New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-11
OUTRAGEs IN EAST BATON ROUGE.

ought 10 nave the vote OF the otdUe III VnS ii'O''
College. H. L. W.
OUTRAGES IN EAST BATON ROUGE.
NINETEEN MURDERS WITHIN A YEAE-FINDINGs OF
THE JURIEs IN ELEVEN 1NQUEsTs-THE CORONER
WARNED AWAY FROM THE PAmsH-A LAWLEss
COMMUNITY.
IFROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'l
w-ORLEANs, Dec. Mr.. Eugene Hale, VINO mas
carefully studied all the evidence produced by the
Republicans affecting the case of East Baton Rouge
Parish gives it as his opinion that the condition of
affairs there has BEEN to sly the least, as bad as IL
has been anywhere else in the state. He has caused
to be compiled list of 10 murders which have oc-
cured in the parish in little more thana year, but
he saws. the grimmest document he has seen is the
affidavit of the coroner of the parish who appends
to his deposition the findings of iures summoned by
him in Ii nquesis. The affidavit OF Benjamin Nor
gam tho coroner, is too long to be printed III tull'
but give in the following summary the essential
portions of it:
After saving that he is a resident and qualified
elector in East Baton Rouge, Mr. Morgan relates the
circumstances of the death of Jere. Myers lhangeU
and Samuel Myers shot on the night OF the l2th OF
April 1876 on JoaI's Road, about ~ miles from
Baton Rouge lie says: The evidence showed
that the deed had been committed by party or
armed bulldozers, who hung him lJerc. Myers,
]
In regard to Samuel Myers, he says From
the evidence l found lie had been killed by
the same baud of bulldozers who had hung
his father, and in my opinion for the
reason that he was an Outspoken Republican,
Both the deceased were honest, hard-working
farmers. Neither of them held any Office, and they
had for the last five years put the first Da!e OF cot
ton on the market in the parish" " There
was a continued reign of terror from that time
april H. 1870 up to the present, and no Repubi-
can in the entire parish but who feared his life
would be taken if he known to BE- Republic
can. In my opinion all the colOred men OF my
parish are Republicans, and would have voted the
Republican ticket had it not been for armed bands
of Democrats who buldozed the entire parish,
shooting, whipping hanging and diving from the
parish Republicans of all cOlors and degrees. The
effect of these acts Of violence, riots, threats,
intimidation, and corrupt influence, was to pre-
vent and did prevent at least one thou-
sand colOred men from voting the Republican
ticket and scared many cOlOred Republicans TO vote
the Democratic ticket and in my opinion and III tact
there was not Free fair, and full election OF all the
qualified electors of the Parish OF East Baton
Rouge Afiant states that the election in the
First and Second Wards in the said parish of East
Baton Rouge was measurably fair ana free. because
of the presence of the United States troops and
prominent officials, who gave protection. The same
was true of the Eighth and Ninth Wards
of the said parish because violence and intimidation
has not been resorted to in the ast-named wards
being situated on the Mississippi River, and remote
from the hills where the bulldozcrs had their head
ouartcrs and where they conducted theirmost active
operations
The following is n copy Of notice which Mr.
Morgan swears that he received through the post
Office in September, 1876:
Mr. BEN MORGAN. Coroner; You VIII please bear IN
fnrther inform yOu that you caught therein any
your tate shall be as those you cam. to nod your
mduests over. Yours truly CAPT. on REGULATORS
The following are the yerdicts of the juries sum
moned by Mr. Morgan during the last year.
JERE MYERS April IS, 1876. q
That he came 10 bis death by being hung to an oak
tree with a cotton rope by parties unsn Ig.l
That he met his death by being shot SIX times thr.Ish
the body and twice 16r OF te cane go Oy
TAYLOR HA-KISs. Jan. .; 1876.
one Martin Taylor, shot III the breast Prom ne 'ea
hnsiand was taken from his house the night by body
OF men and murdered No cause gwen. -, 20 ,e-c
mat SAID George Washington came 10 his death by
p,nsnot wounds by the hands Of persons unknown to
tin9ny of Richard Adm, appended, 1t appears tat
George Washington was shot in the road at abont mid
horse tracks and the body wet with coal OIL ana SCI IRE
aud great many Tads tfom Tue guns l recog-
.nad honest man he lived with in 81 ana 1871
SO cause for the murd assigned 90 ~
' Johnson STEWART. FEB. 1G, 1916.
9saot two IN the lS and one one IN 1be s
shoulder, and by some unknown party. lLaun VII,
i"s witness in this case testified that the same band
ne 10 bis house. broke the door open, and pu rope
& liz ~ neck ma dragged INN down the turn Of the
,oad about 500 yards and beat INN CONSIDERABLY ana
when they got him down TO tho big gale next 10 INC
Woods fhsy stopped open the gate ana ne slipped the
rue oil his neck aud took 10 ms heels and tlcy ied on
MN six times; they md not MI liih' NO cause
lor 'iiiS nun HLGm IuGUA, Sept 16. 1876.
That the deceased. Hugh 1u-ua, came 70 his death
from gunshot wounds supposed to nave Pefn az lne
hands OF Or B9GneS ro tn testimony Of several Wit
Ucses il seems that Hugh Tugua and several Other col
G had III The boat Two sacks OF seed cotton Dr.
Bufnes and Frank Clancy seeing Chen ordered mem 10
otGcr took them to Baton Rouge, and lodged them Ia
aii 30 cause the murder and arrest Is given Dut
IRAN the evidence II Is perfectly pam that ue negroes
had been stealing cotton and that II was lOuhd III heT
pos'eSS''H' MAGER SELVES, Jan. 1G. 1876.
That he to ms death by sng3i Win grass
to tree by parties nn1no%n d anu III u'SsuSe tNo
"a CHARLEY RoEIaTsoT, Fen. 1G, 1870. ...
onn 10 az Wife oak tree ana done by some unknown
party mo explanation OF this murder gwen l7r
LiZzIE RICHMOND cOlorcD, Sept. 20 1872
She o. found on an tree hung DJ the meek win
rope bysome unknown person or m b dne tne
inquest is dated September and the murder Is sald To
have been committed in December one OF tacSo oates
must be wrong. From the testimony appended II ap-
pears that Lizzie Richmond had been committed to ihe
Parish Jail the night before her mlfdef put IOr "huV
Ohelse is DOT mentOned.l
BRIsTOw HARRISON March 90, 1876. .
That the deceased his death from beng shot IN
the left side of his face and breaking his skull ana Ills
tin oat being cut no explauatiunl
HENDERSON PAINTER, Feb 3, 1876.
He came 70 ms death by gunshot wounds III ms nead.
I'm the left side the shot coming out Of his ear another
sot IN left SIDE Just below the heart, which the
cause OF his death He shot by unknown party
mo cause assigned.J
classification of these verdicts shows that the
first was held Sept 20, 1875 over the body of Liz
,,.-t-.-.1 ,,ylo had haeu tad the riOht he