Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1896-04-25
ARMED NEI.
A Desperate Conflict is Ex-
pected at Any Time.
AN ELECTION DISPUTE.
Anti-Regulators Say They will
Hold the Court House if It's
Halls Run With Blood.

OPELoUsAs, La, April 21-At this
hour, p. m, 500 armed men of both
parties sre on the move and desperate
conflict is expected at any time. Over
two hundred and fifty regulars" arm.
ed with wholesalers, surrounded the
town and their ostensible object is tc
capture the town. On the vote of Opel.
ousas ward depends their success or de.
feat III the psrish and they are concen
trsting their efforts here. They realiz,
if full vote is poIled, the "combiue'
will win.
The report came TO this place early to-
day that the regulars" we're assembline
at Belleview bridge, three miles south
OF the town. At 10 o'clock, arrivals from
the country reported that 200 men OF
horseback and armed with with winches
ters, shotguns and pistols were gather
ed there and planning an invasion of the
town. Upon receipt Of this news, the
combine people. or antl-regulars, began
to assemble around the court house
square, armed to teeth and prepared tc
resist an invasion. The sheriff was il
town when the first news arrived, but
did not attempt to 90 and disbaud the
armed body of men. District Judge W
Q. Parrault rode out to the camp of the
regulars" and endeavored by persua
sion to get them to disband, but his ef
forts availed nothing.
This afternoon Diomedes Durio. g
leading planter, G. NJ. Thompson. clerk
of the district court, and five or elk
friends were in front of Durio's house
II was under tree with my children
near me" said Durio, when suddenly
thirty regulators, led by one Reed, pass
ed by the house. They stopped behind
clump of trees and i went out in the
held to see what they were doing. When
near me they fired six shots at me. Ny
friends came TO my assistance and We re.
turned ten or twelve shots. We ter
lay down and the regulators fired so shots
at us, shooting my horse II two places
Half OF them then ran away. Others re.
msined behind the group and appeared
to be helping some one on his horse.
don't know whether we hurt any Of them
or not. We sent word to town for rein
force ments, but when the boys came
the regulators were out of sight"
Mr. Thompson cOrroborated Durio's
story. 1t is rumored that two regulst-
ors were shot and ono killed. 1t is im-
possible to verify the rumor.
Later-It is now stated positively
that one regulator. ALICE Reed, was kill
ed and another mortally wounded in the
skirmish at Durio's, thirty miles from
here, this morning. At 11:30 tonight
the town is q1iet. Armed squads are
on duty at every road entering the place
and the court house is perfect arsenal.
The Washington, La bOys, thirty
strong, who came down to fight with
the citizens against the regulators, have
hurried home.
A courier brings the news that Wssh-
ington is being surrounded and the reg
ulators are creating CONSERVATION among
the inhabitants OF BsllsiEe Cave. All
day long there has not been a state or
parish officer, not even a constable, in
town. il is impossible for the town to
be in more martial state. II Is believ-
ed now that the regulators will not come
into town until morning. There are $50
armed men waiting for them.
The district attorney sent in word
that his regulators will enter the town
tomorrow ahd he has twenty winches-
ters at his back to say no negro shall
vote. The snti-regulators declare they
will hold the court house if its balls run
with blood. The regulators have moved
back mile or two in the country from
Kings bridge.
The trouble in Opelousss grew out Of
an effort on the part OF the white Demo-
crats to prevent the registration of ne
gros. A military company was sent there
sud the negrUs all registered. They
are in the N siority and the movement of
the regulars, or white supremacy crowd,
now is intended to prevent the negroes
from voting tomorrow.