The herald., 1896-04-21
POLITICS AND GUNPOWDER
In Dangerous Proximity at Ope-
lousas, Louisiana
TWO REGULATORS KILLED
A Battle Probable for the Possession OF
the Court House
Alabama Siverites Will Control the State
Some Illinois Democrats Rally Around
AItgeId and Silver
Associated Press Special Wire.

time. Over $50 regulators armed with
iWnchesters have surrounded the town
and their ostensible object is the cap
ture of the court house. On the vote
of the Opelousas ward depends their
success or defeat in the parish. and
they are concentrating their efforts
here. They realize that If full vote
is polled the combine will win. The
report came to this place early today
that the regulators were assembled at
Belleview bridge, three miles south of
town. AT 10 o'clock arrivals from the
country reported that 200 men on horse
back and armed with Winchesters,
shotguns and pistols were gathered
there and were pianing an invasion oi
the town. Upon the receipt of this
news the cambined people, or anti-reg-
ulators, began to assemble around the
court house square armed to the teeth
and prepared to resist the invasion.
The sheriff was in town when the news
first arrived. but did not attempt to so
and disbapd the armed body of men.
District Judge w G. Perrault rode out
to the camp of the regulators and en-
deavored by persuasion to get them
to disband, but his efforts avaled no
thing. This afternoon Diomedes Du-
rio, a leading planter, o. M. Thompson,
clerk of the district court, and five o.
six friends were in front of Durios
house.
Il was under a tree with my children
near me-" said Mr. Durio. Suddenly
thirty regulators, led by one Reed
passed my house. They stopped be-
hind clump of trees. | went out into
the field to see what they were doing.
When near them they fired six shots at
me. My friends came to my assist
ance and we returned ten or twelve
shots. We then lay down and the reg
ulators fired fully. fifty shots at US,
shooting my horse in two places. Half
of them then ran away. The others
appeared to be helping some one on a
horse. I don't know whether we hurt
any of them or not We sent word to
town for reinforcements, but when the
boys came the regulators were out of
sight"
MIR. Thompson corroborated Mr. Du .
rios story. 1t Is rumored that two reg
ulators were shot and one killed. 1t is
impossible to verify the rumor.
LATER.-The struggle over the ques-
tion of negro ballots reached a crisis
tonight. Two hundred armed and
mounted men surround this place with
the avowed purpose of taking the town
While almost as many are camped about
the courthouse, determined TO resist.
Bloodshed can hardly be averted to-
morrow.
1t is now stated positively that one
regulator, Alice Reed. was killed and
another mortally wounded in the skr-
mish at Durio's, three miles from here.
this morning. At 80 tonight the
town is quiet. Armed squads are on
duty at every road entering the place
and the courthouse is a perfect arsenal.
The Washington. ouisiana, boys. who
Gcame down to fight with the citizens
against the regulators, have hurried
home. A courier brings the news that
Wa Sb IL, or is hpip1c aI n
that the regulators are creating con-
sternation among the inhabitants of
Bellaire Cave. All day long there has
not been a state or parish officer. not
even constable in town. 1t is impos
sible for a town to be in a more martial
state. 1t is believed now that the regu
lators will not come into town until
morning. There are $50 armed men
waiting for them The district attorney
has sent in word that his regulators will
enter town tomorrow and that he has
twenty Wirchesters at his back to say
mo negro shall vote"
The trouble in Opelousas grew out OF
an effort on the part of white Demo-
Gratis to prevent registration of the he
groes. A military company was sent
there and the negroes all registered.
They are in the majority and the move
ment of the regulators or white suprem-
acy crowd now is intended to prevent
ALABAMA SILVERlTES
MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 2O.-The
silver men of Alabama are in the saddle
here today. They will control the Demo-
cratic state convention tomorrow and
it is apparent they will place the De-
mocracy of this state on a 16 to / silver
platform.
Hon. J. II. Bankhead, congressman
from the Fourth district, will preside
nd ~
Pettus of Dallas will be chairman of the
committee on resolutions. All of the
minor state officers will be renominated
excepting the auditor, treasurer and
commissioner of agriculture whose sec
ond terms expire in December, and
whose successors will be named tomor-
row.
will be nominated for governor by a
vote of 1856 to 14S, although this does not
represent or approximate the vote that
will be cast on the free silver PROPOSE
ton. Many of the Johnson delegates
are sound money men who supported
Capt. Johnson because of his presumed
availability, good capacity and valiant
party service. There is undoubtedly a
safe majority for the 16 to l ratio, and
unless something unlocked for happens
the plank will be inserted.
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS
CHICAGO, April 20.-The Democratic
state central committee today decided
to hold the state convention at Peoria
on Tuesday, June 90, by a. vote of p to o.
The meeting was comparatively tame,
as the contending gold and silver fac
tions had their tilt before the confer
cnce began. Hinrichsen, secretary of
state, the official head of the Demo-
cratic machine. Was there and had at
his back many of Governor Altgeld' S
friends. Springfield made a plucky fight
for the convention, but was shy seven
votes of majority. The only crumb of
comfort the gold men got out of the
meeting was the apportionment of dele
gate representation on the Cleveland
vote of 1892, which gives Cook county
362 delegates out of total of 1869. This
is what the anti-silver people earnestly
desired, and the 16 to l men acceded to
their request, stating that the more
delegates in the convention the better 1t
would be for Altgeld and silver.
WHITNEY HAS FRINEDS.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., April 20.--The
Demncrutic delegates of Rhode Island