime and acquitted, on the ground that nc
acted IN selfdefense Some of Wimberly's relatives
are said TO have threatened to kill Dnkgraye after
| this There was also another case with WHICH Dlhh-
grave was connected which some THINK may explain
his assassnation but it affects the reputation Vi
| n man now living in Ouachita Parish, ana VINO HAS
tbo name of being violent in his disposition, by re-
oues of those who told the facts in regard TO tine
matter / make only this indirect reference 'oN'
| Mr. Hogan did not mention it at all.
| Mr. Hogan admitted to me that Dinkgraves assas-
s;pation caused great excitement and alarm among
the negroes, and he thinks Though his Democratic
friends disagree with HIM that it gave rise 10 the
"Island troubles day or two after DhkgraVes
death several hundred negroes living on piahaioh'
situated on an island formed by bayou anu 'lo
| Ouachita River collected in body, armed anu