The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-08-29
THE MONROE TRAGEDY.

Inc CIdSSuy WHICH OSCuil dl AhlOlA-
roe Tuesday morning was as startling
as a clap of thunder from a cloudleSs
sky. In few minutes a negro, w. S.
Wade, the aggressor, said to be from
Arkansas, was killed and twenty-five cit
liens, white men, his victims, were
wounded from shots he had fired with
deliberation from breech-loading shot
gun.
This tragedy is without a parallel n
this or other States, at least of the
South, although there is cited the case
of Robert Charles, a negro desperado,
who had wounded policeman in New
Orleans and who had barricaded him.
self in house and resisted desperately
with as winchester rifle, until killed by
the officers of the law.
In the Monroe tragedy there is adj
vanced several theories, one is that the
negro was resentful and had deter
mined on avenging the death of one of
his companions, who had been killed by
policeman. To sustain this theory it
is stated that Wade was one of band
of negro desperadoes operating secretly
and that he had been paid to execute
this diabolism on the unoffending citi-
zens of Monroe, in proof of which $78
was found on his person after he had
been slain,
In such cases theories at best are
misleading and afford little satisfaction
or comfort in the solution of such a
tragedy. It rests with the citizens of
Monroe to solve this problem fairly
There may be some substance in the
statement that Wade, in his murderous
assault on citizens who had done him
no harm, was actuated by revengeful
spirit, intensified by the bitterness of his
feelings towards the police, but, in ex-
ceedingly rare exceptions, a negro with
money is not easily provoked in his bel
ligerency towards white men unless
stimulated in his murderous inclination
by some intoxicant In this condi-
ton, brooding perhaps over some
fancied or real injury, Wade sought
redress through the breech-loading
shotgun and the cartridges he had
purchased, and being nerved for
action, he began Immediately the
shooting of citizens who came with
in range. It is fortunate that no cas-
ua1ty will result from the wounds in
ficted by this negro, but, viewed dis
passionately this query is forced on the
mind: Would this negro have carried
into execution his diabolism if he had
not been stimulated by some drug or
intoxicant?
1t would not be surprising if there
should be rigid and impartial inquiry
that it may be developed that this ne
gro was not of rational mind; that his
mind had been fired by some stimu-
liant, which nerved him in his deadly
intent The assertion is ventured that
a negro of rational mind would not
have irnperiled his life by shooting at
white men. Even a desperate of ra-
tional mind, one not intoxicated or
laboring under the effect of some drug,
would have attempted to flee on being
confronted by white men offering him
resistance.
This implied cause which prompted
this negro's action may be ridicu1ed by
some classes, but it would be we'll to not
consign it aside as being puerile. This
tragedy was sufficient to arouse the
temper of the citizens of Monroe to
frenzq of resentment, but unlike the
people of Northern States, there was
no retaliation, but the fullest protection
of the law was assured all the negroes
who had no connection with Wade For
this the citizens of Monroe must be
commended in the highest degree.