Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-25

terry of the kidnapping case of last
August when five prominent citizens
Of Mer Rouge were abducted by
masked and white-robed men.
Bodies of two of the alleged victims
of the mob, blown up from the bottom
of Lake La Fourche last Thursday,
identified as Watt Daniels and Thomas
Richards, were buried in the Daniels
family burying ground seven miles from
presence of throng of relatives,
friends and curious onlCokers.
The Episcopal service was read and
squad Of national guards escorted
the bodies to the graves, sounded taps
and fired salute as the bodies were
lowered into their resting place.
Daniels was q world war veteran, hay-
ing seen service in the tank corps. lie
was unmarried
Richards was married and the father
of two young children. Both were
members Of families that were pioneers
in Morehouse.
With the funeral services ended, the
crowds started quietly for home. Ihere
was no outward expression of the feel-
ing that has been reported as surglng
within the kin of the dead.
Fearing that pent-up emotions m1ght
he Ioosed during the dead watch Sat
urday night and following the funeral
Sunday. Governor Parker late Satur-
day rescinded the order issued Prev
ously in the day for the Monroe ma
tional guard troops stationed at Mer
Rouge to proceed to ]oin two nationat
puard froops here guarding the court
house and Jail square.
Big Demand for Guns.
Stores and residences are generally
reported as stocked with unusual sup
niles of guns and ammunition ana Gnu
IONS are said to be moving about IN
vehicles and on foot with firearms az
their side. The Mer Rouge community
has been divided into. hostile camps
since the eKspts following last August
it is admitted. :.
reach the Parish jail. discussed SUNDAY
with his attorneys the charge u nu
dor he must face at the open nearing
sst for january 5 by the attorney gen
eral. 5 oan,;ttance
sunday as the military patrolleds me
;o;I grounds which are fianked VIII
former deputy sheriff of More.
house = farm owner and member OF
% well respected family, Burnett, IS
declared by many to have enjoyed
good reputation and his friends nave
come to his assistance. NO iutlnet
arrests were made Sunday. AT the con-
clusion of the open hearing II was
semi officially announced here, the
non r indicted. will be moved to some
other parish for trial, most Hkeiy
Baton Rouge. |
Governor Backs Prosecution
Governor Parker's program IN sift-
ing the. kidnapping mystery was SET III +
motion last Tuesday, when, after a I
conference with state and military
officials, he ordered company y, Mon
roe national guard infantry. TO entra1n t
under sealed orders. The military men
made their appearance at Mer Rouge :
early Wednesday and went into camp /
in the heart Of the. little town. The
same afternoon detachment was
thrown about two lakes in Morehousei
parish for guard duty. Professional /
divers under the direction of depart !
ment of Justice men began to rake the
bottoms of the lakes for the bodies
of two men missing since the 1ive
were kidnapped by robed band last
August
On a chart prepared by federal
agents was drawn ring around
ferry landing on La Fourche lake, as
the most probable resting ground OF
the dead. This location, which had
depth of 60 feet, was penetrated first
but without success.
The next day the states principal
efforts were directed to Lake Cooper,
% miles from La Fourche. Men and
boys of the surrounding communities
joined the searchers and linking hands
waded through the swampy portions Of
the lake. A previous plan to drain the
shallow waters was abandoned /
Shortly after midnight on Thursday
a party of eight or ten men were seen
in boat on Lake Cooper in the area
under military guard in which traffic
was forbidden.
Refused to Answer Calls
The men refused to answer calls of
the guards, whereupon a machine gun
was turned upon them and 100 shots
fired. The men escaped. Two guards
rushed on foot many miles and re-
ported the event to the commanding {
officer at Mer Rouge. The entire COM
oany was rushed to the scene of the ,
skirmish but investigation after day
light revealed nothing. v
While the troops were rushing to b
Lake Cooper, blasting was in progress 7
1ear the ferry landing on Lake La 4
F'ourche % miles away The concus Q
'ion shook the houses in the vicinity. il
Unidentified men had set off at least q
COO pounds of dynamite, experts have f
vince declared.
The next morning when the ferry a
nan went to board his ferry, he found k
t had been released from the spot j
vhere tied and was drifting along the l
AXE. He saw portion of the bank {
lown in and hundreds of dead fish c
loating on the surface of the water.
lmong the fish he saw two headless |
odies, wire bound and in bad state
I decomposition. 1t was believed the e
ynamiters had attempted to steal the
odies.
The bodies were permitted to float
b the water until sunset during which
me relatives and friends of the Dan h
Is and Richards families recognized NJ
ts, OF clpthing remaining on the men. "
With the. first object in the pro- d