The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-03-05
FEUD MAY COME
AFTER INQUIRY
Hooded Terrorist Probe Is
Causing Dread in South


nAsrRoP, La. March Sin .
stoioai silence begOtten OF suppressed
terror. Rastrop ana Mor Rourc ana
the ceantryside surrounding them
are awaiting tho outcome OF the
grand Jury investigation into IN.
brutal murders by hooded terror,s,.
% +. Watt Daniel and Thomas 5
Richards
untl tho hearing Is over. not even
farm can be- sold ono farmer ~,
tim 81 a raid by a hooded hand
sought 10 sen his property AZ Raj,
rrioe, No ono would buy it-until
the hearing Is over.
Besides, fear % being drawn on The
jury 20 try tho defendants indicted
by the present grand Jury. Is every.
where.
There Is peril farmers and VII.
lageFs believe. for years 20 come. FOR
Juror who votes FOR acQulttal ana
double danger Tor one who votes FOR
conviction.
Residents hcrcabouts agree Il will
be a hard task for tho state 20 hiring
about a conviction even n Il does
succeed In getting an unprecedented
jury.
And unless tho guilty IN largo
numbers are sent 10 the Failow.
fcuds will be born that win last 10
the fourth generation. Il Is believed
here.
Here are the facts tho grand jury
viii probe.
on July 10. 1891. F. wats Daniel.
planters son. university graduate
and war hero. together with his close
friend. Thomas s. Richards. a nus.
hand and father, were kidnapped by
masked men IN broad daylight.
They were told they mus, cease
their rcmarks agalns, the operation
IN Morchouse parish OF masked
hands 81 yigilantes. Then they were
suffered 10 so.
SIX days later. Or. II. NJ. AloKoin.
former reform mayor OF Mer
Rouge, reported someone had at.
tempted his hte by firing into his
automobile. lie left Mer Rouge.
claiming he feared for his life.
on August 20 Daniel and Richards
were kidnapped By a masked horde
and have not since been seen alive.
A grand jury al Blstrop lnyc.tl.
gated this alleged outrage In Sep.
tembcr. but voted no indictments.
Meanwhile the affair had been
called 10 the attention OF John NJ.
Parker. Loulsiana's two.rlsted gov.
erpor. Parker started a probe OF his
own. aided BY Attorney General A.
". Coco.
Parker startled tho nation Deem.
Der 10 BY ordering detachment OF
The state militia 10 Bastrop 70 pro.
tect the investigators.
Two days later = dynamite charge.
mysteriously set OF In Lake La
Fourche. brought 20 the surface two
bodies which testimony later Is
bought 10 have identified as those
OF Daniel and Richards.
On the heels OF this discovery came
an open hearing at the Bastrop
courthouse. beginning January OF
this year and lasting 20 days. More
than 100 witnesses were examined
DR.. AfeKoln. located In Baltimore.
meanwhile had returned Voluntarily
TO Louisiana 10 be placed under nr.
rest IN connection with the alleged
Sayings. He was released on bond
and attended sessions OF the open
hearing.
Attorney General Coco believes the
same witnesses who were heard at
the open hearing. by repeating their
testimony. viii warrant tho Indlct.
ment OF T. J. Burnstt. r. ~. Gray.
o. G.. Sklpwlth. son Of Capt. J. X.
skipwfth. Smith Stephenson and "a
blacksmith known as Smith. who
were identified as members Of the
mob that held up the supposedly
murdered men.