Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-21
RIOT IN LOUISIANA

fatat collision of Bitter Par,iu.
Rally Near New Iberia, L.a.-N."n"s at
whites Engage in an ARRAY WI s,'"",a and
!" iiorr'oie o~arhase-Knivcs Froo,a ,hds
and Over 1000 Shots ~Fircd-u....iS Used
aud Wounded. "S Killed
NEW ORLEANS. La. Nov. . IN
a Republican meeting at Tonssa ~ was
small village near the town of m.
Iberia Parish, on Saturday. The n, aeF'a'
located Oh the bank of Bayou Tecbe ~ Is
ted with cane-brakes, and the low , "o-
make it the home principally of ,cgraa %'"s
the poorer and harder classes. ThosoS' vi
the people who We're holding the WIRE
on Saturday. The speeches Were nsu,
larly bitter and the speakers laid W.,
emphasis on their experience If l"'
summer The result of the incero; "s'
character Of the speeches was tba, Wy
negroes became agitated, and those ot ,Me
Republican faith were furious in their ,e
sionS. AS the meeting was about IN Ia,
some colorcd Democrats came up and hnn""st
to discuss the question with the mon n SHa
had struggled out in groups from the ,1 Hlo
at Which the meeting had been held 10y "
II of these groups the discussion hh h
grown into a desperate quarrel and t,n n ',"''
We're dividing for a battle when loo C ~
faux. a white Democrat, stepped into ,W H.
crowd and took a hand in the discnss;oon e
He was a prominent character in An ~.
quarrel of last summer, and his presanos
increased the indignation of the po,
publicans. Epithets came quick and Oh
faux had been in the crowd but a moman,
when a negro fired from a pistol in hS
pocket and the ball passed through Gilfary,s.
hat. The latter responded to the attacl, h.
drawing a gun, and had fired one harnlaSs.
shot When he received a fatal wound Ia
fell dead in his tracks, and his death was
the signal for a quick and furious a,,ack
suddenly to the scene and Command,
ing their friends to form a linz
they at once sent a murderous vol.
ley into the crowd of negroes. MANY NJ
the latter fell, some dead, others danger.
ously wounded, and many more or less
hurt. The shots had attracted MANY of to
men who were at the meeting, and in m.
preaching the scene of the quarrel they wrla
forced to come up OH the side of the Rcnrh.
licans and We're exposed to the fatal yojlry
The spectacle of the dead and diving had !,
confusing effect. Many of the negroes were
s%tampeded and ran like wild men into the
glades and canc-brakes. Others whose frisIt
was uncomfortable fled into BAYOU Techa
and We're drowned. Some of the wounded
crept to the roadside to die of the injuries
they had already received or to receive
fresh wounds that We're fatal. There wc,p
many of the negroes, however, to whom the
sight of the dead al>l bleeding comrades
was a demoniac inspiration, and drawing
such weapons as they had, some pistols
and others knives and clubs, they rushed
upon the Democrats. A furious hand-to.
hand battle ensucd. Neither side of The
stampede showed signs of f~altering until
their weapons had been rendered useless
and then they drew off s~ullenly. and
with threats and icers tainted even lie
dying of their enemies.
The battle subsidized as quietly as it began,
although more than 1000 shots Were fired
and many knives were stained with blood
before the fray was over. After the COM
batants separated each left the scene. The
dead and wounded We're mcarcd for. The
Democrats Went to New Iberia; the Rcpub.
licanS to Loreauville. In the course of half
an our a truce party returned TO minister
to the injured and carry Off the dead, but
they attended only to those who lay in the
road where the battle had occurred.
1t is known that six negroes and two
whites were the total of those killed.