St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-09-10

PURPOsEs-Is HOODLUMIsM ON THE
DECLINE q-CONv1CTION OF AN Ex-
CORPORAL OF POLICE-sIMON KELLEY
THE sLAYED HACK DRIVER AVENGED
BY THE LAVA YOUNG HOODLUM
TAKES FRIGHT-NO ICE IN N. o.
BAPTIsMAL RECORDS sTOLEN-U. S.
MINT CLOSED-A WELL MERITED PUN
IsHMENT WHICH OUGHT TO BE A
A AWARNING-PENTENTI BIRDS.
Especial Correspondence St. Landry Democrat.I
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 4th, 1881.
The city is at present the scene Of a
labor strike, the parties thereto being
the cotton people or those who are en-
ployed in the cotton business, such as
weighers, classers, reweighers, samplers,
markers, yardmen draymen and team
sters. The strikers demand higher
wages than are now paid and have de-
termined not to return to work until
their demands are complied with. The
strikers number about five thousand
throughout the city, and can do con-
siderable injury to the commerce OF
New Orleans if the cotton factors are
unable to find labor elsewhere. The
wages Of those engaged in the cotton
business average from two to five
dollars day, renumerations, Which are
considered altogether unfair consider
ing the enormous profits which the
cotton factors reap in the cotton traffic.
In order that the strikers should not
win the fight the cotton brokers have
cities in quest of new hands who in
consequence are daily pouring into the
city from all parts of the country. The
strike is an all absorbing topic Of con-
versation in New Orleans.
The merchants Of New Orleans are
displaying considerable interest in the
Atlanta Exposition which is to take
place in Atlanta, Georgia, sometime
this year. Mr.. Small of Atlanta, who
by the way is one Of the leading jour-
nalists Of the South, visited New Orleans
last week as representative of the At
lanta International Exposition and
addressed the cotton and other ex-
changes upon the project. The result
lis that the merchants of New Orleans
and amongst them Margaret Haughery
Il Co., j. Langles g. Co., Jargers &
Depass, Motfatt & Gugenheim!, Miller
.& Diehlman, L. Durieu, and others
have rented stalls in the Exposition for
AtfC puIpOSO VI CAuAOAUAS UANA 7" - Sos
The Atlanta Exposition is backed by
considerable capital and will no doubt
be of great benefit to South as well as
10 the country at large.
A woman named Johanna Hawk, who
belongs to that class known as "soiled
tlares," attempted a few nights ago
with the assistance of her man, to
kidnap one of her daughters who had
ran away from home on account OF her
mothers wicked ways. The Johanna
Hawk with her man, a notorious char
acter, laid in wait for the girl near
Woods cotton press on Canal street,
and as she passed the press. which by
the way is located in neighborhOod
where gas lamps family flickers, poun-
red upon her and attempted to carry
her into a closed carriage which had
been hired for the purpose and stood
conveniently at hand. The screams of
their frightened victim however, de-
caused them to fly in haste from the
scene of their attempted crime. The
object Of the male and female Hawk is
to place the latter's daughter in brothel
and live off of her illicit gains.
The correspondent of the DEMOCRAT
predicted all along that the hoodlum
reign was nearing it's end and the time
was fast approaching when the better
classes would take control Of public
affairs, an event which would be hailed
with delight by all sober minded citi-
.gens. The unmistakable signs Of the
approaching realization OF these con-
. summations are apparent to all, and
the events which transpired last week
i'm New Orleans points directly to the
time when lawlessness will be buried
forever and decency, responsibility, and
order will hold full sway in the metro
polls of the South. Take the Miles
Diskin mul der trial which took place in
the criminal court, and the reader will
upon moments investigation see that
all that political influence and money
could do, was done to save Diskin from
the felon's cell, but without avail. The
Diskin murder was one of the most
cowardly ever perpetrated in New
Orleans and the murderer deserves
hanging. The authorities, however,
consider themselves fortunate in hav-
Jug been able to convict the prisoner Of
murder without capital punishment in
view of the fact that the prisoner had
noWerful influences exerting themsel-
yes in his favor. There is no doubt
that this conviction is due in part to
the indefatigable efforts Of the COM
caittee of public safety. The records
of the criminal court show that in one
week only one acquittal and one nolle
arosse Qui took place, conviction in. the
other cases having followed, facts which
are indisputable proofs of the gradual
suppression of ho0dlumism. But the
latest and most striking instance of the