The Washington times., 1922-12-27
W|LlSEEk
HAbEAS
WRIT
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page)
that masked men had taken her
Daddy away.
Daddy" came back that time.
But another time Daddy didn't
come back. 1t was after a night
of terror on the Bastrop- Mer Rouge
road when masked and hooded and
robed men with firearms took five
men from the hundreds that were
motoring from the good roads meet
ing at Bastrop. Leota's Daddy was
one of the five.
The world knows that three of
the five returned, Watt Daniels
and Richards did not, Days and
nights of search followed, along
with grand jury sessions which in.
dicted nobody. The constituted
authorities of Morehouse parish
whispers crept about. No arrest
was made. Nothing to report"
was the official attitude.
Appeals to Governor.
Then one day Mrs. Thomas Rich
ards, who in her heart knew her.
self to be a widow, took train
with Leota to Baton Rouge. Doors
were closed behind them In the
State capitol. With tears stream
ing down her face Mrs. Richardk
told Governor Parker Of the lonA
liness Of long and bitter days and
nights of the sinister whispertngs
that had come to her.
1T was the khan that killed my
husband" she exclaimed bitterly,
"Theyn do nothing about It In
Morehouse Parish. They killed him
and they killed Watt Daniels, and
their bodies are somewhere in More
house Parish today"
Little Leota, used to her mothers
crying for days and nights, looked
curiously about the room Of the
ancient feudal like building with Its
great mirrors. And as her mother
sobbed. she ran up to the man with
the graying hair, Governor Parker,
whose kindly eyes and quiet man.
ner had won her confidence. He
lifted her to his knee. 1t was then
Leota asked the governor TO bring
her daddy back. There were tears
now in the governors eyes.
Gives Promise to LoOta.
"I will, Leota." he said simply
That was all. But within his heart
ne swore a mighty oath to keep
faith with that child. Leota went
home comforted. Had not the man
with the kindly eyes and comfort
ing hands and lined face said he
would sac to 1t that her father
would be- home Christmas?
Details did not bother Leota. She
did not know that the State govern
ment provided only meager funds
for special investigation such as the
case required. She did not know
that Governor Parker out of his
own pocket spent thousands of dol.
lars to make the investisat ton, She
did not know that in her native
parish, under cover, investigators
searched out the clues. that u spe-
cial diver was brought from st.
Louis. that special guardsmen were
sent to Morehouse parish with or.
ders to kill any one who interfered
in the search. that a body OF men
crept forth one night and exploded
nearly half a ton of dynamite near
the Eastland ferry in LAX La
Fourche, and that the two bodies
brought up were identified as those
of Watt and of Richards her daddy.
Body Brought Back.
Leota just played about wondering
what Christmas would bring and
scrawling pencil lines which her
mother knew were words to the
X. X. K. to bring her daddy back.
Possibly Leota had forgotten the
grave man with the kindly eyes. But
the man had not forgotten.
They brought Daddy Richards
home for Christmas. They brought
him In a gray metallic coffin, that
shrouded mercifully rom the eyes
of little Leota the fearful evidence
of what men will do under the lash
Of prejudice and hate and fear and
masked anonymity. Troops fired
the last salute over his grave. He
rests in peace; a widows doubts are
Quieted.
But in Baton Rouge, q man with
q lined face and cares innumerabls,
keeps up the fight ne has begun,
content on one point--that with q
s,l l. L. fatt