The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-21
Governor Parker Making Ev-
cry Effort to Apprehend
Members of Masked Party
That Kidnapped and FIogged
Citizens of Morehead Parish
OFFICERS SILENT ABOUT
PURPOSE AT MER ROUGE
Intimate Marauders From 3
States May Have Had Part in
Attack Upon Men--Parker'S
Visit to Washington May Be
Concerned With 0utrages

MER ROUGE, La, Dec. 20.-The
purpose of the movement of COM
pany of Louisiana national guard
into Morehouse parish by Gov. John
NJ. Parker yesterday afternoon, to-
night continued to remain mystery
to all except handful of officials.
The passing of the day failed to
lift the mystery screen. Those in a
position to speak would say nothing.
The governor, attorney general and
others remained in rigid silence.
Late today detachment of 25
men under the command of the COM
pany officer hastily departed from
the camp establish ID in the heart of
the little town ofsMer Rouge. The
men said they did not know where
they were going. The officer would
not speak.
Bodies Weighted Down
Close observers offered the opinion
the men were en- route to one If the
| lakes in the vicinity of Mer Rouge
where 1t is believed the bodies OF
two men, ~ shted down with wagon
wheels. victims of hooded mon. are
resting.
-Four detectives. working with the
| department OF justice, are said to
have spotted the loca ton in the lake
where the bodies can be found. The
guardsmen are to drag the lake. or
! to afford protection to an expert
diver engaged In tho recovery. ac-
cordlng to reports current. The de-
] tectiyes are said to have preceded
the movement of the detachment this
| afternoon.
In the event the bodies are recov-
| cred. open hearings. discussed by
| Governor Parker and other state Of
! ficials, will probably be Instituted at
| Rastrop. the parish seat. Under this
method the state would hope 20 OBJ
! tain evidence upon which to convict
| members of the band OF so or more
! hooded men, who on horseback and
| in motor cars, swooped down upon
| a party of five prominent Mer Rouge
| citizens, returning from a celcbra-
| ton, carried them off into the woods
! and severely flogged them. Two OF
| the victims. Watt Daniels and Thorn
4 as Richards failed to return I, their
homes and in spite of a search on tie
| part of officials and their families.
have not been located. Many are per-
| slstent in the opinion the two missing
I men were murdered.
Tell Terrible story
The victims. returned. told of ter
| rible experiences but declared they
could not Identify any of the kid
| napers al they were clothed in masks
I and robes. One declared the men
| Cooked like what we know OF the
Ku Klux" Another said he rccog-
nzed some Of the automobiles parked
| at the punishment ground bore Ar
+ kansas and Tennessee license tags.
This statement is believed to have
been the foundation for the recent
| visit to Washington by Governor
Park who asked President Hard
| ing to invoke his authority In what
he charged an interstate crime.
Efforts of local authorities to learn
the identity of the hooded men were
| unsuccessful and. although grand
jury was invoked. but little evil
dence was submitted. 1t being stated
certain several were inundated.
Governor Parker later took on the
burden of the case and announced tho
state had determined to reach and
prosecute the guilty. Detectives have
been working in the Mer Rouge vi
cinitv for many months
A motive for the kidnapping has
never been definitely established.
Theories of a feud of some % :'ear
standing has been offered as we'll -
the opinion Of many that the ku
Klux of Louisiana. Arkansas and
CONTINUED ON Page Sixteen.)