The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1877-07-21
little Bit of History.

sued by that Body to be audited
oy the Treasurer and numbered,
and said warrants to be paid in
rotation according to number.
The Tax Collector was allowed
to receive currency alone for par
ish taxes, and to pay all sums
into the Treasury with
in ten days after the close of each
month. This law gave no favors
to any holder of warrants, was
smoothly, and gave gen
.ral satisfaction up to the first Of
1876.
At that time the general cleo
tons were approaching, the Tax
Collector, Oscar Crosier, knowing
the arrangements completed by
which the result of the election
was to be returned by the four
scoundrels composing the Return
ing Board, in tavor Of the party
of which he was the Grand Mo
gul in the Lafonrche District,
and needing the money IN his
hands collected as taxes for cam-
paign purposes, refused to pay
into the Treasury, the sums COL
lected in September and October.
At the same time he claimed that
he was entitled to an amount Of
some eight hundred dollars for
making the assessment OF the
parish. This claim the Police Ju-
ry denied, and averred that he
was paid by the State for making
the Assessment, and that there
was no law allowing such a de-
mand. 1t was admitted by the
Police Jury that that body had
previously paid similar claims,
but that this question had arisen
in other parishes, and having
been taken before the Courts, the
claims were denied us there was
no law sustaining them.
Furthermore. the Police Jury
offered to prepare an amicable suit,
and refer it to Judge Beattie,
agreeing to abide by his decision.
This Crosier peremptorily refused,
no doubt being satisfied that his
claim was frivolous and that no
honorable Court would sanction
it. Thus, under bubbles Of law,
no payment WAS made to the
Treasurer for the last three
months of the year 1876, until the
new Police jury were installed in
to their positions.
Then they trampied all lnws
under foot, both State and Paro-
chial, paid Crosier fifty dollars
which he claimed to have paid
his lawyer, to enable him to vio-
late the law and hold in his
hands, the taxes that he collected,
whilst honest creditors were kept
out of their just payment, allowed
him his illegal eight hundred dol
lar claim, and permitted him to
settle with the Treasurer by pay
ing him in old warrants that be-
had bought up at 80 per cent,
and using the money collected in
1876 to pay the expenses of 1876,
for another purpose than that for
which it was paid, according to
the law of the State aud the par
ish.
This whole infamous transac.
ton was carried ont in all its ras-
cally features, under the super
vision of the Police Jury pretend
lug to have been elected in No
vember, they knowing that the
whole thing was illegal, unjust,
and but a single step from public
robbery.
To enable Mr.. Crosier to pile
up the items of the assessment
Roll so AS to make a big bill he
assessed one Blodgett, a half
idiot, who was sacheeing about
the lower part OF Bayou Lafour-
che under the impression that he
owned about half of the Parish
when he had no more claims
to his %preteDtions than the Devil
had to tue entire world when he
proposed to give it to the son of
God if he would fall down and
worship him. This Blodgett, who
does not own 4 inches square of
Lafourche soil was assessed two
hundred thousand dollars.
This added sixty dollars to Gro
sler's bill, Crosier then, after the
Board OF Assessment had ex-
amined the Assessment Roll, as
sesses Mr.. Morgan also In "a large
amount materially increasing his
fraudulent claim against the tax
yayers of LafOurche.
"lf you want improvement in
the Parish Taxes vote for Schnei
der"
This was the first action in the
way of improvement. The credi-
tors of the Parish Of 1876 swind>
led out of the money expressly