St. Landry democrat., 1889-05-11
WAR OF TEE FACTIONS.

ing TRADE, which if tue and uuanawer
ed, would tend to do incaiculahie injur,
TO our parish, was given prnminen
place in u late number of tho Eity Item
and copied. withnnr comment, in the
Crowley Signal of last week:
White Capismn has sprung up at Vile Platte
st. Landry. and several of the most Influential
as soon as practicable. The cause of these pre-
cmpt"ry demands dates back to tho guberna
torial election.
Af,er Nichols election the hostility betweer
and resulted In september last in the hanging
OF negro tanned ------, who had incurred
the the ire Of come Of the POLITICAL beases
The obnoxious negro was tied down
III cart one night and driven out to the edge
of the town and there hung.
OF the six men implicated In the hanging
convicted of murder and sentenced, the white
men to imprisonment for life and the Negro TO
be hanged Tie Negroes sentence was after
wards committed to Imprisonment for life and
the six men are now in the State Penitcntiary
serving out their sentence. They appealed
through counsel some time since TO fhe gu
preme Court and new trial was ordered a fe -
weeks ago.
The troGhlous element that had lain dormant
since the conviction and sentencing OF the
nurierers again became active when they
learned that new trial T,clld be granted, and
hogan to take steps 10 have the convicted men
discharged on the second trial. To this end
they have rece' tly sent ont notices to those
known to be un avnrable to their cause, {"
either proclaim allegiance to the prisuners'
friends, or leave the parish, and already sever
al have ohcyed the summons and left, many Of
these being there tor years
Negroes and whites alike have been aerved
with notices to vacaae, and the white cans ex-
pect TO have those who remain so intimidaf ed
by the time the trial comes Of lin about three
weeks) that no jury can be found to convict
them. There has been no bloodshed tins far
hut trouble is feared according as the day of
trial draws near as the old political feeling is
said to be as bitter as ever"
Justice tn our people and the hest in
terests of our parish. demands denial
of the calumninus TRADE above quoted.
There are 40 many glazing m!sstatc-
ments (to draw it mildly and it betrays
such gross ignorance on the part of the
author. to affairs in ST. Landry, that we
are constrained TO notice at length, and
m dong so We deny, FIRST, tlas any
tac;innai feeling her for Coy, Mich
uiis ar Gov. MrEnery at the late gnber-
natorIal election had, Or has anything
which have occurred in our parish, but
hat the causes were purely local, and
can be traced in all instances, to the too
free use of Whiskey.
Second, We rmphatically deny, that
w hit+capism" has sprung up at Vile
Platte. or indeed in any portion of our
are in ST.. Landry no or
of any kind opposed to law
'hd order. or disposed to take the law
nfo their own hands, and administer it
% suit themselves.
lhiid, We deny that any such occur |
eDee as "'The obnoxious Negro was tied |
lnwn IN u cart one night and driven out
o TIE edge of the town and there hung,
Ias ever taken place at Vile Plate, or
u any "fl,rr locaIity in ST. Landry.
Fourth, We deny that any prominent !
fealflly Or influential citizens" have |
zen driven from or ordered ont of the /
arish.
Flftte We deny the statement that
lx meD were convicted of the hanging |
WHICH Grver took place) or that six, or
by number 6f ,nen. are now in the PEN
eHfiary. serving out their sentence for
ils assumed hanging.
SIKH. We deny in general, any and
u of the statements in the article from
.iptia to Omega, and here declare, that
an exhibition of gross ignorance, if
of malice towards our parish, it has
EVER been excel!rd.
The only groundwork for the uninst
ha1Res made, must have arisen from
occurrence nhich took place in the
cinity of Vile Plate. some moBths
nee, and which were fully ventilated
the parish papers at the time. The
cts IN the case are in brief as follows :
Two cnlsred men, accused of crime,
ere brought before magistrate in ,
at section, and were by him placed in ;
e custody of 4 Deputy Sheriff, to be-
mmitted TO the parish Jail. In COM
my of colored driver, and y white :
an they started for their destina-
IN, and on the way all got upnn !
drunken spree, in which both
isontrs were shot and Que killed. 4;
X men were at once arrested. including :
g deputy and driver, two of whom
err released. the Grand Jury failing i
lind 3 bill against them. The re- i
aiming four were tried before the Dis :
ct Court on Il charge OF murder, ghen !,
q deputy and driver were convicted,
ilie the others were acquitted and re- y
ased. The Court granted newtrial ;,
the c0iOred driver. while the Supreme =
'urt has ordered the same in the case y
the deputy. and they are nov ont ON h
nd. =
The Signal must have been cognizant :,
these FACTS. as it is az familiar with j.
airs 10 our parish, ~ in its own. fit - ;.
ve publicity to the TRADE against our :"
rish. justice at least demanded a i,
tement of the facts ia the case, as -
own to it. From present appearan- ;.
]. it looks as if the Signal people were :. -
ieayUring to bolster up their parish, y
the expense Of their former home.
Landry.