Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-11-27

opposed to. But this show Of force
gave them courage, or made then
afraid not to.
Didn't Want Negro Parade
Shortly afterward, on August 81
negro attempted to rape a white
woman. He was lynched. This was
on Sunday before Labor Day.
At meeting of the city coun.
Gil, citizens urged that it would be
inadvisable for the union labor men
to have the negroes parade on Labor
Day. But the negroes did parade
and the situation became more acute
On September %, the cylinder
head of the big engine at the Great
Southern Lumber Company blew out,
This caused the mill to shut down.
A committee of citizens asked the
company cooperate the power plant,
that the city would get electrical cur
rent. The company was willing, but
the labor unions declined to allow
their men to handle the job. Never
theless the company managed to keen
the plant going by such labor as it
could pick up. Feeling against the
union men grew.
Labor Men Aggressive
Labor unions began to get active
in politics. They agitated for the
recall of the Mayor and various city
Officials. They went en- masse be,
fore the city council and demanded
the removal of certain policemen
whom they described as a strong
arm squad
The merchants of the city urged
again that the organization of the
negroes should cease. The result was
boycott by the union men against
certain merchants. Two o. these. r.
L. Middleton and 2. Al. Davis, were
driven out of business. They are
now in Lexington, Miss.
Union men started their paper.
The B0galuSa Free Press and threat
ened with boycott the merchants who
did not advertise. This paper has
been filled with inflammable articles.
Opposition League Organizes
The citizens of Bogalusa organ
lzed the Self Preservation and 10y
atty League. Owing to the tansity Of
the situation, this was organized
along the lines of secrecy laid down
by the Ku Klux Khan. When the or
ganization was strong and the men
knew they could trust each other,
they came out in the open. They at
tended the city council meetings and
began to oppose the Vaccinations of
the labor men.
"Out of this league was picked a
law enforcement committe of fifty
men. They were men who had no
and were pledonS to any
sacrifice. The riot call was "a blast
of the big siren.
mot long ago, had to prosecute
a negro who said he had been in
stTucted by another negro, a union
man, to shoot to kill if anything hap
pened. The impression got around
town that the negroes were arming
themselves. The negroes comprise
about three fifths of the population.
Orleans Labor Imported
The labor situation became more
strained. New Orleans men were
to work in the mills. They
were met by a committee of union
men comprising L. e. Williams, Nor
man Simmons and Tim Ezell. This
committee threatened the men and
shC PO1lI0 tleu W DS Cd1IGQ.
The three were arrested and con-
victed. On October %; the word got
around that labor men were going to
storm the Jail.
"The riot call was sounded and
the fifty members of the law en-
forcement committee threw them
selves around the jail. The night
passed quietly.
''L.ast week, Ed. O'Brien was ex-
oelled from the city by members Of
he American Legion. He had said
he !. w. w. was justified in killing
he soldiers at Centralia, Wash. An
for the Federation of
Labor, w. L. Donnels, was on the
same train and the American Legion
men told him that it would be wen
Tor him to stay away from Boga-
usa."