The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-06-18

gross frauds were perpetrated upon the Trea
sury. and large snus of money realized theSe
from, by Twitohell and his oonfederates.
| Your committee cannot, within the space o
| this report, recaptulate the worse than profit
gate conduct of school affairs and other irregu
larities and malQraotices of Mr.. Twitobell and
his associates, as shown to have existed in Red
RiYer parish since it's organisation. Tho testi
mony gives q brief history of many transac.
tions, and to this attention is invited.
| In o word, the affairs of the parish have been
managed under the direction Of Mr. Twitcbell
in such a way to merit and receive the con-
| demnation OF good citizens of both political
| in saying that they were unprepared, and
greatly surprised to find such o lament able
! condition of things existing.
These evils had grown to such an exteut that
ON organization had been formed, known as
the Property Hoders' and Laborers' Union,'
composed Of Repaid cans and Democrats, white
and black, having for it's object the rescue of
the parish from its deplorable condition
The evidence further shows that, notWith
standing the condition of affairs. for nearly
two years past there had been political
element; no threats or attempts at intimids-
tion had been heard or made.
Men prominent in both political parties testi-
fed that no one was in danger by reason of his
political We've. or his public or privateptter-
ance of the same that men could as safely ex.
press their views in Red River parish, on the
stump or sewhere, as in any part of our COM
mon country. Together with many others, A.
Is. Bronghton, parish Judge and Republican.
testified to the foregoing effeot and Tin addition)
stated that he had organized Republican clubs
during the campaign of 1874, and that at no
time had he been molested or made afraid.
Your committee, after ascertainipg that it
was impossible to locate or identify the assas-
sin, or TO obtain q clue as to who he was, hav-
ing directed their ing uiries particularly to the
point as to whether politics had anything to
do with the affair, are of the opinion that the
testimony of leading men Of the two political
parties is explicit in establishing the fact that
the shooting of King and Twitchell was not
caused by reason Of their political opinions,
and that the affair was not Of O political char
acter.
The evidence shows that Mr.. Twichell had
made a number Of personal enemies within his
own political party aud that threats against
his life bad been made by one or more of these
parties /; but the evidence was not Of @ charac- |
ter to create a reasonable ground of suspicion |
against any particular person, even among his |
personal enemies. 1t may be well to state at |
it was undoub btedly the sole purpose of the as
sassin to kill Mr.. Twichell, and that Mr. King |
was shot after he had very properly fred aG |
him.
In conclusion, yonr committee are of the
opinion, from the best testimony they were
able to get, that the people of Red River par
ish, irrespective of party. were desiroue of po-
litical quiet, and are prepared to welcome to
their midst, men of all parties who are dis
posed to conduct themselves as law abiding,
citizens.
JOHN L VANCE,
WILLIAM WOODBURY.,
Sub-Committee on Coushatta Affair.