San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-22
ENTERS THIRD WEEK.
Witnesses Identify Five as Kidnapers
at Open Hearing.
Br the Assoclated Press.

Bastrop. La, Jan. 22.-The third
week of the open hearing into the ac-
tivities of black hooded bands in More
house parish will begin today, the state
attempting to learn the identity of more
of the masked men alleged TO have been
implicated in the kidnapping of Watt
Daniel and T. i. Richard ON August
~. ...,
Witnesses have declared that they
recognized five of them as follows: +.
y. Newt" Gray, deacon of Little Eel
Iowship Missionary Baptist Church OF
the Thompson section, about four miles
from Mer Rouge; Oliver Skipwith, son
of Capt. J. n. Skipwith, leader of
the ku Klux Khan in Morehouse par
ish; Il. Jeff Burnett, formerly parish
deputy sheriff at liberty under $4,000
bail after having been arrested on an
affidavit charging murder; Smith Stew
ensOn, BastrOp blacksmith, and n man
known as Blacksmith" Smith, of Bas-
trop.
The name of Captain Skipwith also
was mentioned a witness having testi-
fled that he saw the klan leader in con-
versation with a masked man at the
fork of the Monroe-Collinston road the
evening oh the kidnapping. Captain
SSipwith was not masked, the witness
testified.
Attorney General Coco and his assist
ants have Intercepted witnesses at
length concerning the plant of the
Southern Carbon company at Spyker.
two miles south of here, the operation
of the plant, and duties Of certain en-
ployes.
Bodies Came to Surface.
The bodies of Daniel and Richard
were supposed TO have been weighted
and cast into Lake LaFOurche. Around
each was galvanized wire, believed to
have been used as an attachment for
the weight. On the night of December
II unidentified persons fired a large
charge of dynamite in the lake and, il
is believed. the conclusion caused the
bodies to break loose from the weights
| and rise TO the surface.
A professional diver arrived here De
| Cember 81 for the announced purpose
of exploring the bottom of the lake for
| the bodies, and some officials entertain
the theory that the slayers. fearing dis
covery, exploded the dynamite in ar
attempt TO bring them TO the surface. SC
they might be recovered and disposed OF
| elsewhere.
1t has been established that the car
bon company had on hand several weeks
ago a fairly large supply of dynamite
obtained TO clear land as a site for &
new plant. 1t also was brought out
that the plant uses in its construction
work and for other purposes wire SINH
lar to that found around the bodies.
Feared Kidnapping Attempt.
Harold Teegerstrom. the carbon plan
timekeeper, disappeared from Spysel
The night Of December %. He appear
ed at the home of an Acquaintance,
two days later and reported that, called
from his bed. he had gone into the yard
discovered an automobile full Of men
and, believing an attempt was to b.
made to kidnap him, he had fled.
| Teegerstrom borrowed $40, a suit o
clothes to change his appearance. de
narted. and has not been seen nor heart
from since.
Jeff Burnett was an employee Of tn,
carbon plant at the time Of the kid
mapping on August "a. and. according
to the testimony of one witness. wa
supposed to have been relieving a nigh
Waterman that night.