The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-12-20
TROUBLE is
BREWING FOR
rs YEARS
MOrehOuse Parish, Louisiana
Split Over Factional
Troubles
TWO ARE KIDNAPPED
Bodies Found in Lake Weight.
ed DOwn-ku Klux Klan
Involved
(By the Associated Press)

L
Monroe, La, Dec. 2O.-The cele-
brated Merrouge kidnapping case
which for months has taxed all Of
the legal machinery of the state in
It's effort to solve, moved forward
another chapter yesterday when Ma
tlonal Guard troops were sent to
Bastrop, La, near Merrougc. The
case originated, according to we'll in
formed observers, as result of
feud between rival factions of More.
house Parish.
Although the Ku Klux Klan organ
izations of louisiana, Arkansas, and
Mississippi have been charged with
being involved, the mysterious dis
appearance of Major Watt Daniel
and Thomas Fletcher Richards, citi-
zens of Merrougc, following the kid
naping of these, and three other McI.
rouge citizens on August "a, the con.
servatve citizens of northeast Loui-
siana believe that the case goes much
deeper and is more or less racial.
A Feudal Fight
Although the feudal fight was said
to have been brewing for a quarter
of a century, involving some of the
leading families of Merrouge and
other parts of Morehouse Parish,
a climax was reached on August a;
when ]. L. Daniels, 10, former prom.
inent Merrouge mrchant; Watt Dan.
lis, his son; Thomas F. Richards;
Watt Davnport, scion of a leading
Louisiana family, and W. c. An
drews, a planter, were kidnapped by
40 or so masked men when on their
way from Bastrop to their respect
i've homes in Merrouge.
Victims of Riders
A big highway celebration and fcs.
tival was held at Bastrop on Angus
"a, and thousands of peonle from
all parts of northeast Louisiana at-
tended The five victims of koodei
riders attended the celebration, wi:
messed the baseball game between
Monroe and Bastrop and then start
ed home in the twilight of the, eve
ming in two automobiles. When. they
were midway between Bastrop and
Merrouge, the hooded men gallope3
up on horseback, or appeared on tn
highway in automobiles and seize
the five Merrougs citizens.
Watt Davenport was released witt
in an hour after he was taken, ar
the rumor became current that tt
masked men were mistaken as
his identity"
Search For Men
Searchers for "a hours tried
find the men who were kidnapped, ar
the day following the affair the eldg
Daniels and Andrews found the
way back to hteir homes at Merroug'
in, serious condition. Their storias
gave little information in regard tn
the kidnapping.
For while neither Daniels no,
Andrews would discuss the case, but
they finally told how they were kid
naped on their way to Merrouge hy
masked men and severely beatca-
For several weeks Daniels was in
precarious condition because of lia
injuries, which in his case, we're aug
mented by age.
Neither Daniels nor Andrews Wa
able to identify any person in the
mob, nor could they give any info
nation in regard to Daniels sona
Watt and Richards.
Daniels declared he recognized M
kansas and Mississippi automotl!c
license tags.
Following the kidnapping, the More-
house Parish grand jury was or
ganized at Bastrop, the Parish Seat
of Morehouse Parish, and made Gu
investigation of the kidnapping bat
no indictments were returned. it
was claimed many persons in por
sition to testify were afraid to SUI
nit testimony.
Detectives at Work
Then Governor Parker announce
his determination to use all tht
power of the state in the case. leol
the last three months detectives an'
other investigators have been inter
rogating citizens and making searr>
es for the bodies of Richards aut
Daniels, which were believed by som
persons to have been cast into las
in the vicinity of Merrouge.
That the bodies of both of tht
missing men have been located is tn
report current in east Louisiana. Ths
finding is said to have been the causG
for the sending of the Nation
Guard into Morehouse Parish.
Unconfirmed reports reaching hers
declare detectives have discoverec
the bodies bound down by heayy
wagon wheels in one of the lakcs
near Merrouge, and soldiers We,
sent to guard the work of dragglH
the lake for the bodies.
Petty Jealousies
Petty jealousies among influentia
families, arising through trade rlv
alries and social conditions, are b.
lieved to have been the origin Of the
trouble between various Morehou
Parish clans Recently DR.. B. NJ. Me
Kern, prominent physician, and ti'ei
Mayor of Merrouge, sought to "cit1
up" Merrouge of lawlessness. Mayor
McKern, it is claimed, aligned hnN
self with one faction and seIye5
notice on number of alleged Law
breakers that he and his Officials
proposed to enforce the law. Mckerl
received warnings by letter that