Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-05
WHITES VS.. REDBONES.
PARTICULARS OF THE CALCA-
SlEU PARISH BATTLE.
The Toughs Were the Aggressor., and Paid
Dearly for Their Prosecutions of the
Lumbernen-The Losses.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
New ORLEANS, La, Aug. 4.-The news
came in late last night OF q serious disturb
ance in Calcasieu parish in this state
which had resulted in considerable loss of
life there. The difficulty occurred at a
Lake Charles, and very difficult to
reach, and it was not until late to-day
that the full particulars of the affair
could be had. The trouble was brought
about by 4 curious race of people living in
the upper portion of Calcasiett parish. and
known as the red-bone, or mixed Jordan
negro and white blood. These red-bones
are nearly all engaged in the stock business.
ana are employed Is cowboys
by the large stock dealers.
whose cattle feed on the prairies of
northern Calcasieu. The country is 4 very
thinly populated one, there being no farm
erS whatever. During the last few years
some of the lumbernen from Lake Charles.
in their search for yellow pine, have ex-
tended their logging railroads and
mills into this section, TO the
disgust of the rcd-bones, who
expected that this invasion of said mills
would more or less affect their stock bust
ness and drive them out of the country,
and they not only gave the newcomers an
unpleasant reception, but sought
TO keep them terrorized and in
subsection. They seemed especially to
dislike the whites and have very little OBJ
lection to the negroes who work i'll the
mills Among the mills recently estab-
lished il that section is that of Locke,
Moore Il Company Of West Lake, which
seemed to annoy the red-bones most.
They had prosecuted the men there
for some time past. but not satisfied with
this. determined to get rid of them alto
Ecther, drive out all who would not submit
10 them. On Thursday night party of
thirteen bones, headed by one Austin
AshwQod. one OF the most violent Of them,
!. nssstfe their appearance al Locke,
Moore Il Co.'S mills, and fore
apartment Of G. II. Morris, an employe,
QfeaIIe firm. gave him notice that he would
7kHTc the place before daybreak. otherwise
they would finish him Mir Morris re-
fused to leave, and expressed his
Intention to remain, declaring he was
able TO protect himself against the red
bones. Fearing, however, that he would
get another visit from them, he assembled
= number of his friends at the logging camp
aud prepared for a defense On Sunday he
and a number of friends started for
store in the neighbOrhood, but anticipating
danger, carried their guns along with them.
At the store they encountered the red-bou
who were also armed. The d-OOnes wanted
10 know if they had come out 10 have a
the red-bOncS beng the aggrcssOrS.
and apparently anxious to prccipitatr
4 difficulty. Finally one Of
them pulled his pistol on Mr.. Norris
but the lumber men were too quick for
him, and opened fire on the would-be muir
derer. This was the signal for a general
battle, both parties using their guns and re-
volvers. When the fight was over the
whites We're in possession of the store,
and the red-boneS thoroughly wOrsted.
and nearly all of them dead.
Only one of the lumbermen, 4 man named
Ward, was killed, and one wounded. Five
OF the red-bOnes We're dead. Another of
the red-bones known as Ashwood, Il brother
of the leader, was killed the same evening.
Besides the red-bones killed 4 large
number are known TO be seriously
wounded, but they refused TO give their
names to the law officers, and are being
nursed and cared for by their own people.
Another red-bone was found dead i'll the
swamps in the neighbOrhood of the store
where the shooting took place, making SIX
in all killed.
Three of the white men implicated in the
affair surrendered TO the sheriff.. II.
Morris, 5. o. Chosen and Rufus Morton.
They insist that they We're forced into the
fight, and that they We're peaceable, law
abiding citizens, but could not stand the
prosecutions of the red-bOnes.
L IN SlGilS htill " INC SttUc VI inc
shooting to attend the wounded, and it was
rumored that one of them, DR. Meyer, was
killed, but this proved mistake.
This evening it was reported that the
red-bones were taking revenge for their
dead friends. and had made an attack on
several of the logging camps scattered
through the pine forests. 4 number of
white men hurried up from the logging
camps to interfere in case these reports
should prove true, but no news has vet
been received from them except that
Mr.. T. 7. Sewaur was shot by the
red-bones from ambush, while going to
the rendezvous of the whites.
The coroner reports the killed as follows:
killed-Whites, Joseph Ward and T. 7.
Swami.
killed-Red- bones, Owen Ashwood,
Lee Perkins, Jesse Dyson, Marion
Marco and two others, names unknown.
Excitement is running high, and another
meeting between the red-bones and whites,
who have gone up from the mills, is feared.
The lumbermen are IN large numbers and
well armed.