New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-06
JUSTIFICATION OF TIE GRAAI-
CHAMBERLAIN LETTER.
THE BATON ROUGE 0UTRAGtS EXPOSED
PITlFUL TALES BY THE VICTIMS
Their Confirmation by Democrats

letter to Governor Chs mberlaiD, detailing
outrages upon Republicans in this and
other States, we print the following atfl-
davits, made before the State Senate inves-
tigatirg Committee. at its late session.
Since the sarguina1y crimes here nan ated
we're committeeman which, even ther, it
will be seen, alarmed the better class Of
citizans-the lawless bands have become SO
strong and daring as to have completely
subjugated all opposition.
Democratic Senators and attorneys partlc-
mated in the examination Of the witnesses.
whose testimony we shall give from day to
day:
THE CowIUDE, HALTER AND sHoTGCN.
IsidCre Heron. sworn, says-I reside in
the city OF Baton Rouge; l was born there;
am Justice of the peace, third ward; In
January 1876, about nine o'clock at night,
while standing about 200 yards from my
Office a body of armed white men, masked,
came to me and tied a rope around my
neck and struck me with their guns and
pistols. and l was knocked down and badly
beaten and pulled along about quarter OF
a mile: l was then turned loose and told
that they were sorry for what they had
done, but that must resign my otiict; the
same night man named Lewis Brown was
taken from his house and whipped and Or
dered to leave the parish; saw this myself;
they were white men; am Republican.
Cross-examined-This was at night, but
the moon was shining; although these men
said they had no charge against me-that
had done notking-they knocked me down
and asked me to put my head in the rope,
which | refused to do; after beating me and
dragging me far about quarter OF MILE
they said they were sorry tor what they had
done. but told me that must resign my
office in some good mans favor; that what
had been done was no disgrace to me, but
a disgrace to themselves II it was known,
and told me to say nothing about II; thls :
happened in the third ward OF the parish OF
East Baton Rouge.
have not resigned my Office; have been
living in the city of Baton Rougs since that
time: the people have lost great deal OF
stock in that part of the country. and
Brown was accused of stealing hogs in the
woods at least such was the current report
and he had been told not to hunt any more;
on the night of his being whipped the masked
attacking party stated tnat he had been
hunting in the woods and for that reason
they we're beating him; they ordered him
to leave the parish. and the next day he
did leave for the city of Baton Rouge.
Lewis Brown, sworn. says-The day be-
fore ! moved into the city Of Baton Rouge
a body of armed men surrounded my house
about ten o'clock at night; IsidOre Heron
was standing at the door; he saw these
armed men coming and exclaimed, "Eere
they GOMEZ" he ran toward the woods, and
these men followed and brought him back;
/ hid myself in the garden; after they re-
turned they entered the garden and found
me: til sy took US in the woods. and asked
Mr.. HERON if he would resign his office; he
told them yes, and was let go: they
took my clothes Cit and l was
whipped by George Carr; l was
then ordered TO move Immediately:
one of them asked the Others if any time
was to be given me to move in, and John
Bovara said: No, God damn him. he must
get out Of the State immediately" ! was
then turned loose, and moved to Baton
Rouge; then made contract with Mr..
Moiliere Lapge, gentleman who kept a
ginnery in Baton Rouge. to work on his
plantation, and went to work for him, when
some armed men came to my house and
broke open NY door; was told this by Mr..
Langes partner, and concluded it would
not be safe for me there; | recognized
among the armed men John BOvard, Nanny
Coming and George Carr; they are the mid
die class of people; l have never seen any
armed bodies of colored people in the par
ish: the coIOred people are quiet; these
men that live in the neighborboOd are farm
ers; Mr. Isidore Heron was justice Of the
peace; they put rope around his neck;
the charge against me was went
hunting game in the woods and
was ordered to stop; we were taken
about one mile before we were whipped.
They carried US in the neighborhood Of Mr..
Bovard's house, where we could not be
heard. When they got through whipping
me they said if mentioned any thing about
it they would break my damned neck.
There were about thirty men. The names
of the persons mention l could recognize:
they had no masks on. George Carr was
the man who whipped, and Mr.. Coming
held lie by the throat with knife in his
hand. Never have been convicted or
charged with any crime. l was employed
bv Mr.. VOTERS at tho time this occurred,
and appealed to him for protection. He
told me if had been notified to leave,
had better leave. | kept no store; never
bought seed cotton; never been charged
with stealing. The conrts rule in the parish
that if a person stole anything they could
have him arrested. My idea is that on &C
count of politics l was beaten.
Cross examined-Never made any charge
to the judge or justice Of the abuse that
had received. | did occasionally hunt in
the woods, and received a notice not to
hunt. Hunted one day more, and this body
of men came to my house, charged me with
it. and said ':for that reason we are going
to punish you"
A HORRID ATROCIIY.
Elizabeth Russell, sworn, says-I reside
about three miles from Port Hudson; my
husband was killed about the fifth of No
vemb Der, 1875. Two men came to my house
about day light, one masked the other not.
They hailed me three times. l asked if
clothes. They said "No. Get up and make
q light" l made no light, and they told
me there was enough Of them there to burn
tbs house over US. My husband ran under
the bed when he heard this. l heard the man
l as speaking to say to the others, Sur
round the house. If he runs out there is
enough of us to kill him." They broke the
door Of our house open and one came IN. MY
husband then came from under the PED, anu
if they intended to kill a man IN
his own house or what they intended to 40.
Ny husband was then shot through the
door with a large ball or slug. After ne
was snot he ran and tried to hide himself
in pork barrel in the room. He got IN
the barrel but it was not deep enough to
conceal him. He was shot again in the
shoulders and struggled and got out OF the
barrel. The man who did the firing then
went out of the room. He returned and
met me and my children standing IN the
door. He drove us in. My husband was
calling us at the same time. While my
husband was calling me this man rushed in
and shot him dead. After my husband
died these men went of. My husband was
a nee ceable church man. These men asked
# I knew them. l said did not. They
said cd damn you, we have come too
far for YOU to know u.s." 1t was good day
i;cht when these men went off. have five
children-the youngest two and three
years old. My husband had nc no store; never eve