The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-07
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the unlawful combination.
The prosecution claims to have shown by
the evidence that Blunt and others against
whom the conspiracy was directed were law
fully entitled to vote by showing by their
own testimony that they were legal and regis
tered voters of the parish OF Natchltoches
Ii YOU are satisfied upon this point, in
struet you as matter OF law that the parish
OF Natchltoches Is in the Fourth Con-
gressional District Of the State OF Louisiana,
and that Blunt and other lawful voters re-
ferred to were entitled TO vote for member OF
the Congress OF the United States at an cleo
ton to be held in that district on the first
tuesday after the first Monday OF November,
1873.
Tho prosecution claims further to have
shown that j. Madison Wells was and had
been for many and more than seven years q
citizen OF the United States, and had been
for many years, and was In November, 1873,
n resident Of the parish OF Rapides, In the
State OF Louisiana, and that he was over 10
years OF age.
Has this been shown to your satisfaction
Ii 1t has been / instruct you as q matter OF
law that the parish OF Rapide3 Is In the
Fourth Congressional District OF the State OF
Louisiana, and that the facts above stated
touching Wells would make him lawfully
qualified to be elected as u member OF the
Congress OF the United States.
The prosecution claims TO have established
the conspiracy charged In the Indictment by
evidence which 1t is claimed shows that the
parish Of NatchitOches contains o majority
nniformlv been carried nv The Rennblican
candidates nrior to the eIecfion In Nnvarnber
1878, that among the prominent leaders OF
the Republican party OF the parish were the
A. r.. Blunt. named In the indictment. Judge
j. T.. Breda, his brother DR.. A. i. Breda, V.
A. Barron, John q. Lewis and Henry Raby.
That several months prior to the election
for mem ber5 OF Congress and members OF the
Legislature and parish officers In November.
1878, conspiracy was formed to suppress the
vote Of the Republicans In the Republican
parishes throughout the State, by force, in
timidation and threats. That the defendants
on trial, or d large number of them, entered
into that conspiracy for the purpose Of pre-
venting the election Of Republicans to the
parochial Offices in the parish Of Natchito-
ches, and the election of j. Madison Wells to
the Congress Of the United States from the
Fourth Congressional District of louisiana
That on September IA, 1873, q few Republt-
| cans Of the parish Of Natchitoches, to the
number OF twenty or thirty, heid meeting
| at the Office of Judge }. T. Breda, in the town
OF Natchitoches, for the purpose OF taking
| steps to organize Republican political club
| for the old twelfth ward Of the parish. That
a meeting for that purpose was appointed to
be held at an old store house at the lower end
| of the town Of Natcht0ches, about half or
three-quarters Of q mile from the courthouse.
| That the meeting was held accordingly. 1t
consisted OF Blunt, the two Bredas, Barron,
Lewis, Raby, and from 100 to $50 others, all
| members OF the Republican party.
| That several political addresses were made
| to the meeting; that 1t assembled about IL
o'clock, and about o'clock word was hur-
riedly brought TO the meeting that the DEM
| ocrats were arming and were coming down to
| disperse the aSSemblage and kill the leaders;
| that a motion was made and carried that the
old officers OF the club be reelected, and the
| meeting hurriedly adjourned; that Judge j.
| L. Breda and his brother, DR.. A. L. Breda,
and their brother-in-law, V. A. Barron ut
once mounted their horses and started, riding
rapidly, for their homes, which were nearly
north Of Natchitoches, their direct road then
| leading through the town; when passing uD
the street they were halted by band OF
armed and mounted men, drawn up across the
street, one of whom in rough and prOfane
| language, ordered them to stop; that they
we're not allowed to pass on, but were COM
PEELED to turn back, and did so; they made
| their way out OF town by q side street, struck
into the woods, and making circuit OF six or
eight miles, reached their homes about
| o'clock D. IN.
That A. r. Blunt left the meeting before the
| Bredas. He was repeatedly warned by both
men and women to look out; that the Demo-
Gratis were coming for him TO kill him; that
| he took refuge in his own house. closed and
| bolted the doors and hid In the garret; that
| an armed mob surrounded the house and de-
himself up; that after such demands had
been several times repeated and not complied
with, band OF men took bench and bat
| tered open the door Of his house, entered 1t,
searched it over, breaking and opening trunks
and armoirs in the search, and, discovering
u;eIdinn 6n their assurance that II he ygonia
leave % the o parish and State. and and desist from
politics and tell the negroes to desist, they
would not iniure his person: that after his
| oantura RIunt wac tai kan ,Inder o1,ard to the
coprt- bonse and there kent under 9uard m
til I2 O'clock that night. N 1890
| That OF that hour Riunt uaa eaoortad b,
an armed guard or committee to the outskirts
af the town and there nnder the nledee
that he woIild leave the narish and State
and never retIrn, and tell the negroes to give
uD politics, he was set at Hbe ty. That he
| was warned that il he stouped anywhere and
took anv nart tin in noIitics he would be visited.
That he did leave the nariah. and has never
returned to It.
| That when the Republican meeting broke
mn. John q Lewis. another leader OF the
Marty in the narish' left the place of meet
| mo hurriedIv and took refuge in his own
house He locked his front door, and, pass
mo ont the hack door hid himself In the
| ueada of a neighhorino Garden He saw