New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-05
Communicated
The Recent Coushatta Outrage.

The recent diabolical and murderous as.
sault made upon the person of Hon. NJ. II.
Twitchell, and the assassination of his
brOther-in-law and companion, G. A. King,
while crossing the river on the ferry at the
town Of Coushatta, Red River parish, on
the second Of May, stands unparalleled in
the annals Of crime ever committed in our
State. The cold bl0Oded, black hearted and
premeditated act of the assassin is dis
grace and shame upon the peace and order
of our State.
The facts so far received recite that
solitary unknown hOrseman rides into the
thickly settled town OF Coushatta, then
coolly and deliberately fires his Winchester
rifle and pistol upon two unoffending citi
zens, killing one instantly, and dangerously
wounding the other, then leisurely rides
out of town without an effort made on the
part of the citizens to check the career of
the murderer. He is said to be an unknown
person. If such is true, it was more obliga-
tory on all good citizens to have arrested
him, in order to prevent d repetition of so
audaciOus an outrage.
From the tenor Of the Picayune's corres-
pondent, "Observer," in his letter to that
paper, dated May 3, it ls evident that he
and others were present or near by when
the shooting took place, and according to
his story, that the assassin, "having eX-
hausted his gun and fred two shots from
his pistol" is it not strange that the muir
derer was not arrested or stopped. there
being no danger from him as his weapons
were almost useless to him. 1t is said
''most Of the citizens were at the postoffice
getting their mail when the shooting Oc.
Cured" This feature seems strange, and
if this be true, the postoffice is only about
seventy FIVE yards from the ferry landing.
Every person acquainted with the manner
and custom Of country towns will remem-
ber that upon single shot tired from
| pistol, much less Winchester rifle, every
| inhabitant within hearing of the report
will either rush to the point Of the firing or
run to the doors or windows to see or hear
| what is the matter. In this case, muir
| derer, in day time. in the principal part of
| the town. leisuHely fires five ehots from
| Winchester rifle, and two from pistol. and
I vet everybody was at the postOthce and not
attracted by the disturbance. The cause
wounding Of Twitcheil being political can
| not nor will ever be doubted. No doubt
| the assassin was hired to do his bloody
work; if SO, he we'll and truly performed
| his part of the contract.
| King was good citizen, a quiet and un-
| offensive man; one that interfered with no
ones business. He was an industrious and
useful citizen, and without warning muir
dered right in the midst of people who
should have protected him. and should
have at least punished the assassin.
NJ II. Twitchell, although'a member of
the Republican party, hundreds OF Demo
Gratis are under obligations to him for his
kindness to them. He was not prOscIiptive
| in his nature, and would render service to
Republican and Democrat alike. Ii is said
| that he held mortgages on several planta-
tions in Red River parish which are prop
erty of Democrats yet he has not oppressed
them or taken advantage of them. No one
in that section has ever charged him with
| any offense against the peace OF society
that could be proven. He owned several
plantations in the parish. Bought them
" hen they were delapidated, and By his
untiring energy made them useful to him
New Orleans are prominent Demo
Gratis. They will assert that in al
their business transactions with him for
| wears he has the character of al honest,
useful and upright citizen yet this damn
able fiendish deed of the incarnate fend
who sought his life ia to 60 unpursued and
unpunished. When clinging to the skitf,
and then shot loose from it, floating down
the river, one person present, not only
having the presence of mind, but the moral
coura ge and human heart, at the risk OF
sacrificing his own life-the murderer was
firing on him-saved the wounded man
from a watery grave. That person was
none other than cOlored man. Viii this
colored man be allowed to live after per
forming this heroic act! Should ne be killed
tomorrow, this service-ald q true Chris
tian one it was-will be remembered even
by Twitchelrs bitterest enemy.
Twitchell had Just returned to lis hom;
from New Orleans. relying upon the pro
lection of a community. that all have the
right to expect and demand. 1t matters
not whether he was Republican or not, ht
was entitled as citizen to his life and en-
titled to visit his home and his property un
mOlested by murderOus assasslns. His p0ol
aged mother and sisters and thei rOrphar
children. whose parents were toully mur
dered at Coushatta in 1874, are dependen
on him for nourishment and support. 1t ii
yerv hard and cad indeed, that human
life is valued least of all the animals o
earth Had this murderer shot and killed
a hog or a beef or a dog, he would not have
would have either been killed on the spo
or incarcerated in prison.
The article in the Bulleiin Of yesterday
was an excellent one. The morate wal
sound and Christan-like teaching, but
when that article reaches the eyes OF many
will they not compare it with Its article
during the year 1874 on the COusbatta mui
ders committed at that time. l hope the.
will not but be guided by the sound an'
|
day.
Had Democrat been fred at. much les
killed. instead of Twitchell and King, Re
publlcans, the mask would have been tori
from the face of the unknown assassin ant
his life would have been measured from tn
spot of his capture to the first tree, 1t mat
ters not whether he was a stranger OF no
if he was a Republican. This remark ma,
seem as extraordinary, butt 1t is as certalti.
| true as | write 1t.
Many of the Democratic journals ma.
possibiy deuounce the murderOus act, an
. from the facts they can not consistently d
otherwise, but while the sympathy and re
grets exhibited by their tone, the peopl
are told that Twitchell was leading Rad
cal and supposed to belong to the Radica
ring in the Senate; that he was man Q
influence among the cOlored men IN hi
parish, which the people will be Inclined
, not have been done, but being done, MI
Twitchell was leading Radical, the otfens
could in political light be overlooked. Th
, | sympathy and regrets, as l understand, ar
not for King and L witchell or their families
f but sympathy for the Democratic part
and regret that it should have occurred: 0t
cause the foul act will affect its politics
chances in the fall. As prominent an
| influential conservative Democrat remarke
a few days ago, when hearing OF this Ou
rage, That is right, that is right he sait
!, s.let them kill four or five more. and th
Democratic party is dead forever"
!. every man." he continued, from tn
North, East, West, or from any part OF tt
| world should be allowed to live in Louis
! ana, and vote as he pleases, and run fe
office, and enjoy any religion 9n4a Of the wOE,a tha,
every lover of liberty and the institution
of a fraa conntry can subscribe to.