The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-04
BY Universal Service.

u dIO IAO hC@S6S
:" centered the eyes Of the
nation on this hitherto little
known parish of Northern Louis
lana?
Here IL one Of the States great
parishes, Rich plantations run
from boundary to boundary. It's
people, on the whole, are wealthy
plantation owners and well-to-do.
farmers. Here and there are
scattered prosperous manufac-
turing plants. It's schools are
numerous and well equipped. Its
churches are legion.
- It's population has boAsted Of
its religious sentiment; it used, to
live together as one great family.
It has married and intermarried.
Its ancestors established the par.
ash, the children are rearing their
children's children here.
LIFE CHANGES.
But today armed soldiers patrol
fits streets. Machine guns occupy
. strategic positions. Men and
women go about the streets
armed; brothers take different
paths as they approach each
other. Homes have been dis
rupted. Churches have been
split. Schools have been closed.
Fathers kiss their babies good
by. and return home no more.
Men and women are taken into
the woods and logged. Others
are deported. Two at least have
been tortured to death.
A trial Is In progress In q
modern parish courthouse. One
Of Americas governors is per.
sonally responsible for the in
QUESTION.
He is represented by the attor-
tley general. Some OF the best
legal minds Of the State sit at
opposite sides Of the table. Fed
eral secret service men, here
on orders Of the President of the
United States, move quietly
among the spectators. Guards
are stationed at every entrance.
No. one is permitted to enter
the courtroom with arms of any
kind. Every person is carefully
searched before he is admitted.
A half hundred newspaper cor
respondents sit at press tables
Or roam over the parish. Tele-
graph wires buzz twenty-four
hours.
EARLY HISTORY.
From the beginning, the facts,
% far as they are now known:
About q quarter of a century
ago Morehouse Parish boasted two
thriving towns, Mer Rouge and
Bastrop.
/. They lived at peace. They were
corporate infants. Each had its
ambitious leaders, but they were
gentlemen of the Southern school,
easy-going and happy.
= They cultivated the plantations
which had been inherited from
ages back. never dreaming of the
tragic days to come.
The Missouri Pacific began
pushing into Arkansas and Loui-
siana. The original survey pass
ed through the very heart of
Bastrop. Bastropians smiled.
Their town was made.
The men Of Mer Rouge snapped
their jaws and said: 1--WE have
been caught asleep. It is time
to wake up" They did. Mer
Rouge started to build and to
thrive. Bastrop, for a time, slip
ped.
BREACH OCCURRED.
The breach had occurred.
Soon Mer Rouge boosted Of its
newspaper. It was the first in
. this section Of the country. Ba-
strop was not far behind. A rival
paper was started. They were
edited, each Of them, by typical
!. Southern gentlemen. Over at Mer
Rouge the then head of the
Davenport family, still a power in
the parish, was the editor.
w. T. McMeans, head of thu
: sturdy stock which still operates
$ one OF Bastrop's best-known ner.
camille establishments, owned and
edited the paper there.
McMeans was a wizard with
ing battles of rivalry between
their own towns. They fought
. each other. Personalities grew.
Finally, it is related, a pen shot
of McMeans pierced the skin of
the Mer Rouge editor. Mr.. Dav-
export sought a gentleman's
= satisfaction, weapons of your
own choosing, in a nearby wood.
The challenge was publicly print
ed. Mr.. McMeans received 1t.
He answered it. One of the most
cutting vents Of ridicule he ad-