New-York tribune., 1879-01-15

donna. an insignificant town on Red RIVER.
below Shreveport. While the voting proceedeu
during the day many threats were made py
reckless young white fellows, who were armed anu
were drinking freely. The negroes were alarmed
and several times were the point OF leaving put
they were assured by the better class OF whites tna
they would not be molested. Numbers did not vote
however A body Of fifteen armed mounted men
came in from another ward in the afternoon. just
after the polls closed the white men began sculiling
and in throwing each other around one OF them
struck against lame negro named Bcn
Horton The colored witnesses think tins was
done 10 make a pretext for what followed.
The combatauts ceased wrestling and one accused
the negro of having struck him. which the poor rel
low denied saving he had only pushed hm OH nis
game-leg. The white man began oSwear ana 10
for 4 pstol 10 shoot tho I'D black scoundrei'
Horton tried TO get away. but was shot ana kllIe9
while running. Then an influential negro naii,eu
Madison Rearns was accused of having gnhs III DIS
house. Tins he admitted, but SAD they ere 10 PlV
tect MS cotton against Oad negro " no hdu ,''dt
rucd iO huTr II, and had burned one house aI'duS'
II appcars. however. that a number ol the neSlOeS
had brought guns with thcm ana ici' tnCh, dt
R.o,rs'S house So "a not 10 violate the law
winch nrohthIts bringing weapons Wlthln
certain distance Of the polls. lhe W'lte men
paid no attention to this law. Nearly all OF them
bad +, yolvers and many of them had sbo-gunS or
Winchester rifles stacked in a grocery close by 10
carry deadly weapons IN pOllucai canvass IS con
sIdrIcd heroic anu patriotic ~ the whites oI NottH-
clu Louisiana, but If they fad the negroes lmtdt-
mg them they think they are Justified In kiliihR
them without mercy. rush was made Tor iednlS
house some Coorrd men got lEcrc fist, and SAVING
"tHey shan't get our guns TO XII Us WIN, TOOK
thclr weapons and Starico tor tl' No"u>' lH.ir
the shooting began. Tho blacks with the guns eS-
capped. bui dcicucflesS men VINO nau not "ICo
though; of resistance were hunted ont 0l TUG
coru-Cribs and cabins, and brutaHy Dutchcitu'
The whites think thai some shots were hrtd Nv
the blacks. / have talked with wmte man VINO
wis wounded III the face ard VINO VIII teStlS To-
morrow and have heard that another whlie man
was hurt. bat not seriously. From the drunken
in the crowd II would seem probapie tha th.Se
men were wounded 10y the wild hrlng OF Their own
friends did nOj the man shot ~ the lace sie posi-
tlVe.V hat he negro IRE at hln as ne came
ont of the house where lnc guns mad been placed
lne number of negroes killed is not yet dehnl'eiN
established by the testimony. De"ocIaIlc paper
III Shreveport reported clGHt or nine. lhc VII
ncsSes before tie committee have thtis i3f ha'heu
ony SIN. Whether here were more or less, thcy
were a,rOCIOus Y murdered.
The Il -ual scene, following SO-callgd negro G!Ct
occu rrrd around Caledonia. Bodies Of armed wultr
men secured the country hunting ana deter
mined 10 XII ali tneY could and. IWo companies
ot nlii. TIA came down by steamer from ShreNcp"it'
ne blacks md ia the swampS until he excitement
ahated. leaving the dead 10 he buried by TIE
women All the negro politicians OF me NicihItS
fled to Shreveport and REMAINED there uhtil sup-
Dcuard about the middle OF December, 20 come 10
NeW-OrCaus as witnesses be ore the UhItcd tales
D.stTlct Court. A party of about dozen cOlofcu
men and three or iour whites, under subpoena as
ber Oh the steamboat Danube. Mex day, When
near Caledonia, the boat was boarded Ivy body
OF about twenty armed white men, VINO pushed
through the cabin WIN drawn pistols and searched
the staterOOms, claiming 10 have war
rant for the arrest Of the witnesses
Clark and Wmtc. They found the meh
ana took them ashore, saying Come along :;
wen put you Wnere United states law won't nave
any more use lOr you Nothing has been heard OF
tnese men since, and the bcieI is that they weNe
taken TO the sN amp aud Killed for making threats
OF W iat they wouu testify to IN New Orleans about
the Caledonia mass ,cre.
Some OF the witnesses before the committee have
shown dread OF te>tI1ying, aud sald they feared 10
return 10 their homes alter tclinG what Jhey Knew
One COlOTrd man, after showing much T6 uCtdhce III
answering questions, said THAI there were gentle
men present VINO might have HIM taken oil the boat
and killed on his way back, II lie or
fended them. When asked to name some one,
he pointed 10 Mr.. MOncuIe, SpeakerOt the Louisiana
House of representatives. Nj MOncuTe assured the
wltuess that Le had nothing 90 fear, but the poor
fellow was exceedingly guaIded III his statements.
ihe Caledonia massacre does not seem TO nave
been premcditated, and the SnOOtlug that occurred,
in the melee over the arms may be attributed 10
political excitement and bad whI,key, bnt the hunt
and sluEuter of the negroes, which was kept up an
the evening and Il GIT, admits OF no pdilItlon III
was an outcrOppIng oi cruelty and barbarlty that
would disgrace a Caitrc trIDe or a band OF Sioux
Indians, L. V. 5.