The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-04
INTIMIDATION WAS
RULE IN MOREFIOUSE
in RECENT MONTHS
Determination of Hooded Band to Control Led,
Say State Officials, to FlOggmgs, Deporta-
tiOnS, Midnight Raids and Ultimately TO
Most Horrible Deaths by Torture Ever Per
petTated i'm Amy Civilized Nation.

ganization's two reputed leaders.
Captain SIxipwith and DR.. Mclsoin.
The khan SCOTS ut first, then be-
comes determined. The mayor OF
Mer Rouge receives threatening
letters. threats that . band OF men
1000 strong viii descend on the
community unless things quiet
down. Men and women arm them
selves.
Formal peace efforts. move
ments embracing the whole parish.
were undertaken. Then Daven-
port went to Judge Odom to see
what could be done.
CONFERENCES HELD.
Judge Odom advised D confer
ence OF leaders Of Mer Rouge
with leaders Of Bastrop. Several
conferences were held. Captain
skipwith attended a. the recog.
nized spokesman Of the khan.
Or. McKoin was present at most
Of them. although he had now
left Mer Rouge and moved to
Monroe.
Captain Slxipwith, the evidences
shows. announced his terms to
the men Of Mer Rouge. The
terms upon which they could
have peace: the terms upon which
bloodshed could be averted. And
this ultimatum was that Town
Marshal Walter Campbell, A. c.
Whipple ana Tom Miner nad 10
get out Of the parish ana stay
out. They talked too much. They
denounced the khan too vigorous
". They were not wanted.
Finally. however. q modification
Of the Skipwith order was
gained. Miner had already fled;
Campbell and Whipple could re-
main II they would quit talking
and II someone would vOuch for
their good conduct and proper
discreetness Of tongue. These
vouchers were given.
GOVERNOR TAKES HAND.
But while this was going ON
there was another great move.
ment under way. Old j. L.
Daniel and the widow Of Richards
had appealed to Governor Parker.
So had some OF the most prominent
and most sturdy citizens Of the
parish. He started an investiga-
ton OF his own.
The governor became convinced,
he has openly stated. that the
Ku Klux Khan was responsible
for the reign Of terror which had
swept the parish. He went to
Washington and appealed to
President Harding. The Presi-
dent did not see that the time
had arrived for Federal interfer-
ence. But Federal operatives
were sent here. the crack men Of
the Department Of Justice, and
told to get busy.
CLIMAX COMES.
Evidence commenced to trickle
In. Members OF different black
hooded mobs commenced to seek
immunity. The riddle was being
solved. Then came the finding of
the bodies, the evidence of tor
ture, which for cruelty and in
humanness has perhaps never
been equaled in the civilized
world. Then chaos broke again.
State troops were rushed into
the parish December 10, and
Bastrop has been an armed camp
ever since. Attorney General
Coco and his staff arrived on
December % and commenced the
preliminary work looking toward
the converting of the hearing now
in progress. The attorney general
expects results. He has main
tanned he has the evidence which
will send a number Of men to
the scaffold and many more to
the cells Of Louisiana's peniten-
tiaries.
The answer to this declaration
now is being written into the
official records of the parish.
The khan dies-or lives.