, 1923-01-07
REVOLVING TALE
OF INQU|S|TI0N
UNFOLDS IN La.
P~athologists Testify to
ATROCITIES; Muhlated
Body in Evidence.
By E. A. SHELNUTT

COURT HOUSE, BASTRoP.
La. Jan. ga bent and bowed
father saw his sons body. broken
and muhlated. sewn on dun
cardboard. with pebbIed surface.
displayed to a gaping throng as
mute evidence OF the atrocities OF a
hooded horror, in court here late To-
day.
J.. L. Daniel, IS year old Louisiana
planter, sat face TO face with the
shattered bones of what had once
been his powerful son. Watt Daniel,
who was ~viciously and systematically
tortured by a masked mob in More
house parish last August.
The shattered body was held UP
against the courtroom wall by two
learned pathologisss. who Il staid
medical terms drawled out a descrip-
ton OF the revolving mnlming and
numbering,
Daniels sat there facing the blasted
bones. some still ~d!scolored with
blood. His shoulders did not shake;
his lips did not quivver. nor did his
eyes blink TO hold back the yelling
tears.
Outside children rolled about tbs
our lawn in the radiant sunshirs
and negroes lounged laziiy about the
gallery posts while tho dramatic
e vas enacted In the open hearing
of Louisiana's greatest crime.
This was the climax OF the hunt
which federal and state officials have
conducted since Daniels and his
friend Thomas Richards were kid
mapped by a black masked mob last
August and behind the veil of dense
foliage In the wooded section near
hIer Rouge. tortured to death. The
hunt ended n few days ago in Lake
LaFourche when the decomposed
bodies of the mob victims were found
~entangled in a fisherman's net.
DIR. Charles Duval. one OF the path.
ologists. recited the revolving details
in m~onotonous voice as he calmly
murtrntsd his simple story. couched
in scientific terms. with the bleached
bones held together by white thread.
His account was one of tortures
~rivalling the Spanish inquisition and
other extreme punishments in the
pages Of history. He told of a flend.
lsh operation performed on Daniel
before his death declared this
arms. feet and heads of the victims
were brutally torn from the bodies,
after a machine had broken the
bones. A mechanical device smashed
the chests OF the helpless men and
crushed out their lives, he said.
DR.. John Lanford. the second path.
ologist TO tell tho s~ickening story,
gavo similar details.
DR.. Duval later gave tho United
Press his mental picture of the tor
ture machine. He described It as a
three-toothed steel device with a vice
attached. lie said he believed It was
a specially constructed machine.
THE arm or leg Is placed between
the instruments and as the wise sim
liar TO those used by carpenters and
mechanics--is frightened the teeth
crush the bone OF the limb in three
places" DR.. Duvai said in describing
how he believed the machine worked.
The testimony of the two pathoio-
gists ollowed a near break between,
federal and state authorities who
have worked hand in hand i'm I'M
masking the murder mob. The con-
flict followed refusal of court officials
TO bloW n. r.. faflAnd, department
OF Justice agent, to retain his revolt
yer in the hearing room. but after n
conference a special concession was
made.
An interested spectator. TO the SEN.
sationaI Developments today was r.
NJ, McKoin, former. mayor of aier
Rouge who was arrested charged
with completely in the murders after
he voluntarily returned from Balti-
more. y
With two friends he occupied n
seat in, the balcony n heard the
pathologists' tale OF the terrible afro
cities.
Warrants for the ARREST OF thoae
who are to be charged with direct
completely in the brutal murder of;
Daniel and Richards viii be sworn
out late Monday afternoon or Tues.
day morning. IT was authoritatively
learned tonight. =
The public hearing FROM then on IL
expected 10 be confined TO those who
supposedly knew more OF the elrcum;'
stances surrounding the b~utehery pt
the two men than has been made pub
lie.
The first tale or the toEElnE cams
from the lips Of w c, Andrews,
J Continued on Page Twol