The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-07-29

| FUNERAL ADDRESS BY REV. DIR. BAYLIss-
THE TRUE LESSON OF THE HOUR" SHALL
WE ELEVATE THIS PRESCRIPTION INTO
PowER?'
The funeral of Mrs. Helen E. Willis took
place in indianapolis on Sunday afternoon.
Mrs. Willis was the sister of Senator Twitch-
ell, of Louisiana. The circumstances of her
death and the causes which led to it were
strongly set forth by Rev. DR.. Bayliss, who
conducted the services. She was the VIC
tim of a false civilization and a cruel sys-
TEN OF terrorism, as one brother, her bus
band, and other relatives had been, and as
her manned and mutilated brother who
survives her also is. This brother was
present at the funeral, armless and help
less, the living victim Of Southern intoler-
ance. Under these extraordinary crcum-
stances the reverend speaker did not hest
tate to depart from the usual routine of
funeral addresses and to state the facts of
the case in all their eloquent simplicity.
Following is his address, as reported by
the indianapolis Journal:
We are standing to day at the cumina-
ton of a tragic personal history. 1t is not
often, in times of peace, that funeral SER
vice brings men face to face with facts at
once so melancholy and appalling. And |
| feel that though we were strangers per-
soualy to her whose sad end we contem-
| plate, as we are to the solitary mourner
who follows her to the burial, there are in
the casa circumstances which will interest
US all, and will fully justify departure,
in some measure, from the usual form of
funeral addresses. Mrs. Helen f. Willis
was native of Townsend, VT, was thirty
one years of age, and a sister of Marshall
ii. Twitcheli, 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 neighborhood in
which she has suffered for years, in Louisi-
ana, to her native place in New England.
She stopped here to rest, and, if possible,
to recuperate. But she had suffered too
much to rally, and after few days of delay
death came yesterday morning, and with a
| grateful heart to those who have mnistered
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 Capt. Twtchell,
brother of the deceased, was on Gen. Sher-
idan's staff, and was assigned to duty IN
the Red River country in Louisiana, where
he became acquainted with the lady who
| afterward became his wife. He bought
land aud 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.
To this end he built saw mills and grist
mills, opened stores, did what could be
done to establish schools, and in every pos
sibe way has labored earnestly to promote
the prosperity of the country about him.
His energy and economy led to business
success, and his brother and three sisters,
with their husbands, at length joined him
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
| lilies lived. Senator Twtchell was himself
absent in New Orleans, and a brother-in-
| law named King was sick, as was thought
unto death. AS disturbances continued in
the surrounding country, number of Dem
ocrats came to those who were well and at
home and said to them: eve are sure that
you are here as permanent residents, and
we are satisfied with you and your princi-
!
so satisfied and there will perhaps be dan
ger to you unless you put yourselves under
our protection; but if you will put your
selves into our hands, we will vouch for
you to the rioters, and you shall be pro-
tected.' After some conversation Homer
Twitchell and the two brothers-in law con-
cluded, with some other Northern men in
the neighborhood, to accept the offered
protection of their Democratic neighbors,
and accordingly put themselves under their
direction. They were led away into an
adjoining parish. far enough to obstruct
the process of legal prosecution, and then,
NTH q treachery Of achich ace supposed none
but Indians to be capable their protectors
turned them Orer to tie mob and Homer
TaoitcheH and too0 br0thers-in lao aoers mur-
| dered in cold blood. 1t seems incredible-it
is almost too diabolca to be believed
Even after all we have heard of Fort Pillow
and Andersonvle and Belle Isle, this is so
horrible as to make us hesitate before be-
leving it. We were in the heart of war
when the Fort Pillow massacre was perpe-
trated; Andersonvile was the offspring of
passion and fury, but this was calm enough
to be simply malevolent, and horrible enough
to be fiendish.
One of those who fell in that treacher-
GUS massacre Of August 81 1874, was Mr..
Monroe Willis, husband of her whose
weary heart at last stands still, and how
much of the disaster of yesterday is tracea-
BILE to the catastrophe of 1874 it is impossi-
BILE for any human being to tell
Still the remnants of the broken, perse-
cuted household remained in the South.
There was their property, and there were
the graves of their beloved dead. And
so, in spite of the malice which had
given them such startling proofs of its
tirceness and unscrupulousness, they still
trusted to their own conscious rectitude,
and their peaceful spirit to protect them.
But alas! there is diabolism in parts of
the South which no goodness can propi-
tiate, and a maevolence which no gentle
ness can subdue. The fact is beyond ques-
ton.
In May last Mrs. Willis was broken in
health by her great sutferings, and Mr..
Twitchell and Mr.. King, who were absent
in New Orleans, were sent for. They
| started Immediately, and as they were
crossing Red river i'll small boat, on APP
preaching to within four or five yards of
the shore a horseman appeared on the
bank, and unbuttoning his large coat, took
from under it Henry repeating rifle, from
which he discharged fifteen shots at the
men in the boat. Mr. King was instantly
killed. Mr. Twitchell was wounded in one
| leg anu Ill UDlH tllHs, anu " aS ny luC
bandit for dead. After the assassin was
gone, however, the faithful colored boat
men, who was himself wounded, lifted the
multilated man into the boat again, out of
which he had sprung for safety, and con-
viewed him to Springville, where the army
surgeon was compelled to amputate both
arms, bat was able to save the wounded
leg.
The faithful sister, smitten by shock after
shock, and almost PROSTATE as the result of
them, still came to her brothers side, and
watched and watched. The surgeon also
watched, and night after night sat with
rifle on his knee. ready to defend his pa
tient from the midnight assault of some
chvarous Southerner.
At length the brother and sister were
able to start for the North, being furnished
a part of the way with a military escort.
AS soon as they reached region of safety
the fearful nervous tension by which Mrs.
l,,l Ap1,a