The New York herald., 1922-12-24
FIRST ARREST MADE
FOR MURDER BY MOB
IN MASKS And HOODS
T. j. Burnett, Once Deputy
Sheriff, Taken in Loui-
siana Crime.
OTHERS WILL FOLLOW
Troops Ordered to Remain
at Mer Rouge, Their
Plans Changed.
BODIES ARE IDENTIFIED
People Of Community in a Fer
ment Following Discovery y
of the Bodies.
BODIES ARE IDENTIFIED

BAsrRoP, La. Dec 23.--T. J. Burnett
of Spyker, La, on the Morehouse-
Ouachita boundary line. was arrested
late to-day by Sheriff Fred Carpenter
and placed IN the Morehouse parish
Jail here on charge of murder In
with the Morehouse kid
naping case.
This is the first arrest made By
authorities investigating the alleged
and murder of Watt Daniels
and Thomas Richards by a mob OF
hooded men last August. The bodies
OF two men, practically identified as
those of Daniels and Richards. were
given up from Lake La Fourche yes
terday after the lake had been dyna<
mited by unidentified men. The arrest
Is believed here a forerunner OF many
more
Burnett is a former Morehouse par
ish deputy sheriff. The Sheriff said
Burnett was arrested on order of At
torney- General Coco. He said he did
not have any warrants at this time for
lue OIL OlHtic.
other Arrests TO Come.
Attorney General Coco intimated this
was the first OF the many arrests
promised in the States efforts 10 sift
the kidnapping mystery. The officia,
was quoted as saying other arrests
would follow as the investigation pro-
ceeds.
Machine guns were mounted on tho
Parish Jail here this afternoon.
THOSE arrested viii face the open
hearings ordered to-day by the At
torney-cieneral 10 begin in the Parish
court house on january under guard
Of state troops.
Orders directing the Monroe National
Guard troops stationed here TO proceed
TO Bastrop we're rescinded late to-day
after the troops had broken camp and
were preparing 10 move. Military men
and civil authorities refused TO state
whether an outbreak was feared to-
night.
An Inquest was conducted behind
closed doors at Mer Rouge this after
noon over the bodies cast up by Lake
La Fourche yesterday after unidenti-
fled dynamiters had made an effort to
remove them from their watery grave
OF four months. The finding of the
inquest was not announced. Officias
declared they were satisfied with the
identification OF the bodies as that OF
Daniels and Richards.
bones of Men Broken.
Pathologists conducted an autopsy 20
h.a
death. They declared the examination
revealed that the men had been fogged
and some bones broken before they died
They refused TO reply TO the question
whether the men were killed before
being bound with wire. weighted down
and thrown into the lake or whether
they were thrown into the lake alive
and died oe strangulation
Department OF Justice Investigators
frequently have declared they had
list OF the names Of those connected
with the kidnapping tragedy. Gov.
Parker has indicated hooded men OF
Mississippi. Arkansas and Louisiana
were implicated.
The bodies were turned over TO
committee composed OF relatives ana
friends late to-day. The funerals were
scheduled for tomorrow. The dead
men were members Of prominent famil-
Ies OF this parish. Many believe tho
surrender OF the bodies to the kin an6
the departure of the troops from Mcr
Rouge may precipitato the expected
outbreak between the hostile camps
created at Mer Rouge since the August
kidnapping.
Tracing the Mob.
Department Of Justice agents and
state officials have during the last four
months had under consideration the cir 4
euyrstantlal evidence outlining events
preceding the kidnapping as well as tho
movements OF the mob on the fatal nighp
which will be the Susis OF tho prosecu-
tlon. II has been reported.
Trouble started In Morehouse lasn
summer when an alleged attempt was
made 20 assassinate Dr. B. NJ. McKoin.
former Mayor Of Aier Rouge and head oc
the local Masonic lodge. who made no
serre, of the fact that he was an ofrcey
OF the llu Klux klan. When he was
elected Mayor he started clean up"
campaign and received threatening Lett
tore. one OF them advised him TO get
out of town unless he wanted his Or
phang thrown on the community.
1--WE want 70 inform you that Il Is
none OF your business how much white
lightning We make and sell, how nluclf
gambling done about here or any other
thing we want to do" said the letter.
You can organize oil your leagues
and X. X X. YOU want TO. but ths
first time any Of US are molested we
VIII get you in short order. We can
do things az night and you can be as
sured that we Will get results"
Deaths OF the Victims.
Early last August. few weeks be-
sore the kidnapping from which the tive
young men did not return. Dr. Mckcin
received a call TO attend q patient In
tne country when he got there 10
found that no one had called. and OF
hts return to the village reported thar
some one had shot az him from am
bush.
There were those who said that the
.vo bullet holes In his autcriobils seat
wero made By himself. and that eithsr