The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-05-02

in Reinforcement.
While. standing in Main. Street one |
morning the Major witnessed an extra
ordinary scene. Hundreds of women
suddenly appeared. The broad avenue
was filled with them. They came filing
in from the cross streets by platoons,
and began to sack the stores. Hollow
eyed and gaunt with hunger, nobody
dared resist them. A crowd of men
hung upon the outskirts, offering no in
reference, and expressing no sympathy
for the shopkeepers. The women took
the stores in line, one after the other.
They proceeded Systematically. The
goods were piled upon wagons drawn
by horses driven by female sympathizers.
Not word was spoken. The work was
done with terrible earnestness. When
the mob entered a grocery certain per-
centage of them piled the goods upon
the outstretched arms of the others, and
they We're borne to the streets and
dumped into the wagons. The women
had it all their own way. Neither sol
diers nor police were in sight. Mean
while the crowd increased. Other wom-
en- heard what was going on, and flock
ed to Main Street for a share of the
plunder. Not a man joined them, and
for along time no one made an effort to
stop them. At last Congressman Bald
win, of Virginia, jumped upon a dry
goods box, and made an impassioned
appeal for law and order He might as
well have talked to the wind No one
paid the least attention to him. The
women went on with their sacking, and
the bystanders drowned Baldwin S voice
with their whoops and cheers.
.While was gazing at the scene,''
said the Major, 81 saw a Captain Of an
Alabama cavalry regiment with whom
l had slight acquaintance. We were
both in uniform. We agreed that some
thing ought to be done to restore order
and stop the robbery. At his sugges-
ton we stationed ourselves at the door
of store already overrun. In a few
seconds a virago tried to pass US.
can see her now. Her cheeks and lips
were red, but she had apinched, starved
look, and an eye like a hawk. She car
ried in her arms a half dozen bars of
yellow soap, a piece of dress silk, along
box of stockings, and some raisins and
herrings. said: g'rf-siiis1
"t Madam, I beg your pardon; but
you are forgetting yourself. These
goods are not yours. You have not
paid for them, and you will not be per-
mitted to leave this store with Them
"She looked at me" said the Major,
"in wild way, as though endeavoring
to comprehend what had said, and then
went to the counter and threw down the
dr A c&cl,, <aop, anlyo oIIn Ao1y ylo,,
ately took me by the arm and slung me
from her with such force that | went
spinning around like a top, and struck
the front of the building SO hard that it
took the breath out of me. She than
quietly gathered up her load from the
counter and walked ont. The Alabama
Captain looked at me and laughed, but
kept his hands in his pockets and said
nothing. told him I thought we were
out of place, and he nodded. We con-
cluded after that to remain simple spec
Meanwhile the women were ap-
preaching the Jews quarter. The He
brews were credited with great wealth.
It was said that they had made barrels
of money out of the Confederacy, and
the female Communists went at them
without qualm of conscience. Moses
and Isaac, however, had heard what
was going on above, and tried to protect
themselves. They put up their shutters,
barricaded their doors, ran up stairs,
and watched the proceedings from the
second-story windows. But the women
were not dismayed. While some of
them ran for axes, others found long
piece of scantling, and used it as a bat
tering ram. The first door flew open
amid the cheers of the outsiders, follow
ed by wall of sorrow from the Jews.
sOh, mine kott! mine kotti I ish ruin
ed! | ish ruined!' was the cry. But
they made no further defense. Indeed,
it would have been dangerous for them
to attempt it, for if one of the female
robbers had been hurt, the crowd of hus-
bands and brothers would surely have
avenged it. 81 8x 15CGLoI aa 81
ssAnd so,'' said the Major, ''the spo-
liation continued. At last rumor ran /
through the street, The Governor is
coming 1t proved true. Down the
hill came Gov Letcher, accompanied
by his staff and few friends. He.as-,
cended cart, and made speech, which
had as much effect as such speeches
usually do. have The mob of women
kept steadily at work, and the Governor
pumped himself dry without producing
the least effect. The crowd on the out
skirts opened respectfully for him to
pass out, and the Jews moaned more
pitifully than ever. The women pitch
ed in with renewed vigor, and shawls,
sugar, poplins, bottles Of pickles, rib
bons, washing soda, muslins, and bags
of hominy were pitched into the wagons
at the doors. Then a second rumor