The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-12-20
FAMILY FEUD
OF MER ROGUE
is RECALLED
Two Men Kidnapped at
That Time Have Not
Been Heard From and
y There Are Rumors That
Their Bodies Have Been
Found Gov. Parker
Maintains Silence

Monroe. La, Dee. 90 Whereabouts
Of National Guardsmen, who lett mere
Yesterday. supposedly for Bastrop or
Mer Rouge in Morehouse parish, was
undetermined early to-day, advices
from the two towns stating that oncy
had not arrived there.
The troops were mobilized and moved
from the adjutant generals Office at
Baton Rouge, but Governor John M.
Parker and other state officials declined
to say where they were being sent or
for what purpose.
AAIt generally was believed they were
ordered to Morehouse parish III con-
nection with the situation growing out
of the kidnapping last August by hood
ed men of five Mer Rouge citizens, two
of whom-W Watt Daniels and Thomas
Richards --still are missing.
One report Yesterday was that the
soldiers were going to Bastrop to guard
the courthouse during an open hearing
of the Mer Rouge kidnapping said TO
have been ordered by Governor Parke~.
Still another was that they would drag
d lake near Mer Rouge which is be-
lieved by relatives of the missing men
NAV contain their bodies.
Mayor Robert Dade Of Mer Rouge
said to-day he had been directed to ar
range for camp site for the guards
men but declared he knew nothing OF
their probable arrival or present where
abouts.
The Mer Rouge kidnapping case,
which for four months has baffled all
spf the legal machinery of the state Of
louisiana, originated, it is said, as a
result of feud between rival factions
of Morehouse parish.
Although the X. X. X. organization
of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi
has been charged in some quarters with
behir involved in the mysterious disap-
pearance of Major Watt Daniels and
Thomas Fletcher Richards, citizens of
Aier Rouge. and many citizens Of
northeast Louisiana believe that the
case goes much deeper than alleged kI
Klux Klan animosity and is more or
less racial, rivalling IN many respects
the celebrated feuds of the Cumber-
land mountains of Kentucky, Tennes-
see and Virginia.
a Although the feudal fight was said 20
have been brewing for quarter Of a
century, involving some of the leading
families Of Morehouse parish, climax
was reached on Aug. "a, when J. l..
Daniels, 20 years old, former prominent
/, Mer Rouge merchant; Watt Daniels,
his son; Thomas F. Richards; Watt
Davenport, scion Of leading Louisiana
family and W. c. Andrews, a planter,
were kidnapped by 40 or 30 masked
men on their way from Bastrop to
their homes in Mer Rouge.
Watt Davenport was released within
nm hour.
Searchers for "a hours tried TO find
the men who were kidnapped and the
day following the affair, the elder Dan
iels and Andrews found their way back
20 their homes at Mer Rouge in a seri-
Gus condition. Their stories gave but
little information in regard to the kid
mapping.
For a while neither Daniels nor An
drews would discuss the case, but they
finally told Of how they were kid
mapped on their way TO Mer Rouge by
masked men and severely beaten
Neither Daniels nor Andrews was
able to identify n single person in the
! mob. nor could they give any informa-
; s;on in regard TO Daniels son, Watt,
and Richards.
Daniels declared he recognized Ar
kansas and Mississippi automobile H.
ccnse tags.
Following the kidnapping the More
house parish grand jury was organized
at Bastrop and made q thorough in
sestigation but no indictments were Ie-
turned.
When district court officials failed 90
solve the mystery. Governor Parker an
nounced bis determination TO use all
the power Of the state in the case.
Governor Parker's investigation and
that Of Attorney General Coco have
been shrouded in much mystery and al
rected from the state capital at Baton
Rouge.
The current report IN East Louisiana
i that the bedies Of both of the miss-
ing men have been located and this j.
said 20 have been the. cause for send
, ing the National Guard in1o AIorehouse
rarleh