The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-21
Desperate Attempt Of White Demo-
Either Registering or Voting.
BLOODSHED POSSIBLE TO-DAY
ONE OF THE LAwLEss KILLED AND
ANOTHER WOUNDED YESTERDAY.
Delegates to st. LOuis Chosen by
p. A. Anti-MckinIey Circular.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NEW ORLEANS, April 20.-For two or
three weeks past Opelousas parish has been
the scene of great excitement. caused by
the efforts OF sworn band of regulators"
to prevent the negroes from registering. An
election is to be held tomorrow, and there
Is faction of white Democrats who fear
IL the blacks are permitted to vote the
anti-negro whites will be overwhelmed.
The opponents of the regulators includ-
ing some Of the best citizens of the parish,
were in favor of permitting the colored
voters to register, and resented the inter-
ference OF the lawless band. The negroes
have been intimidated several times and a
number have been killed for insisting on
their rights. The trouble was supposed to
have ended last week, when a military
company was sent to Opelousas, and the
negroes registered under guard of the mil
itia- The regulators" however, served no.
tice to-day on the "combiners" (the white
Republicans and negroes) that the latter
would not be permitted to vote tomorrow
The following dispatch from Opelousas, at
o'clock this afternoon. indicates that the
situation there is serious:
At this hour 500 armed men of both par
ties are on the move and desperate conflict
is expected at any time. Over go Regu-
lators. armed with winchesters. have
rounded the town and their ostensibie object
Is the capture of the courthouse. 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 II a full vote is polled the combine Will
win. The report came to Opelousas early this
morning that Regulators were assembling
at the Belleview road bridge. three miles
south of town. At 10 o'clock arrivals from
the country reported that two hundred men
on horseback and armed with Winchesters.
shotguns and pistols were gathered there and
were planning an invasion of the town. On
reception of this news the combine people,
anti-Regulators, began to assemble around
the courthouse square. armed to the teeth
and prepared to resist the invasion. The
sheriff was In town when the news first ar
rived. but he did not attempt to go and dis
band the armed body of men. District Judge
w. c. Perrault rode out to the camp of the
Regulators and endeavored by persuasion to
get them to dlsband, but his efforts availed
nothing. This afternoon Diomedes Durfo a
leading planter; C. M. Thompson. clerk of
the District Court, and five or six friends
were in front of Durios house. 'T was un-
der tree with my children near me-" said
Mr.. Durio. Suddenly thirty Regulators, led
by one Reed, passed my house. They stopped
behind a clump of trees and I went out in
the field to see what they were doing. When
near them they fired six shots at me. My
friends came TO my assistance and we re-
turned ten or twelve Shots We then lay down
and the Regulators fired fully fifty shots
at US, shooting my horse in two places. Half
of them then ran away. The others re-
mained behind in a group and appeared to be
helping some one on horse. l don't know
whether we hit any Of them or not. We
sent to town for reinforcements. but when
the boys came the Regulators were out OF
sight" Mr.. Thompson corroborates Mr. Du-
rios story.
Another dispatch from Opelousas, dated
11:30 o'clock tonight says: The town is
now quiet. Armed squads are on duty at
every road entering the place. and the
courthouse is a perfect arsenal. The Wash
ington, La. boys" thirty strong, who
came down to fight with the citizens
against the regulators, have hurried home.
A courier brings the news that Washington
is being surrounded and that the rcgula-
tors are creating CONSERVATION among the
inhabitants of Belmire Cave. All day long
there has not been State or parish officer,
not even cOnStdDie, III tOWn. IL Is I'M
possible for a town to be in a more martial
state. 1t is believed now that the regu-
lators will not come into town until morn
ing. 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 had twenty Win
chesters at his back to say mo negro shall
vote" II ever situation demanded the
presence of militia the situation In this
city demands it. The anti-regulators de-
clare they will hold the courthouse II its
halls run with blood. The regulators have
moved back mile or two in the country
from Kingbridge. 1t was learned this
evening that one regulator, Alec Reed. was
killed and another mortally wounded In the
skirmish this morning.