St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-07-22
MARION /. SWORDS IS
KILLED BY CARRlERE
ST. Landry Sheriff and Political Leader For Sixteen
By Desperate He Was Trying To Arrest A
Early Monday Morning
Years Is Assassinated
At Mallet

have had. This is what makes it SO ter
rible The poet says, 20 death in life,
the days that are no more!' But the Chris
tian may say, O life in death, the days
that are to be beyond the shade, the sun
shine; beyond the night, the day; beyond
now, then; beyond death, life, again and
better. For Jesus has said, He that liy-
eth and believeth in me shall never die. :,
As we stand here to-day with bowed
heads and broken hearts in the presence
of our God we confess that He alone
knows how the assassin's bullet has
shocked us. But we humb1y bow to an
All-Wlse Creator whose ways are past
finding out And trust Him to over-rule
this public calamity to His own glory and
the good of us ALL
Marion Lewis Swords was born on 2
plantation near Big Cane, Feb. "a, 1857,
a son of James T. and Mary e. (Moss)
Swords. His father was a Georgian and
his mother was Mississippian. His
father was Confederate soldier. The
boy remained on the plantation until he
was fourteen, and then started out to be
the architect of his own fortune From
fourteen until he attained his majority he
was employed at saW-milling, steamboat
ing, clerking and farming in the parishes
OF st. Landry, Avoyelles and Pointe Cou-
pee. At the age of tWenty-one he was
prosperous merchant, but lost all in the
great flood of 1882, and had to begin life
again at the foot of the ladder. After
this we see him turning his attention to
politics and soon became a leading fac
tor IN political affairs in his own parish.
He took an active part in the great fight
against the Louisiana state lottery, and as
chairman of the Democratic executive
committee of st. Landry he rolled up q
majority OF It'll votes against the lottery.
In 1892 Gov. Foster in recognition of his
great services in helping to rid the state
OF the lottery, appointed him assessor and
registrar of the parish. And he enjoys
the unique distinction of being the only
registrar IN the state who refused to reg
lster negro votes and for this loyalty to
the doctrine of white supremacy served
term IN Jail. He was finally sustained
by the Supreme Court and set at liberty.
And thus we see that this man who lies
dead before us was a leading factor in
tne Two greatest moral victories that any
people ever won, namely, the def9at of
the infamous state lottery and white SUI
premacy. And we assert here that if
M arlon Swords had never done another
righteous deed in his life that these two
great victories that he helped to give our
state should make him dear to us all and
nand his memory down to coming genera
tons. In 1900 he was elected sheriff and
mas held that office continuously since.
At the time of his death he was president
OF the Sheriffs Association, a position he
had held for years. He was recognized
as one of the leading political characters
OF Louisiana to-day.
1t is true that Marion Swords had his
faults and political enemies. But no
great positive character has ever lived
VINO did not have. And like Christ who
SAID to those who brought the woman
taken IN sin, Let him who is guiltIess
cast the first stone" we say let him that
is perfect find fault.
On November .25, 1879, he was mar
RED to Miss Aola v. Ward, daughter of
II y. Ward of Avoyelles parish. and to
Ihls union has been born eight children
i've OF whom are still living and are here
To-Day heart-broken over the loss Of their
father and best friend. Our hearts po. .ort
TO you who are bereaved. We stand bv
this bier to-day to weep with you. for tIe
loss IS also ours. We commend Won to
God who alone can bind up broken
hearts. To this great multitude of loyal
trends who have come here from ali
parts OF this parish and state to paw hon1-
age and say good bye to the old political
War-horse who has led us to MANY no.
1ltlcal triumph, we bid you emulate the
good that was in his character and draw
mantle of charity over his mistakes.
And now we bid him an affectionafe
farewell. We cannot pull the curtain
aside that separates us from eternity and
see how goes it with his soul, but we wish
him well. And we leave him in the hands
OF nerciful God, and we believe that Ha
VINO IS Love will meet out mercy and
Justice. We cannot always understand
Gods dealings with US. We are taught fo
be submissive to His will We NAV nof
know why God has thus afflicted ms. hnt
sometime somewhere we will understand
although it may not be SO until we reach
better land. Until that time. farewell
father, friend. We trust it is well with
thee, for we loved thee. Thou art gone
but not forgotten. Farewell!