The sun., 1901-07-28
LYHCHINGs CAUSE PANIC.
WHzrss AND RLACxs DsnoRAExssD
IN NORTH L0VEALANA.

0oso uuRe - 82oro - Besese Vvss'
NEW OnrzANs. July 37.-Tns events that
{ followed tho murder Of John Gray Foster
of Shreveport. by Prince Edwards. q
nsGro, on the Foster plantation In Bossser
parish have brought about condition OF
suspicion and panic in North Louisiana
which Is proving 20 demoralizine to the
agricultural and other interests that tho
usvspapem and leading planters and
business men are taking steps to overcome
the scare, restore order and bring the peo-
plslwnite and black. to their senses again.
Mr.. Foster was a member Of one OF the
wealthiest and most prominent families
IN the State. As his murder appeared to
he the result of an organized movement
against him. committee OF prominent
citizens started an investigation. IL dis
closed the fact that nearly all the negroes
on the Foster place were members OF
fanatical religious organization known a.
the Church OF the Living God. Inc
papers Of the Church which were secured
showed that ito members made practice
Of praying for the death Of its enemies.
and that Mr.. Foster had been thus prayed
against. II was also disclosed that the
4 Church was completely under the control
Of q negro who styled himself Prophet
Smith. The result Of the investigation
vas the lynohing Of Smith and the Treasurer
OF the Church and the dissolution OF the
oreanization.
But the publication Of these facts has had
unexpected results. II has caused scare
among the whites and the negroes. which
is treatening serious results throughout
north Louisiana TO all industries.
A few days ago q negro named Ihomas
p act seemed wholly inexcusable and was
really the result OF a panic on the part OF
the whites. II was very similar case to
those negro insurrcctionary movements
% frequently dreamed Of In the South
IN ante-bellum days. Thomas was re-
ported 70 msSchsnt nsrS ssSen a. Girsrd Wien % sc
cused OF It by the merchant he hit the
latter on the head with q bottle and was
shot three times In return ana propaDly
mortally wounded. He managed TO get
away to his home however.
Various sensational stories were circu-
lated about the affair A short time before
q negro preacher from shreveport had
zone through Richland, In which parish
Sirard n situated, and had organized several
lodges Of the Sons and Daughters OF jacob
nv md not only Joined the associa-
tion OF new lodges. Panic gave great sig
nificance to this fact, and II was h9aly
announced that the Jakes. by which
name the Sons and Daughters OF Jacob
became known, were secret negro So
ciety allied with the Church OF the Living
God that Prince 'ns Sdpes tbsr
The organization was directed against the
whites and that its members were filled
with bitterness against all white persons.
These rumOrs. which were true only a.
to the secrecy OF the lodges. rapidly
circulated. and IN s ne imasldaauom dsu oa
the peace of the community: Tho act
of Thomas in striking white man on
the head with a bottle was regarded as the
first step toward open animosity TO the
whites. A mob accordingly went TO the
negro's house and ne pc, was rndad ,akeh Sut Su,v oI
back to Girard in a buggy. and promptly
This. OF course only intensified the scare.
The whites became convinced that the
.Jakes" mes ut harm. and they hsys appealed;
TO the police an,h9f.,s;s u nSSsepor. tSs
nection OF the "Jakes" with the Church
of the Living God, and Of the character Of
the men who were most active In organ
izinp its lodges. The negroes naturally
became alarmed at the suspicion aroused
and the attitude assumed by the whites
toward them.
number OF the negroes who worked
farms feared race trouble and began selling
their stock and implements and announced
their intention OF moving 10 some other
locality where life was more secure. Negro
labor. which constitutes the bulk OF the
labor in the parish. became more and more
demoralized: and this decentralization
was charged up against the "Jakes"
who n was said we're endeavormg TO
incite the negroes to leave Richland and
thus destroy the crops and ruin the planters.
This IL the condition OF anairs existing In
Richland to-day. the result OF mutual lis
fr,,st between tho races, caused by panic.
Nor IL the scene confined to Richland.
Aho,,t the same time that the Sons and
Daughters OF Jacob were being organized
there. a negro secret society known as
The Seven Stars OF Consolation. was formed
at Iogansport in DeSoto parish. Logans-
mort is forty miles from the place where Mr.
foster was murdered in Bossier parish.
Tha whites there had heard a great deal
of the Foster murder and took alarm at
once. The chief OF police OF Shreveport
WAS Immediately communicated with and
told that an organiIatloa i y, known p .,ii rs the
the Church OF the Living God, was being
formed there. and he was asked to find out
who were the ringleaders In the movement.
The negroes were informed that lodges Of
the seven Stars could not be established
I'm De Soto parish, and that they had better
he on their good behavior. In fine. pretty
much the same conditions followed in
DeSoto as In Richland but, fortunately
there was no lynching.
II can be easily seen how seriously such
condition Of affairs, demoralizlng labor
and frightening both whites and blacks.
must AFFECT the whole community. Sensible
people are attempting to stop the panic
and restore peace and quiet. The move
ment to that end is centred In shreveport,
which n the chief city OF north Louisiana.
II Ia shown, for instance. that both Of ~
ORGANIZATIONS which caused such n panic
IN Richland and DeSoto are purely benevo-
lent and social. The Seven Stars OF Consoa-
tion is founded on the Bible. and does good
work among the negroes. There are scores
OF lodges in Texas and two In Shreveport and
tbe members all bear the best OF reputa-
tions. The same Is true OF the other organ
izations, the Sons and Daughters Of Jacob
and the Sons Of Labor.
The Shreveport Times appeals to common
sense, and points out that the negroes have
an nundoubted right to organize these benev-
oent and social organizations; indeed there
are no people more given TO them, and there
are few negroes who are not members Of
some society. Because the Church OF the
Living God proved dangerous II would be
an act OF injustice ~ well a. the height of
folly TO hold all negro societies as danger
. q L.