The Washington herald., 1922-12-23


the belt. He was grief stricken.
The indentffication OF Major
Daniels' body left but little aues-
'tion that the other body b that Of
Richards
The authorities hope to establish
the Identity Of the dynamiters. be-
lieving when they are found the
murder mystery will be solved.
The bodies, decomposed and head
less, still had wire bound about
the limbs, confirming the conf
dental reports received by the
governor Of how the men were
slain and the bodies disposed OF.
No arrests had been made up to
tonight. Gov. Parker sent word
10 Sheriff Carpenter to exert more
diligence. II was charged the sher-
If had not given his full support
to the investigation.
Federal agents are aiding the
State authorities. Operatives OF the
Secret Service and Department Of
Justice are known to have been
Investigating activities Of the ku
klux Klan here ever since Gov.
Parker went to Washington three
Weeks dkO 10 SOllClI tnc hlu VI tuc
Government in the fight.
, The inquest over the two bodies
found today will be held at Bastrop,
the Moorhouse Parish seat. Gov.
Parker and Attorney General A. ".
Coco have held lengthy confer.
ences as to the procedure. The
attorney general may conduct the
examination in person.
: The government Is said . to be in
possession Of almost every detail
Of the crime although he has not
revealed the source Of his informa-
tion.
The story Of the crime opens on
August "a, when q hooded, robed
and masked band waylaid ]. l..
Daniels, Watt Daniels. his son.
Watt Davenport, w. c. Andrews
and T. F. Richards. The hooded
knights took the five victims into
the woods.
They were Questioned regarding
an attempt that had been made to
assassinate DR.. B. NJ. McKoin, for
mer mayor Of Mer Rouge. The
doctor had started to visit a. pa
tient when his automobile was rid
died with bullets. The mayor had
been active in>fighting bootieggers,
moonshiners and gamblers
CONVICTED" AND LASHED.
The hooded men. acting as Judge
and jury. held a kangaroo court"
In the woods. All five were con
-victed" ]. L. Daniel. the aged
father of Major Daniels, was whip
ped. to make him confess. The
son, hearing his fathers groans
beneath the lash. cried out: This Is
O hell Of a state Of affairs for you
to whip my old father while I'm
tied and cannot do a thing to help
him"
The mob stopped lashing the old
man and turned on his son and
Richards. The two were brought
into the circle and questioned.
Both declared they knew nothing
Of the Dr. McKoin affair. Then
they were whipped
Major Daniels struggled and man.
aged to free one arm He tore the
mask from one Of the hooded men
who welded the lash. He recog-
pized his tormentor. The unmask-
ed knight drew his pistol and shot
Daniels dead. Richards stood
nearby. His face showed he recog-
nized the man unmasked. He was
shot dead where he stood.
The masked mob held council
Three prisoners were released with
"A warning never to tell what they
had seen and heard. The bodies
loaded in an automobile, were taken
to Lake La Fourche. An old negro
ferryman ran for his life at the
approach Of the white robed figures.
With two old wagon wheels the
bodies were weighted and hurled
into the water. The dynamite OF
last night brought them to the
surface.
SURE OF IDENTITY.
Although the bodies are IN baoly
decomposed state, Morehouse Far
fsh residents are certain they are
those of Watt Daniel and Thomas
Richards. who were kidnapped by a
masked band on a road near mere
August "a last and have not been
seen since
The bodies came to the surface
ns a result of dynamiting shortly
after midnight Friday by unknown
parties. A negro living near the
Yerry where the blast was fired
heard the explosion, but made no
investigation. Several others in
that neighborhood told OF hearing
hlaafa