The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-07-14
\ REFLEN OF THE COINS TRIAL
IN RCSTON.
pEPL0RABLE CONDITION
The White Man Has Made the Negro
What He Is. and if He Is Not Proud
of the job He Has Nobody to Blame
but Himself.
The Louisiana White Rihboncr pub

The Louisiana White Ribboncr. pub
lished Ill Ru>ton. La. saws:
We will preface our remarks by say
ing that we have never been north Of
Mason and DiNons line" even on a
visit Our ancestors wore the grey"
and fought i'll the Southern army: hence
no one can accuse of being tainted with
northern hcresies' concerning the ne
gro. Black Nanny was one of the
best TRENDS we ever had. and she is not
the only one of her race that has proven
a friend III need and III deed. when sick
ness and death visited our home While
life prolonss her little day. never would
we advocate social equality" We have
vet To see the first negro respect the
White man or woman who does. III this
fair Southland. Often have we heard
negroes remark. Dat white man or
woman is low down. giving rs A reason
he or She goes with niseer~ If
white people had not put this idea into
their heads they would never have
dreamed of such a thing The white
man has made the negro what he is. and
| II he is not proud OF the Job he has no.
body to blame but himself. If white
men had been AS pure i'll their lives As
white women. the "mulatto.' the mean
the color the meaner the negro. gener-
ally Speaking) would never have come
into existence. Why SO mean? Because
they are the descendants of the lowes3
class of both races. Within the last four
years several heiunus crimes against ne
groeS have been committed and gone ,n-
punishe, in and around RuSton. though
evidence could easily have been obtained
that would doubtless have brought the
guilty to Justice. Enhodened hv the
fact that these lesser crimes were wink
ed at. some demon i'll human form placed
a neNplo>ive. supposed to have been
dynamite. under a negro house and
hurled five OF its inmates into eternity |
The negroes were of the best class. hay
ing first: made enemies by reporting a |
nelghhor for selling whiskey on the sly |
Investigation began i'll earnest. and a |
white man named Coins who had pre-
viouSy shot at the negro man and |
wounded his wife. was arrested and |
tried. We attended the trial. and do |
not believe there was a man. woman or
child who had reached the age of &c
countabllIty but was fully convinced of
the prisoners guilt The evidence was
well connected and convincing. and yet
on the first ballot ten of the twelve Jury
men who Swore that they would deal
justly. irrespective of color. voted for
acquittal, We feel free to say that we
verify believe if the house had been va
cant. aye, we go further and say if it
ad been dog kennel. there would have
been no mistrial, If it were possible we
had rather be the dead negro. yea all
five of them. than any white man who in
any way had "a finger in the pie.
hank God we have people. many of
them, who feel the same way but under
the existing loose laws of our State and
the low estimate placed upon the crime
of twelve men that would be accepted
by both sides could be found i'll Louis
ANA who would give the accused justice
The good people of the town will either
have to submit to this outrage or take
The law in their own hands. We do not
believe III mob law. but can easily see
why ii is so often resorted to- When
such crimes as this can go unpublished.
what else can we expect The lawyer
for the defense did not intimate one
lime that his client was innocent, appeal
ng only to the prejudice of the Jury by
saying that 30 white man had ever been
lung in Lincoln parish for killing an
'ther white man. and all of the many
ears Fifteen bekeve) that he had been
district attorney he had never found
ury that would punish a white man for
| crime committed against a negro. no
natter what the crime. Quite number
II negroes were present and these few {
enlarks by men OF low degree" will ,
produce abundant harvest. $
One day we shall all appear before the {
Judgment bar of God No strong or
weak pull 10 lodging the issue no per
ury, no bribery: every man shall give ,
ccount for the deeds done in the body. ,
Nhat revelation Are we ready for
hat day to come? If not. why not?
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