The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-11-03
REPORT OF CAPT. HALE.

We publish elsewhere the official re- ]
port Of Capt. Clayton Hale, officer in
command Of this post and of the U. s.
troops of this sub-district, concerning
the murder of Primus johnson and |
wounding of Eaton LogwOod, two
freedmen living in the Island in this
parish, a statement of which occurrence
we made two weeks ago. There has
been considerable curiosity to see this
report of Capt. Hale's. Curiosity, but
little else, will be gratified by its
perusal.
In few words, the report of Capt.
Hale is simply the report of Eaton
lockwood, such as we have heard it is.
The report. itself bears evidence of this
assumption.
Capt. Hale asserts, without qualifica-
ton, that the two men who murdered
Priinus johnson and wounded Eaton
Logwood were white men in disguise.
Capt. Hale knows this to be fact,
otherwise he would not assert it. How
does he know it? He was not present,
Iii l not witness the tragedy, and, there
fore, could not know that what he says
is true.
Capt. Hale states, as facts of his own
knowledge, what he could possibly have
known nothing of. He does not say
that Eaton Logwood and witnesses
present declared that the two men who
did tho shooting We're white men in
disguise, but that the two men ecere
white men disguised, as if he knew all
the facts in the case and was present
and could swear soleLnnly to his state
ments.
Now, the report Of Capt. Hale taliies
with the statements of Logwood, as
they have reached us; but there is
another side to this bloody tragedy.
Eaton Logwoad, II colored man, is no
more entitled to be heard by IN officer
of the U. S., army than three white
citizens and gentlemen, his neighbors,
who have been arraigned by Capt.
Hale for an Offense as grave as can well
be imagined. These gentlemen are
Messrs. n. Logan, w. II. Theobalds and
Goe. G. Phillips. Did Capt. Hale in
terrogate these gentlemen before bring
ing his official charges? 1t seems not.
He accepted the suspicious of I4ogwood
and the witnesses as tho best proof to
he had, and sends to headquarters II
report, wholly er.a,nTte, rs the dcliber
ate judgment of an army officer who is
commissioned to serve all classes of
citizens alike and to hold evenly
between them the scales OF Justice.
We do not understand that this is the
duty of an officer of the army. He is to
investigate thoroughly and impartiaiiy,
and 10 report upon the facts as asccr-
tanned from such an investigation.
Capt. Hale has not Investigated this
matter; he has not consulted Mr..
Logan, Capt. Theobalds or Mr.. Phil
lips; but, nevertheless, reports to his
superiors and to the world that they
arc, in his view, chargable with the
gravest crimes, as if he were in COM
fnand here not rs an officer of the army,
but rs n public prosecutor proceeding
upon information or Indictment.
We have no defense to make for the
wounded LOCKWOOD. The crime we
have denounced, and the deed has been
universally condemned by the white
people, by all of whom it is believed
that men of color were the guilty par
ties. So much and more, therefore, is
the official arraignment of Capt. Hale
to be condemned. We have been en-
deavoring to break down the color line.
Capt. Hale, as an army officer, might
reasonably be relied upon to aid in the
reconciliation of the races; but is he
doing this? Tho houses of the white
families have been shot into in the
night by negroes. Has he mentioned
this fact in his reports : Has he men
toned the fact that FOR Ten days the
whites preserved peace and order in
this parish in spite Of deliberate Con-
spiracy to bring on troubles and of the
impotency of the civil authorities ?
Why not recall the fGrbeorance and