The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-16
THE BLOODY SHIRT.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY LEONARD
WAVES H MOST FEROCEOUsLY.
Negroes Chased Into the swamps Or Muir
dered-Beasts of Prey Feeding ON
Their Unburled Bodies.
tChicago Tribune.]

&MetF AhDmFfeh BOafess
tChicago Tribunel
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 United States Dis
triCt Attorney Leonard, of Louisiana former
ly a Confederate officer who is here to confer
with the President about the late outrages in
Louisiana, conVersed at length to-day in re-
gard to the situation in that State. He said
that 'if there had been fair election Lou
isiana would have gone Republican by 5000 to
$4,000 ma jOrity, and three, possibly four, Re
publican Congressman would have been
elected. My own personal experience OF the
election was limited to Caddo parish That
and nearly $500 blacks. Of the whites at least
$50 would have voted the Republican ticket,
and announced their intention to do so. On q
fair and peaceabe election the Republicans
Would have carried the parish by $500 maiori-
ty. The vote as returned was q Democratic
majority of 1910. The Democrats
OPENLY TOOK THE ELECTION BY FORCE AND
ARMS.
There were twelve voting precincts in the
parish. United States supervisors were ap-
pointed for all Of them by United States
Judge Woods, but except at two precincts in
Shreveport, these supervisors were not 81
lowed even to witness, much less to sCrutin-
ize. the election. They were told that they
were not wanted, and, Of my personal knOwl-
edge, in some instances, were fOrcibly re-
moved from the vicinity Of the ballOt-bO8
About a week before the election two military
companies were organized in Shreveport and
some in the country. These companies ap-
peared on the streets with arms and tray
ersed the country roads The night of cleo
ton armed men travelled the country roads
and fired into the houses of negroes, in many
instances taking negroes and beating them.
Ten days before the election the Republicans
had much difficulty in holding their meeting
at Spring Ridge, twenty miles from Shreve-
port. Public notice had been given of this
meeting for long time, but the Republican
speakers, consisting Of the candidate for
sheriff. the candidate for the Legislature
VIM. Harper, q Noted colored leader and the
present Senator, and Leonard himself were
notified at 1 O'Clock in the morning, before ar
rivIng there, by a friendly negro, that
THEY WOULD BE KILLED.
The Democrats learned that the meeting
called was their own. A compromise was
made by dividing the time. The request by
garded as peculiar, as there were only 175
white men registered in the place; yet there
was large number Of white persons there,
the purpose of whose visit was not known.
maintained The joint discussion proceeded.
Leonard was the first speaker. In the course
Of his speech he was interrupted by loud cries
denouncing him as liar, and dozen men
rushed from the crowd to attack him. He
stood quiet, and the attack was postponed.
The Democratic speakers were not interrupt
ed. When the turn came for VIM. Harper
the colored Senator, to speak, he had only
said O few words when violent tumult arose
He tried for three minutes, in the din, to
speak, but was denounced by the widest
shouts from all quarters.
CRIES OF KILL HIM. KILL HIM.
were heard. Destroy the damned scolln-
drelY End the Republican party here =
Kill the leaders!
Il expected," said Leonard, ''that they
would kill Harper, and then advance upon
me- but it happened that they made their first
rush toT me. Finally the Republican speak
tinued, Kill them = xiii themr
This was the condition Of affairs prior to
the election. Under the Louisiana election
law the police jury appoints commissioners Of
election The law requires that three com
missioners shall be appointed and one clerk
for every precinct, to be selected from oppos-
ing parties. The Republicans sent q formal
written request that a proportion Of Repub-
iicans be appointed to these offices. No atten- |
ton was paid to this request and except in
two Or three instances no Republicans were
and these exceptions were in the
cases OF two or three ignorant negroes, who |
could neither read nor write With this ex-
ceptiOn these election officers were Democrats |
The day before election the returning officers
and United States supervisors were sent to
every poll in the parish. On the morning of
election at Shreveport crowds of negroes were
in the streets before the polls were opened and |
it was noticed that
NOT A WHITE MAN WAS VISIBLE
At each polling place three boxes were |
found. The Louisiana law requires that the
sheriff, who is the returning officer Of cleo |
tOns, shall furnish box at each precinct. |
The commissioners had placed three boxes at |
each precinct and they told the negro voters
that they wanted the vote for Congressman |
~ one box, for Representative and the parish |
ticket in anoheu and the ward ticket in the
third. ! protested to the mssiOners
against such violation Of the law, and mott
fed the negroes in attendance to deposit their
entire ticket in the box designated to receive
The sheriff vote, no matter what the Demo
cratic election officers might say. The ne
groes gathered at different boxes in large
torce, demanding to vote The commissioners
claimed not to be able to find their names at
he particular boxes where they applied,
cursed them violently for coming to vote
we're their names were not entered, and
fairly drove them from the polls. These ne
yroes where much excited. I saw it was not
jhe purpose to permit them to vote. At about
30 q. IN. the United States Supervisor came
rom Summer Grove Precinct, eight miles
'loners had refused to recognize him as
United States officer, and that he had been
orcibly elected from the polling place by u
ieputy-sherit, who acted under orders from
men on the street. and told the negroes they
vdently were not going to be allowed to
'ote; that
THERE CERTAINLY WOULD BE TROUBLE,
nd they would do better to go to their
lomes-at all events to keep off the street.
ent word to the same effect to every pre- |
inct,, The negroes refused to go, and in
listed upon their right to vote. This was
bout 10 O'Clock. There were registered then
90 names, Of which only sixty were white
nen
"There was serious trouble at a polling
'lace called Willct's SchoOl-house. There were
egistered there 3l2 negroes and twenty-five
Whites: The polling box was placed on a hill f
ear the Arkansas line. When the river is Y
Ugh it is necessary to travel fifty miles to i
each this polling place from the different
arts Of the parish. But the water this year
7as low, and it was possible for negroes to
rive through a swamp ordinarily impassa-
lie. The candidate for sheriff, accompanied :
Y $50 Of the 3l5 registered negroes, went
nr,ough the swamp to this poll. They had to
rovisions. They camped the night before e
ne election at the polling place During the <
light some Of the armed white Democrats
anne and looked down upon the crowd, but -
ID not attack it on account of its great num-
ers. The next day
o COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION ApprAprn |