The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1876-06-24
The Coushatta Affair.
From the N. 0. Bulletin.

buried past the possibility of resur.
rection, the epitaph which will most
succinctly and truthfully tell to future
politicians the cause Of it's demise,
will be simply this: "Died from too
much Investigation" The profane
exclamation recently made by old
Zach Chandler (which everybody re.
members, but which To-day We won't
repeat, except to say that it was
something about having no fan in a
warm place, and something; also
about Democratic House Of Repre-.
-sentatives) was evidently the expires
sion Of a profound conviction a c"n.
viction which We fancy must be very
fully shared BY Blaine aud Belknap,
Ba6cock and q host IF other Repu6.
lican officials about this time:
The shooting ofTwitchell and King
at Coushatta last April was seized
upon by the whole Radical press of
the country as an evidence that Re.
publicans Ia Louisiana were in dan.
ger of their lives by reason Of their
politics alone. It was purely politi.
cal in its character, and the white
people of the State were held respQu-
sible for the atrocious deed. The
thing was written up In the most
sensational and blood-curdling man
ner, and virtnous villains all over the
country who are themselves stepped
10 crime, lamented the awful condi-
ton Of society in which a poor fellow
was almost assassinated betause-as
they chose to assert; and az ma,iy
doubtless believed-he was q repub.
lican. Ben Butler, the good and pi
Qua old spoon taker, grew Indignant
enough about 1t to write \ letter de.
nouncing our people, with the same
conspicu0hs impotence with which he
previously robbed them.
1t was "nuts" for the Republican,
was this Coushatta affair, and its col.
umus fairly reeked With blood for
weeks and weeks thereafter.
Knowing the falsehoods that would
be told about the matter and the cap
ital that would be made out of it BY
the Radical press, We were extremely
DESTROYS that the perpetrat0r IF the
deed should b. caught; an urged
upon the people Of Coushatta the ne.
cessity for leaving no stone unturned
to secure his capture: We expressed
our firm conviction that when the
mystery was unraveled it would be
found that the affair was purely per.
sonal, growiug out of some private
difficulty.
The result Of tho Investigations o.
the Congressional Sub Committee
which is given in an interesting let
ter in this issue, very fully sustain
our views expressed at the time. I,
proves conclusively that there wa.
nothing whatever political in the a.
sault on Twitchell and in the killing
Of King, that it was personal mat
ter-the deed Of 6otfe man who had
beeen deeply wrouged hi a way thai
was irreparable.
There is a story current in and
around C6ushatta which 10 general,
believed; aud which furnishes . key
to the desperate and determined as
sault upou Twitehell, who has beet
held up TO the world BY the Repsbl
can as 4 man Of pure lid blamelesl
life. The Republican has dwelt YER,
particularly upon the purity o
Twitcbell's life, but if the allegation
now made be true, and they are vel
vouched for. then the only wonder Il
that the assault upon him WAS no
made at at earlier day: Ofenses o
q similar character are summaril!
punished the wide world over. Judg'
branghton who il spoken of in th'
letter referred to shove, is = repub
lican and . living refatation of til
slauders which have been circulated
concerning the Cou6Ijdtta people. H
is highly respected by tho colnmunit.
10 which he iives, sud bic testimou;
is extremely damaging not only {
Twitohsll but 70 tho Radical party
He shows bow . court-hous1 wort
not moro than $4,000 cost tho peopl
under Twiiohell's peculiar manipnla
ti6a $751; 900, and shows further tha