New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16
REST AT LAST.
Brown Hill Gives a Homo to n Victim OF
Southern Prescription.

Southern Prescription.
The funeral ceremonies over the remains
of Mrs. Helen E. Willis, sister Of State Sem
ator Twitchell, of Louisiana, were held yes
terday afternoon from the residence of Mr..
Charles w. Smith, No. 70 East Pratt street.
The sad circumstances attending the death
of the lady, and the horror awakened in the
community by a recital Of the wrongs COM
mitted upon her family by the chivalrous
people of Louisiana, served to attract
large attendance of the leading citizens of
Indlanapolis, all of whom were deeply af-
fected by the occasion and the services.
Rev DR.. Bayliss, pastor of Trinity Method
list Episcopal Church, conducted the ser
vice, which was opened with the singing OF
the hymn:
"Oh for the death of those
WHO Stun Der IN the Lord
The music was furnished by selected
choir, consisting of Miss Fannie Carlton and
Mrs. Halford, soprano; Mrs. w. H. Smith
and Miss Marcia Willard, alto; Mr.. Cham
berlain, tenor, and Mr.. Samuel Morrison,
bass. Following the hymn, Rev. DR.. Gil
lett led in a very touching and tervent
PRAYER. in which he invoked the protection
of Almighty God upon the surviving rela,
tive of the deceased, who had been called
to pass through o suffering almost I'M
parallel, but which might be sanctitied not
only to his benefit, but to the good of the
nation, which must sooner or later learn to
do Justice and work righteousness.
Rev. DR.. Bayliss read the tifty-sixth
Psalm and the fourteenth chapter of the
Gospel according to st. John, after which
the chorus sang:
"To thee o God when creatures fall,
Thy flock deserted, flies"
Dr. Bayliss then pronounced the following
address:
We are standing to day at the culmina
ton of a tragic personal history. 1t is not
often. in times of peace, that funeral SER
vice b1iap men face to face with facts at
once 30 melancholy and appalling. And l
feel that, though we were strangers person
ally to her whose sad end We contemplate,
az we are to the solitary mourner who fol
lows her to the burial, there are in the cas-
circumstances which will interest US ali,
and will fully justify departure, in some
measure, from the usual form of funeral ad'
dresses.
Mrs. Helen E. Willis was a native ct
Townsend, Vermont, was thirty-one years
of age, and sister OF Marshall II. witch
ell, who is here to-day, the only relative
who is permitted to be present on this sad
occasion. She was making her way from
| the inhospitable neighborbood in which she
| has suffered for years, in Louisiana, to her
| native place in New England She stopped
l
| But she had suffered too much to rally. and
| after few days Of delay death came yes
| terday morning, and with a grateful heart
to those who have ministered to her so
kindly and assiduously during her brief
stay in this strange city, she fell gently
| asleep and is at rest.
| At the close of the war Captain Twitchell,
| brother of the deceased, was on General
| Sheridan's staff, and was assigned to duty
| 49, lrix n I.0n
| be became acquainted with the lady who
| afterward became his wife. He bought
land and settled there, determining to be-
come a citizen and devote himself to the
| Improvement of his fortunes and the devel'
opment of the country of his adoption. 10
| this end he built saw mills and grist mills,
| opened stores, did what could be done to
| open schools and in every possible way has
labOred earnestly to promote the prosperity
| of the country about him.
| His energy and economy led to business
success, and his brothe: and three sisters,
| with their husbands, at length joined BIN
| in his Southern home. His mother also be-
came resident there, and thus his entire
family, and all his interests, were trans
ferred and established permanently, as was
| supposed, in Louisiana.
In 1874 there were various riots in the
parishes adjoining that in which these fam
/
absent in New Orleans, and brother-ln
law named King was sick, as was thought
unto death. As disturbances continued II
| the surrounding country, NUMBER OF
| Democrats came to those who were well
and at home said to them: "We are sure
that you are here as permanent residents
and we are satisfied with you and your
principles. But some of your neighbort
are not 80 satisfied, and there will perhsp;
| mt
under our protection; but if you will pu
| Yourselves into our hands we will vOuct
for YOU to the rioters, and you shall be pro
tected.'
After some conversation Homer Twitchel
and the two brothers-in-iaw concluded
with some other Northern men in the neigh
borhOod to accept the offered protection
their Democratic neighbors, and accord
ing!y put themselves under their diection.
They were led away into an adjoining
parish, far enough to obstruct the process
Of legal prosecution, and then, with
treachery OF which we have supposed non
but Indians to be capable, their protector
| turned them over to the MOB, and Home
Twitchell and two brothers in-law wer
murdered in cold blood. 1t seems incred
ible-it is almost too diaoOlical to be be
lieved. Even after all we have heard o
Fort Pillow and AndersOnyille and Bell
Isle. this is 80 horrible as to make Us hesl
tate before believing it. We we're IN tn
heat Of war when the Fort Pillow massacr
was perpetrated; Andersonville was tn
offspring of passion and fury, but this wa
calm enough to be simply malevolent, an
horrible enough to be tiendish.
| One of those who fell in that treacherOu
massacre of August 81, 1874, was Mr.. Nor
roe Willis. husband of her whose wear
heart at last stands still; and how much q
the disaster of yesterday is traceable to tn
catastrophe of 1874 it is impossible for an
human being to tell.
Still the remnants of the broken, pers'
cuted household remained in the Souti
There was their property, and there wei
the graves Of their beloved dead. And 81
in spite of the malice which had given thel
such startling proofs of its ferceness an
unscrupulorsness, they still trusted to the
own conscious rectitude and their peacef'
spirit to protect them.
But. alas! there is a diabOlism in parts
the South which no goodness can prOpitiat
and a m alevolence which no gentleness ca
Undue. The fact is beyond question.
In May last Mrs. Willis was broken
health by her great sutferings, and NJ
| Twitchell and Mr.. King, who were absel
| in New Orleans, were sent for. Ine
started Immediately, aud, as they wei
| crossing Red river in email boat, on al
| | preaching to within four or five yards
the shore horseman appeared on the ban
: and, unbuttoning his large coat, took tro
: under it q Henry repeating rif1e, fro
, which he discharged fifteen shots at u
men in the boat. Mr.. King was INSTANT
killed. Mr.. Twitchell was wounded in OF