The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-11-04
LOUISIANA.
The Statements from Democrats
and Republicans.

NEW OpLEANs, November 3.--Felix
Blenvenue, postmaster at st. Martins,
makes the following statement regard
ing the Loreauville affair.
"On Saturday morning, November !,
left st. Martinsville, In company with
my uncle, for Loreanville. had hardly
gone two miles when / met friend, llv-
ing near by, who stopped me and asked
where l was going. replied: 10 Lo-
reauville.' lie said to me: Don't go
there, for have been notified by the
principal Democratic leaders that there
Is to be a row on hand, for they intend
to prevent the Republican meeting taxi
Ing place. arrived In Loreauvllle and
was asked by the most prominent men,
Democrats OF good standing: what are
you looking forY There may be blood
shed, for drunkards are drinking heavily
and want to prevent the Republican
meeting from taking place. At the
same time saw from IL to 10 persons
calling and shouting, going from one
saloon to another until 1870 o'clock in
the evening, when Judge Fontelieu and
his crowd arrived and entered the yard
Of Alfred Gonzonlin to hold a meeting,
use Of the yard having been secured for
that purpose. On their arrival saw
and heard some parties calling repeat
edly: "Come on, boys They came
from a grogshop belonging to st.
Clair Dugas, about two hundred yards
from the meeting place. On their arrl-
val Joe Gilfaux was shot, was told, by
m xxitn I faa Il h. flat al.
were returned by the attacked parties.
Some 400 or 800 shots were fired with
the result OF dead and wounded reported
In the papers. The attacking parties
then went TO their headquarters and re-
turned with 10 or 12-guns. They sur
rounded the dwelling, shooting every
darky passing within their reach, even
those who went into the bayou when
trying to save themselves. About 80
Of the State Militia came at p. m. and
arrested Fontelieu men exclusively,
taking them prisoners on Judge Gales
verbal order, without II deputy sheriff
to represent the authorities. This was
stated to me when en- route to New
Iberia with prisoners, that night, by the
Lieutenant commanding"
NEW ORLEANS, November IA dis
patch to the States gives the number of
citizens OF Loreauville, who went out to
meet the Republicans and ask them to
desist at IL. Louis Brown and Louis
Frelot, colored Republicans, were
among the killed. Additional wounded
are st. Clair Dugas and A. +. Dugas,
Democrats. The engagement lasted
only four minutes, but In that time over
n thousand shots were fired. The
negroes, as soon as they re-
lied there was really a fight and the
Democrats were making n stand, fled in
all directions, leaving their hats, shoes,
horses and everything. Many OF them
who received shots on the field ran a
great distance and died In out-of-the-
way places. Their bodies are being
found now In fields and woods. Be-
tween 80 and 60 of them rushed into the
Bayou Teche, where some sank from
their wounds and exhaustion, and were
drowned In the confusion and struggle,
but many reached the other side and
continued their wild flight. Three were
reported as found dead In the fields this
side Of the bayou. One made his way
five miles below here and died. The ex-
citement at Loreauville was terrible.
When the smoke cleared away and the
citizens saw two Of the noblest men Of
Pause Polnte lying dead upon the field,
their rage was terrible. The leaders Of
the Republicans had exhausted their
ammunition and retreated into house
near by, where they asked for quarters.
Couriers had been dispatched to New
Iberia and detachment OF Iberia
guards were sent to receive the prison.
ers.