The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-07
continued frn,n FIRST rage.


skaarlv law abiding citizens, AMI 40 far as an
.,na,u tlierhafping their duties ne ROpd mem
Eera III society, aud that they were hunted.
threatened and driven from their homes iu
NJ rurnosn nf breaking down the Republican
m IN the parish, and Is prevent the cleo
IN ~ RarIhiran parochial officers and the
a.oontiot, ~ J Madison Wells, candidate for
TT,ngrpss III the Fourth Congressional lis
,rnt' of which Natehltoches parish formed a
PaTrbhat n evstpm Of intimidation was carried
-, againet the criured Republican voters Of
w ,be narIeh down 60 the day Of election. That
shey were threatened that unless they voted
tha'nenlnrrntc ticket they would be COM
nraed to leave the parish That they were
marched to Che polls by armed nen and re-
nulrpd 10 vote, and that those who voted
we're furnished with badge consisting Of a
strip Of red ribbon, on which was printed
tbe words, "NOted the Democratic ticket.
isTsr which they were informed would pro-
tsrt them from harm for years to come
That by this plan, of first driving from the
ratish by violence and threats all the leading
Republicans, and hy threatening and intimi-
dating the other Republicans W The parish
more than onehalf OF the voting population
N the parish wergdpprivpd of their tights ~
citizens Of the United States 20 advocate and
support the election If the candidate of their
choice TO wit: J Madison Wells ta the Con
gress Of the United States; that the free vote
81 more than one-half of the parish was sup
pressed
That In the Fourth Congressional District
/ Madison Wells was candidate for Gpn-
rrees; that he was the choice of many auali-
He'd voters in the parish Of Natchitoehes
hut that by means of the conspiracy charged
In the indictment he did not receive a vote In
The parish Mt the election for members Of Con
prees In November, 1873.
That the fact that he was candidate for
Congress- In the district was known tn some
Of the defendants ON September q. and was
generally known throughout the parish OF
Natehitoches in the month OF October, 1878
Tethis case AZ II II claimed hv the prnspcu-
ton to have been made out, the defendants
reply and claim that 1t is shown by the evil
dence.
That on September II, the date NJ which
the conspiracy was charged, the fact that J .
Madison Wells was a candidate for Congress
was unknown In the parish of NRtrhituches :
that II could not. therefore, have been the
purpose of the conspiracy 10 prevent the ad-
yncacy and support Of his election by Blunt
or any one else; that the district Of which the
parish of Natehit0ehes formed Il part was
sure Democratic district, and had for several
terms last past been represented by Demo
Gratis In Congress, that no apprphens ion
whatever was felt among tho Democrats that
the district was in danger of being carried
against the candidate Of their party, aud that
even II the defendants had known Dn Septem-
Der q that Wells was or was not to be n candi-
date, there was no motive to induce them to
consplre against his supporters.
The defendants claim further "a have shown
that q Democratic Parish Committee had
assembled In the town OF Natrhiinchpa I'm
the parish Of Natchtuches on September ~,
1878, for the purpose oi nominating parurhial
officers. That the Republican leaders, after
the time for the Democratic meeting had
been announced, fixed their meeting on the
same day. That some one had reported
during the week previous to September a.
that Blunt and Breda had called their meet
ing for that day, and had declared that they
WOULD carry the parish or have blood. That
while the convention, which had assembled In
the courthouse, half q mile nr three quarters
distant from the place where the Republican
meeting was held was in session a report
was circulated in the meeting that the persons
assembled ut the Republican meeting, con-
RstiHg mainly of eolured men, were coming
np to break up the Democratic convention
aud burn the town, That this report was be-
lieved, and n motion was made and carried
that the convention takes n recess for the
purpose of aseertainiug whether the report
RRssas trua,'and If true to dispense the body
(which Threatened to do these things That a
scene OF excitement followed; that some
of the members of the convention and
others, under the leadership Of one Of the de-
PENDANTS, having hurriedly armed themselves
with such firearms as they could procure
some mounted and some on foot, repaired TO
the lower part oi the town. to tho ncghhor-
hood of the place where the Republican meet
Ing had been held, that when they arrived
there, although the leaders of the Republican
were standing around in groups and an
peared excited and Ruen aud on being or
dered by the Democrats to dispense and go
home, some two OF three made threatening
replies and said that they would come back
and burn the town. That Blunt and six or
eight other colorel men, Just before this,
were seen to ride rapidly NJ the street and
turn around corner and continue on a
course which would either take them 30 the
Courthouse OF Blunts house and that fol-
lowing this little baud Of men On horseback
was n scattering crowd of eolored men. some
on foot and some on horseback. That the
belief that the culored people intended TO at
tack the town was general and sincere, and
that very great approximations were felt dur
ing the evening and night Of September n
that an attack would be made on the town;
that scouting parties of whites were sent out
in different directions during the afternoon
and night to ascertain whether there were
any hostile gatherings of cplored men, and
what their movements We're; that crowds 0f
negroes We're found to- have assembled late in
the afternoon. many Of them armed and were
found within mile or "A mile and a half Of the
town; that after dark band OF eolored men
approached picket of three Dung men who
had been stationed in the lower edge Of the
town, and ON being ordered to halt, had fired
fifteen or twenty shots; that the fire was re-
turned by the picket and the colored men re-
treated; that fears of an attack continued
during the night Of September q, and
during Sunday. the twenty second, and did
nOl EuhSlue Hhlll hhnuaN, the tWpnty-thlrd,
that everything that was shown by the
evidence Tor the prosecution as being all done
by the defendants ON September q was done
solely with the purpose Of protecting the
town OF Natchitorhes from the unprecedented
attack OF the colored men; that it was done
to preserve the peace and protect life and
property, and for those purposes only: that
the belief was That If Blunt was arrested. he
being leader among the colored men, they
would abandon any hostile purpose thew
might entertain against the town and its in
hahitants, aud he could he held as n hostage
for their good conduct; that the proceedings
of the defendants ON September u had no 30 |
litical significance or purpose whatever Int
were taken solely in self-delonse by the ac-
cused and others
This is substantially what Is claimed In be-
half Of the defense generally.
To this the prosecution replies that the de
Tense only purports TO explain the conduct of
the accused on September n, 50 far MS ii re
lates to Blunt, and even fails to do that, and
leaves the other acts of the accused without
explanation or defense.
The pit secution claims to have shown that
when Blunt and his party, on horseback, 81
8iV,.-