The Opelousas courier., 1886-12-18
The West Carroll Affair.
Baton Rouge Snyar Planter,

Baton Rouge cn1ar EtahteF-
The recent nets OF lawiessness in
West Carroll parish, iu which the book
keeper and paftnerof Simon WitkoRs-
Hi. john Mckay. was killed along with
his alleged wife, Il e"lered wahan, and
their bodies clennlted i'll q building
which was sci on fire hy the tnlscreants,
together with the destruction Of two OF
Witkswski's S wagnts contnining freight
aud other property. have nafurnlly
ELECTED vigorous comments from sever
al newspapers of the State
The papers that have meitioned the
affair condtmn it III unncasurca terms,
while others publish the telegraphie ac
counts OF tie affair without expressing
an editorial opiuion, prelerriug to
await further tlsyslopmeuls aud tn ob-
fain, if possible, ihs actual facts in the
case before giving expression TO their
views OF the affair o.
Up to the present time, hoWeter, the
New Ollcans ritas unc is the only pa
he, We know at that has hua the un
miiigated gall aud hardihood 10 at
tempt u Justify these foul deeds, whici,
it does lly charging that Wilkowski
vas virtually King Of West Carroll
politically aud othel wise that he &c.
aared lis wealth through unlawful
means; that he vas Il political despnt,
!, creation ai that hydra. headed mon
ster, tlc State = Ring" through whose
official veins be, sucked the blood that
made him i Soulless Thing, Some
thin. 10 be hunted down like a mad
dog, whose property was or should be
uublie property, aud for whom the
biblical llades was too good "a place ;
that while hs had other faults, Wit
kowski's greatest crime was that OF
being tentaele OF the 8 Ring" Octopus.
10 the wild yagaries of the Picayune
d large majority Of the Intelligent, law
abiding people of thr State will refuse
to subscribe. Admitting that Wit
kowski was, i'll the vulgar acceptation
of tln term, Shylock oil the worst
type. does that fact justify murder,
arsou aud ontlawry the most lenous
crimes in the criminal category Il
may be perfectly true that Witkowski
was aud is a villain of the first water
still. we ask, was there no legal remedy
for the parties WHO felt themselves ag-
crieved at this shylock's lauds9 If
as is alleged, The justices courts o
West Carroll were manipulated bs
Witkoski, could not the parties agains
whom he entered suit in these petty
eonrts have appealed to the Distrie
Court or did Shylock Witkowski owt
and manipulate that, too
No, Mr.. Picayune the charge tim
. tie State Administration il responsible
for the lawlessuess in West CARROLL !
too weak and frivolous to deceive au.
one. When n community suffers d
/ The hands of d villain or even an OF
ganized band of robbers OF law break
( ers, there is 4 remedy, and that remed
! can always be found in the laws, 10 th
I courts, and In healthy public sentiment
When all legal means have been g
4 hansted, then may mob law be justified
4 but Ii is the acme of nnblushing deinf
4 gogery To attempt to palliate crimes e
which there can be 20 justification
the eyes of written or unWrftten lay
d BY charging them to the e Ring, whic
i ii no wise responsible for them, IN
i. whose official head GOV. McEuery, =
il presuma- has made every effort
bring the guilty parties to justice.