Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
GRIM MEASURES TAKEN
LOUISIANA EX-SENATOR
HANGED TO a TREE.
The Measure Taken in Connection with the
Present Fight in the Louisiana Lcgisla-
ture on the Lottery Qucstion-News OF a
Day from All Quarters

Present Fight in the Louisiana Lesisla-
t"re on the Lottery Qucstion-News of a
Day from All Quarters
courage the Louisiana. lottery recllartering
project. From q tree in East Fellciana
Parish Sunday night there dangled the
body of George Swayze, q custom house
officer and an ex-stpte senator, and a meet
ing of negroes, called together to listen to
arguments favoring the lottery, was with
out a leader. Swayze was n well educated
negro, and had been prominent as q re-
publican politician for years. The lottery
bosses issued an intlammatory address to
the negroes of East Feliciana, where the
election for q senator came off Tuesday,
and sent it for distribution into that par
lsh. Swayze had charge of the mat
ter. and obtained leave of absence for
week from the customs department. The
district where the election took place is
composed of the parishes Of East and
West Feliciana. East Feliciana had one
more vote in the district convention than
West Feliciana, and could have nominated
any candidate it chose but for an agree
ment ma lie six years ago that the district
offices should be divided, and that the SEN
ator should be named by West Eeliciana.
Here the sentiment is pro.lottcry, while in
East Feliciana it is anti-iottery. Notwith-
standing the agreement, East Feliciana re-
fused to allow the sister parish to name
the man, and, as q consequence, each
| parish nominated a candidate. East Fe-
l%iciana's was Decker, an anti.lottery man,
| and West Feliciana's Irvine.
The negroes in West Feliciana favor the
lottery, but in East Fellciana it WAS sup
posed that the negroes would be influenced
by their white neighbors. To prevent this
Swayze went through East Feliciana, dis
tributing the following circular among the
negroes:
An Address to Colored People of East fe-
liciann Parish-The contest OF the senatorial
election to be held on Tuesday, June II, is of
no interest to you. On the contrary friends of
the lottery and anti-lottcry factions seem to be
agreed only on ono point, and that isIto ielim-
mate you from the present issue. Now as this
is strictly n factional fight amongst democrats
we advise all colored people to abstain from
V ting, thereby leaving the settlement to tho
democrats and %affording them a chance to az
rnnGe their own differences. By order of the
committee in West Feliciana.
Swayze was arrested Sunday afternoon
as a suspicious person, but the officers
were at once surrounded by a mob of white
men, including many prominent residents.
The prisoner was seized aud told to pre-
pare for death. The offensive circulars
were taken from his pocket and burned,
Swayze shaking with apprehension as he
saw in every move of his captors evidence
Of their vengeful disposition.
AS the bundle of paper crumbled to
ashes a rope was produced and a moose
thrown about the negro's neck. The
leader of the mob approached him and
asked if he remembered warnings against
entering the parish that had been given
him. Without waiting tor on answer the
signal was given to a trio of men who
stood with one end of the rope in their
hands. The rope was cast over a limb,
there was a tug aud a gasp Of horror, and
Swayze hung ten feet above the ground
writhing in the agonies of st~rangulation.
His legs had not been %pinioned, and his
struggles were violent, but long before he
was dead the last of his executioners had
disappeared.
The caution Swayze had failed to regard
was sent out by East Feliciana parish a
week ago. The people in mass meeting
solemnly warned the world by resolution
that attempts at bribery and masslng the
negroes against the whites would be fol-
lowed by the prompt and stern punishment
of the perpetrators. A copy of the resolu-
tons was sent to John A. Morris by order
of the meeting, Morris being the recognized
leader of the lottery boomers.
1t is claimed by thos, implicated in the
lynchlng that when Sway re lived in West
Feliciana fourteen years ago lie was sus-
pected of the murder of w. D. W1utc.s, a
prominent lawyer of that parish. and two
other persons, and that be has bsen a fug:-
tive from justice since. 1t is certain, how
ever, that he has rot made auy efforts to
s%ecrete himself, for he has always been
prominent in politics, and since his term
in the state senate has been almost con.
stantly in the federal service. He could
have been arrested at any time had a charge
been made against him.