The New York herald., 1922-12-28

Ine Qramatlc occurrences dt MET
Rouge, following so closely upon
widespread agitation over the revival
OF the Ku Klux Klan, have centered
public attention upon little town in
Louisiana whose population accord
ing to the latest census was less than
700. The general interest is all the
more intense because the Governor Of
Louisiana, PARKER, man of ability
and dauntless courage, has declared
war upon the Klan and is actively
investigating Morehouse county's
startling crime.
The fact that neither racial nor
religious prejudice seems to have
been involved in this particular case
does not rob it OF its interest. The
sequence of tragic events and the in
tervention of coincidence as well as
justice hold the eye. If it were not
for the hoods and robes the mystery
would still be exciting. Whether the
disguises were worn by authority or
whether they were donned in an effort
to disguise plain murder as reform
is the question that the Louisiana
officials hope to answer.
The actors on both sides were
white men whose names, all Ameri-
can, indicate at least nominal adher-
ence to Christianity. They were
men fairly prominent in the doings
Of their small town. There was a
feud in Mer Rouge. 1t was the sort
of feud which the cities do not have.
1t rested on one factions opinion of
another factions way Of living. Ac-
tual violence first appeared when a
former mayor of Mer Rouge, DR.. B.
NJ. McKoIN, said by the State inves-
tigators to be a Klansman, declared
that an attempt had been made to
assassinate him and as proof showed
bullet holes in his motor car.
Doubt was cast upon the truth of
McKoIY's story. but few days later
hooded men seized WATT DANIELS
and t. F. RICHARDS and questioned
them as to whether they had not
fired at the former Mayor. They de-
MED the attack and were released.
Shortly afterward DANIELS spied
upon a Klan meeting held in the
woods near Mer Rouge and was
caught and warned not to divulge
what he had seen. But he did tell OF
his experience and he named some of
the Klansmen.
~ A,,e ,gt A mn =
and three companions we're kidnapped
by hooded men and taken to
the woods, where an attempt was
made to wiring from DANIELS and
RICHARDS confession that they shot
at McKoIY. To this end the mob
whipped them. DANIELS burst his
bonds and tore the mask from one OF
his assailants. whom he recognized.
Knowing that RICHARDS also had
seen and known him the hooded
man shot them both. The three
companions OF the dead men had not
seen the exposed face of the supposed
Klansfnan and they we're released
with a warning not to tell OF what
they had witnessed.
1t has been said. In attempted
extenuation OF the double murder,
that there had been no intent on the
part of the members OF the kidnapping
marty to kill. But manifestly there
was an intent to kidnap and fog the
victims, and the fatal ending was
evidence OF the already obvious fact
that when a mob goes out to wreak
vengeance there is no telling where
that vengeance will end. What would
have been an outrage became a
horrible crime.
1t was this crime which aroused
the wrath OF Governor PARKER. who
declared that Klansmen of Louis.
lana, Mississippi and Arkansas were
the murderers. But for his activity
the bodies OF the victims would not
have been found. The presence OF
the State troops in and near Mel
Rouge evidently caused the murder
gang to fear that the bodies would be
discovered in Lake La Fourche, where
they had been flung. In what seems
to have been an effort TO cover tn,
sunken bodies with huge mass o.
earth more secretly the margin o
the lake was dynamited last Thurs
day, but the bodies came to the Sur
face and were found by the state
troops.
This week has seen the arrest oi
two men accused Of completely in the
crime. One is DR.. McKorN. who de
nics guilt and declares that he ief'