The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1918-08-02
BIG DAMAGE SUIT FILED IN
DISTRICT COURT AGAINST
COMMITTEE HANDLING LATE
POLICE JURY CUSTER CASE

1uS clSut pUlACS JuAoAoj AAehoA
Guidry Of ward one, Thomas S.
Walker of ward three, j. Sidney
IRENE of ward four, Ausem Marcan- /
tel Of ward five, Arthur T. Jones of
ward SIX, F. A. Arceneaux of ward
seven, Dolza Bourgeois of ward
light and Yves Pitre Of ward nine
lave each sued the members Of the
Citizens Committee for $1,800.00.
The citizens committee are the gen.
tlemen who were appointed at
mass meeting to investigate the con-
dition of the permanent roads be-
ing constructed under the supervis-
ion of the police jury and which re-
suited in hard fought legal battle
in the district court when custer pro-
ceedings were instituted against the
entire membership of that body by
he Citizens cOmmitte having the ef-
feet of removing one member from
office for an offense committed by
him individually, but with which the
other eight members had no connec-
ton. While eight different suits
cave been filed, each police juror
making his own petition, the men,
bers of the committee, James o. Mod
isette, Charles R. Houssiere, Thomas
C. Mahaffey, Guy P. Randolph,
Phillip H. Hoag, Avery c. Wilkons
and Milton C. Holt, are sued col
ectively.
Each of the eight petitions for
suit read the same excepting the
names of the petitioner and the time
Of service as police jurors, which for
Mr.. Jones and Mr.. Walker dates from
May 8, 1916 and for all the others
from Jan. / 1913. The following is
the petition of Mr.. Jones:
To the Honorable, the Judges of the
Fifteenth Judicial District Court of
the State of Louisiana, sitting in
and for the Parish of Jefferson
Davis:
The petition of Arthur T. Jones, a
resident of your said parish and
State, with respect represents:
That James O. Modisette, Charles
r. Houssiere, Thomas C. Mahaffey,
Guy P. Randolph, Phillip H. Hoag,
Avery C. Wilkins and Milton c.
Holt, all residents Of your said Par
ish and State, are justly and truly
indebted unto your petitioner in So
lido in the sum of eighteen hundred
and no 100 Dollars, with five PEI
cent per annum interest therein
from judicial demand until paid, fol
the reasons hereinafter set form.
Petitioner AYERS that ne is res
ident of Ward Six of the Parish Of
Jefferson Davis and that he has beer
at all times since the 3rd day Of
May, 1916, and is now, member o.
the Police Jury of said Parish from
said Ward.
: That for the purpose of construct
7 ing a hard-surfaced road system II
the Parish of Jefferson Davis, tn
taxpayers of said parish at an cleo
ton held for that purpose on o
about May 29th, 1916, authorize
issuance by the Police Jury OF san
parish of negotiable bonds to tn
n amount of Five hundred thousan
dollars that said amount OF bond
d was duly issued by said police jur
j for said purpose.
. That the police jury of said pal
: ish, of which your petitioner was a
: all times herein referred to member
proceeded to the construction OF sal
: hard-surfaced road system and to tn
expenditure of said funds for sal
/ purpose.
II Petitioner shows that en- or abou
| October 18th, 1917, a suit was file
in YOUR said Court, entitled I. e. M
haffey, ct ais VS.. No. 956, Jefferso
I Davis Parish, Louisiana, ct ais; th'
said suit was leveled at the Pohe
Jury of said Parish, and at eac
member thereof, charging them an
each of them with matters and thlns
hereinafter complained of; that sal
suit was brought by the defendan
above named and other citizens ar
taxpayers of the Parish Of Jefferst
Davis, named in said petition
plaintiffs, and that the petition fll'
on their behalf and each ailegatlt