New-York tribune., 1922-12-23
Attorney General Is at Mcr
Rouge 10 Direct Actions
Bodies of Missing Men,
Found in Lake, Identified
Quick Arrest OF
20 Is Expected
Three Units Of Cuardsmen
Will Be in Town To-day;
Martial Law Is Foreseen
- pl.galeA . Il. -.

Attorney bcneral ~ " Noco - on
his way 70 this town tonight 70
direct in person the states action
against ringleaders Of the masked
mob, popularIy believed to be
Klansmen, charged with responsi-
bility for the death Of Watt Dan
ieis and Thomas +. Richards. Mor
Rouge citizens, whose mutilated
bodies were found Ia lake "a
Fourche, near here, to-day. The
bodies were identified positively 70
night.
Arrests are expected 10 follow
shortly. With the arrival Of a sec
ond company Of infantry and ma
chine gun company tomorrow,
three companies Of state troops VIII
be bivouacked In Morehouse Parish
70 quell possible resistance 10 the
serving Of warrants. The state e
said 10 have a list Of twenty names,
many Of them citizens prominent IN
business and political circles.
Feeling was at high tension tonight
Firearms were In general evidence and
houses and stores wero reported %
be yeriiablc arsenals. Sympathizefs
and members Of the Ku-Kirx Khan
i. l.. % -
troops The possibility " martial law
was generally discussed.
Pathologists 10 Examine Bodies
The Attorney General left Ba.or
Rouge accompanied by Assistant Attor-
uey General s. V. Walmslfy aud two
patholoeisls who will examine tho
bodies az the inquest Tomorrow.
Discovery of the Two doating bodlel
this morning, following a dynamite
explosion believed 10 have been fet
By members Of the night riders seek
ing 20 bring them 20 the snriace nnn
remove them 20 q safer hiding place,
brought 10 a climax events beginning
last August, when the robed and
masked mob descended on Mcr Rouge,
abducting five citizens. Three Of the
five returned the neat morning; Dan
iels and Richards were missing
Search OF the surrounding lakes Was
begun recently az the direction of
Governor Parker, who announced his
determination 20 clear Up the mystcry
and bring the members Of the masked
band 90 Justice.
Identification OF the bodies has been
positive. The question now remaining
is 10 determine whether they were
killed before being thrown into Lake
la Fourche or we're drowned. When
tho bodies hosted 10 the surface only
the torso Of each remained. The force
Of the explosion Is believed 20 haYo
torn away the heads. arms and iegs
below the knees, and az the same time
wires holding the bodies 20 heavy Z
weights were broken.
u. S. Agent Holds the Bodies
A diver called here from S. Louis
went down several times from ferry
boat In an effort 70 hnd the missing
parta OF the bodies and tho weights
ihat held them down for noarly four
months, but he found the bottom Or
the lake In such a condition and eayrg
Frequently under bis weight that ne
decided the work was too dangerous
10 complete.
DR.. q. N. Patterson. Of Bostrop, cor
oner Of Mer Rouge Parish. after view
inc the bodies placed them IN charge
Of A. z. Farland, Department Of JUS
tice agent, who has had charge Of the
Investigation into the deaths of the
two men and the alleged activities or
the Ku-Klux Klan In this section. The
bodies wero placed IN the hands OF
Monroe undertaken and brought here
tonight under military guard % %
held until the pathologists complete
their examination and the inquest -
held. The troop guard will be main.
tanned as long as the bodies are hello
and throughout the inquest. fift3 40
dltional men from the Monroe company
Of the 15eth Infantry arrived to'n'6nt
Used l,OO0 Pounds Of Dynamite
Residents In the vicinity of Eesoo
Ferry were startled and many terrlatc
al midnight last night b. the etpie-
sion of dynamite AZ the ferry lana
Ing. The conclusion was said 20 hayS
been terrific and many houses we're
shaken. A large part % the bank a,
the west landing VAS blown away, sno
government agents who inyestgateo tne
explosion and its effects say AZ least
one thousand pounds OF cynamitc va
used. The evident purpose, they a..
sert. was 10 cover up the bodies A.
the bottom Of the lake, which AZ this
point is approximately sixty feet deep.
Instead, the bands Of hay wire that
held the two bodies 10 heavy iron
wheels that disappeared from the bans
on the night Of the kidnapping and con
sututed one OF the cleWb 10 the loca.
tiop Of the bodies, were broken, end
when daylight came they were ola-
covered aosting.
During the night. troopers undtf
Lieutenant Percy Saw, patrobng Coop
er Lake. twenty miles from Lake "a
Fourche, saw the nare Of h9hta across
the water and opened hrc With mechlnt
guns. Messengers were sent 10 Cap
tain Cooper, In charge Of the main de-
tachment Of militla, 70 report the oc-
eurrence. and be obtained automobiles
10 send the remainder Of bis company
Ia lake Cooper. This demonstratloa IA
believed 20 have been a ruse 30 cover
The operations Of the dynainiters AZ
lake IA Fourehe. When word reached
Captain Cooper, At Lake Cooper, q the
discovery Of the bodies; he trcasfsrsef
the company to Lake Ia Fourehe sno
established a rigorous patrol 70 ~
strain TIE throngs Of sensation seekff
who assembled.
Government agents we're The f@st =
reach the scene after Che notice ~ the
finding of the Lodies was resolved
They picked up a bunch Of keys an
I fho hAefenu uaed Ia ou1 fha chain tbs