The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-12-13
NEWS ITEMS

Bogalusa, La, Dec. 11.-An in
stance of where the labor unions
have shown a willingness to protect
their Colored members is shown in
the incident which recently occurred
at Bogalusa, widely known as one of
the hell holes" of the South. Three
men were killed and several wound
ed in battle here today between
members of the Loyalty League COM
posed of former soldiers and other
town people and several union labor
leaders, who were defending the Ne
gro president of a Negro labor I'm
ion. The dead are /. f. Williams,
president of the local branch Of the
American Federation of Labor and
editor of "The Press, union lab
or newspaper, and A. Bouchillon and
Thomas Gaines union carpenters. The
wounded include A. j. O'Rourke, a
leader in union labor circles, NOR
tally, and Jules Leblance former army
captain and member of the Loyalty
League, comprising representatives of
the Southern Lumber Company, build
ers Of Bogalusa and other important
business interests, on the one hand,
and union labor, whose members,
assert the Great Southern locked
out about $500 employees because
they would not tear up their union
cards" on the other, followed last
nights action of about 500 armed
members of the Loyalty League in
holding up a train half mile from
the railroad station and searching it
for "undesirables."
After a search of the train failed to
reveal any one whose presence was
unwelcome here, the crowd started
out to find Saul Dechus, a Negro
labor leader, alleged to have been
active recently in trying to stir up
i'll feeling among his race, but was
unsuccessful.
This morning, to the surprise of
the Loyalty League men, the Negro
they sought marched forth from
some hiding place and walked, bold
ly down the principal street of the
town. On either side of him, how
ever was an armed white man, one
of them A. j. O'Rourke, leader in
union labor circles, and the other
strong union sympathizer whose
Sight of the Negro protected by
the two white men maddened the
Loyalty Leaguers. They claimed the
black had been trying to cause race
rioting, and did not purpose to per-
nit him to linger here.
When called upon to surrender the
Negro, the men in the garage refused
and firing began. the defiant "agi-
tators" drew first blood.
Jules Leblanc, former army Off
Ger, was shot That only increased
the zeal of beseigers, who CONSTANT
| ly increased in numbers.
When the attackers finally silenced
the barricaded forces in the garage
three dead and one fatally injured
were found within. The Negro
however, had escaped. Williams
Bouchillon and Gaines apparently
had sacrificed their lives in protect
ing the Negro, and O'Rouko had
suffered fatal wounds.
The labor officials have filed
charges against the members of the
Loyalty League charging them with
wearing the uniform of the U. )
Army, contrary to the law.
Bogalusa is a lumber town., The
Southern lumber interests have been
accused of holding Negroes practical
ly in peonage in their lumber camps
in this and the Florida districts, anG
are said from their headquarters II
New Orleans and Memphis under
the guise of the Mississippi Welfare
League to have spent large sums
in spreading propaganda throughout
the country against the Negro in the
hopes of stopping the exodus to the
North. 1t is said that Sutton T.
Griggs of Memphis, now lecturing
in the North, one of the prominent
Negroes in this combination employ
The same force recently hired {
number of Negroes, including Henry
Comes of Chicago, to make triI
of inspection through Mississippi The
delegation reported that Mississippi
was a delightful place in which tt
live and that race relations are mos
| amipabl