The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-12-23
Louisiana
Lake Gives
Up Bodies
Blast Set by Unidentified Par.
lies Brings Corpses Of 2
Feud Victims to
Surface.
More Troops Ordered


Guard. has been ordered to Mel
Rouge, Capt. Heath Petrie in com
nland, announced this afternoon fol
lowing a telephone conversation with
state officials at Baton Rouge.
ii is regarded here the troops vii
he used TO assist Monroe national
gnardsmen now at Mer Rouge in max
ing arrests of persons involved in the
Kidnapping of last August.
Bodies Bound with Wire.
Aler Rouge, La, Dec. 22.-The
= bodies Of two men in high state of de
composition. bound with wire, believ
ed to he Watt Daniels and Thomas
richards, alleged victims of masked
and white-robed men last August,
came TO the surface of Lake La
Fourche. IL miles from here today.
following a charge of dynamite
placed by Unidentified persons in the
ton received here.
1t is believed here persons respons-
ible for the murder of them dynamit-
cd the spot In order to recover the
bodies and remove them to some other
burial ground TO thwart the efforts
of Louisiana National guardsmen, who
for three days have been assisting
professional divers in exploring the
bottom of the lake at the instance OF
Governor John NJ. Parker. The con-
ditions of the bodies indicated they
object by which they had been
weighted down to the bed OF the lake
during the past four months.
Wagon Wheels Disappear.
The disappearance of two iron
wagon wheels, rusting on the banks
of La Fourchel lake for many years,
at the time Daniels and Richards were
reported missing after they and three
others were swooped upon by band
of so or more hooded men and taken
to punishment grounds where they
were severely flogged, led to the be-
lief the men had been murdered and
thrown ii.to the lake.
Efforts were being made by the
military this afternoon to learn the
identity of those responsible for the
dynamiting.
The bodies were found six miles
A from Oak Ridge and 22 miles from
where the men were abducted.
Dynamiting was heard during the
night by the ferry men and others
living nearby and today the ferry man
found tho bank torn up and many
dead fish and later saw two badly de-
composed bodies bound with wire
floating nearby.
Mob Members Identified.
Governor Parker, when asked over
the long distance telephone what
move would be made next by the state
declared he had nothing to say further
than that he was responsible for the
moving Of the troops into Morehouse
parish.
The grand jury having failed to re-
turn any indictments against the per-
petrators of the crime, the state now
has the prerogative for calling for
an open hearing in the case and can
establish corpus delicti by produc-
ing the bodies of the murdered men.
1t is believed here the hearing will
bo held in the parish court house at
Bastrop under guard Of state troops.
Department of Justice men have
been credited with statements that
the identity Of many members of the
mask ed band has been established and
arrests are expected to follow.
Eight men had been stationed at
Cooper lake which was particularly
dragged yesterday. Shortly after ]
o'clock this morning. several men
were seen some distance from the
shore. wading about in a shallow
spot.
Several shots were fired at them
and the men disappeared.
Cooper lake is surrounded by dense
swamps in an inaccessible part OF
:. Morehouse parish, and it has been
named as the spot where the bodies OF
the two missing men might possibly
have been thrown by their kidnapers,
according to reports made by private
detectives.
The militia company was accompa
MED to Cooper lake by number OF
citizens and agents of the Department
pf Justice who have been stationed
here.
With firearms in evidence through
out the town of Mer Rouge and stocks
OF rifles and shotguns loaded for i'm
mediate use reported in stores and
residences. resulting from the feeling
that has divided many Of the citizens
into hostile camps since the events Of
August, machine guns were ordered
mounted at the lakes yesterday to be
used to repel any attacks by oppo-
aents of the present efforts on the
part of the state.