The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-04-04

| len Days Preceding lheir Arrest by
the Sheriffs Deputies, w. w. Otis
and Pat Flournoy--A Recital of De
basement and Degradation.
Since Sunday morning Shreveport
has been in ferment of indignation
over the sensational report of the abb
duction of two girls, sisters, Beulah and
Pearl Bickhan, by two spoilers" 0. B
King and N. P. Wainwright, who arc
incarcerated in the parish jail.
The two men were about to be arrest
ed by the police when they were appre-
hended by the sheriff's deputies.
The two men had been in the employ
of the city detective department as
spoilers" but had been relieved about
ten days on the report of their miscon-
duct and in their exceeding their au-
thority.
Their discharge antedates the crime
for which they are in Jail.
However, while engaged in "spotting"
violation of the liquor law in the re-
stricted district, they reported several
defenders who pleaded guilty when ar
raigned. Others, when tried, were dis
charged owing to insufficient evidence to
convict
In connection with the arrest of these
two men there has been attempted dis
credit of the prohibitionists and the
rousing of feeling of antagonism
which is unwarranted.
1t must be conceded that the detective
lis one of the essentials towards ferret
| ing out crime and criminals and in Sc
curing evidence that would convict vio-
lators of the law.
| Among the class of men who are in
the service as detectives or rather spot
tiers" are scoundrels who would not
scruple at false swearing, but these are
the exceptions.
1t should be conceded that it fire.
quently takes "a thief to catch thief"
and a thief may be in the employ of the
city, the parish or the state, but for all
that, some of the most honorable men
are detectives, an employment which is
attended with many risks, especially
when the criminal being sought is a
RECKLESS, desperate character.
In the employment of o. B. King and
N. P. Wainwright there was committed
a serious mistake, but the two men were
dismissed from the service as soon as
their character and methods had devel-
oped. And if by reason of the fact that
O. B. King and NJ P. Wainwright,
spoilers" have been in the service of
the city, why should there be raised the
cry of condemnation against prohibition
an dthe prohibitionists7
The incentive which suggests such
unwarranted criticism is evident, but
will be no detriment to the cause of pro-
hibition nor is it reflective of discredit
against the prohibitionists who are law
abiding and good citizens.
THE STORY IN PLAIN WORDS.
The recital of the abduction of two
green country girls in short dresses by
the "spotters" O. B. King and N. p.
Wainwright and their inveiglement to
an lod "shack" near Reisor, about eight
miles from Shreveport, as given by the
press, is narrowing in its sensationalisn.
The Caucasian, pursuing the even
tenor of its way, may be, at times, slow
in reporting such an occurrence, but is
never sensational and gives the sub
stance which is corroborated by the
facts.
The purpose OF this article is not to
discredit the two girls nor to palliate
the crime of King and Wainwright, but
to confne this recital to the facts.
For men of such stripe there can be
no sympathy, nor can the penalty be too
great for such crime
Suppose, without the rousing of racial
prejudice, that such crime had been
committed by negroess
The two young ladies, aged respect
lively IS or 10 and II or I8 years, left
their home about ten or wtelve days
ago. There had been family jar
which prompted them to leave for
Shreveport. The two young ladies were
not strangers in this community, as one
Ihad been in the employ of physician
and the other in boarding house kept
by reputable and well known lady of
this city. After their sojourn of several
week they returned to their home near
Gahagan in Red River parish. The fam
lily at one time had their home in the
parish of Natchitoches. Their father,
Scott Bickharn, is hard working man
|of good repute. His wife died several
years ago.
| On reaching the city about ten or
twelve years ago, the two sisters had
INTENDED to go to cheap but reputable
i 4