The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-08
them every day. / was told by one Of my
friends that / would be called upon to testify

HUu le'It Only Dct;Hta56 DI G06 reports 0Duut
the intentions Of the armed men which had
heard. There were about the same number
OF votes cast at the last election as usual.
My family are still In the parish and have
not been molested. ! have bad no personal
difficulty with any man in the parish since
have been there At the time was sheriff
and Mr.. Cunningham was district attorney
one OF the Bredas was Judge and the other
recorder.
To Mr.. Bailey-I was at the meeting in
September. and all those invited to leave the
parish were there. There was one man, a
Republican named Bold, who was prominent
In the parish, who was not at the meeting
and was not driven from the parish. :,
nett, the mayor Of the town, about my leaving,
asking him IL there was really anything in the
order for me to leave. and he told me that he
would advise me to leave for my own personal
safety.
TO Mr.. Garland-This was the mayor OF the
town, and he is the uncle Of the Bredas. He
did not come to me; went to him for advice.
JOHN q. LEWIS, coLoRED,
sworn-I have been resident Of Natchi-
toches for nine years. AS is customary at the
opening q ! political camgaign, ON the TWEEN.
the central club, III the twelfth ward then,
nov the first. The meeting was held, the old
officers reelected, and there being no further
business, after some speeches by Blunt and
others the meeting adjourned
went home, and while was standing on the
gallery talking to relative Of mine, my
mother in-law, when some colored people
rushed by, crying. "the Democrats are com
ing to kill the Bredas, Blunt and Lewis"
called to them to stop, but 1t was too hot for
them to stop: My father-in-law went to the
gate and told me 'they are coming, and you
had better CO." butt said no My brother-in-
law also told me to leave, but / told him was
sick and could not However, / at last con-
cluded that discretion was the better part Of
valor, and went through my wife's grand
mothers room, and out into the cane, and a
few minutes after saw DIR. Caller. who was
the leader, ON horseback, and ex-Congress-
man VIM. l.. Levy, who was the leader on
foot and In the rear.
J. 2. johnson, Beverly Tucker, Landry
Charlevile, Jas. Charleville, DR.. Caller; Err
nest Mason, Billy Caller, the brother OF the
gentlemen who visited me. My door was
kicked open by DR.. Caller, and my wifes
grandmother's room was ransacked. My
room was invaded, but not disturbed. for rea-
sons do not care 70 mention. could hear
we'll get him out" One man stood at the
rear door with rifle In his hands, and / heard
him say 'sIf he comes out l will kill him.
Our meeting took place at II o'clock, and at s
/ sat down and wrote to Judge Pier50n to this
effect:
'Judge Pierson: Sir"
Mr.. Teller, What is Mr.. Pierson?
Witness-He Is Democrat.
Judge, Pierson: sir-What would you have
Mr. Teller-Is not Mr.. Plerson parish
judge?
Witness-Yes, sir. To this effect:
Judge Pierson: What would you have us to
do? / was seen by Mr.. johnson. who told
me could take my choice, either to core up
to the courthouse and take my chances with
Blunt and the Bredas, or leave the parish"
The next day l heard that Blunt had been
carried off, and that decided me to leave
the parish. The next Gay heard that Blunt
had escaped, and wanted me to meet him at
q point thirty miles away. met him and
we Travelled together.
The discrimination elected nothing new
except what the witness had voluntarily testi-
fled before the grand jury.
RAFoRD BLUNT,
colored, sworn-I have lived In the parish OF
Natchtoches, but Of late have been banished
from home. / have been q member OF the
House and a State Senator. One Sanford has
my seat now. When Mr.. Packard went down
me ON the twenty-first Of September. I had
heard Of 1t brewing, but did not believe that
1t would come.
Witness then told the regulation story about
the assembling OF armed men, as reported by
excited negro men and women, and continu-
ing, said:
/ went home and locked my gates, and
went in my house. There were seven or
eight colored men with me, and they asked
me II had any guns. | told them to keep
quiet. had three shOt-guns, one Winchester
rifle and several pistols. I was pretty we'll
armed, well enough armed to meet disguised
men who came to my house at night. The
cOlored men took three guns and stationed
themselves at the door | had lately been
married. was married ON the 18th of July
told my wife to go down stairs and not to
open the door to any one, and / went up
through a trap door into the loft. When l
got up the bed was pulled back into place, and
concealed the trap. There was false win
dow In the loft and could see everything In
few moments q body of men came up and
formed In front OF my house without saying
word.
Mr.. Cunningham was the leader. They
called on me to surrender, but was not going
to come out to any such mob as that. They
took my gate from the hinges and came in
and formed around my house. They went
into my kitchen and eat my dinner. After
man whose name, which for reasons / do
not care to call, He will go as far as any
damn man In this crowd; obey him; the rest
follow me-" He went off with some of them
in the direction Of the courthouse. After
awhile he and the party came back, and Col.
Levy was with them, and he said Lets go
in," and the crowd shouted, Sin we go - and
they brokeopen the door and came in.
They took my wife's Keys, and when they
would not fit they broke open doors. At last
bfiCy iOuho Il woo III bbc lOtb anu b<Icy Cttiitu
on me to surrender. But made up my mind
not to do 1t. / stood at the trap door with
Winchester rifle, sixteen shooter, In my
hand, and determined to use 1t. At last q
gentleman said to me in low voice: "Blunt,
surrender, and we will not hurt you" And
then he went out and put the question: "Will
you not pledge yourself not to hurt hair OF
his head If he surrendered" and they all said
YES" and then he put the question again !:
"And will you not pledge yourself to protect
him from every one elseY' and they all said
Yes" again; and after while came down.
/ was seized, and the crowd received me
with yells and boots. One Of Mr.. Cunning
hams officers asked me If / would agree to
leave the parish, the State, and the United
States. / asked for two or three days to ar
range my business, and then Mr.. Cunningham
said: by God, Blunt, you are not going to
dictate to Us. we are going to dictate to you.
and you have got to obey"
Witness then told a long winded story,
which was in effect that he had been placed
under guard, and while thus, 1t was reported
that colored men were marching on the town,
and he had been called on to send messengers
- A4.II III