Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-09
MER ROUGE VICTIMS
TORTURED, IS CLAIM
MADE BY DOCTORS
Watt Daniel and Fletcher
Richards Horribly MutiIat-
ed Before Death, PathoIo-
giSts Report to State

BASTROP. La, Jan. S.-That
Watt Daniel and Fletcher Richards
put to death on a rack of torture,
according to deductions made by
pathologists who examined their
crushed and mutilated bodies, were
victims of a black hooded band was
indicated by testimony put into the
record Saturday by states investigd
ton into masked band outlawry in
Morehouse parish.
Exhibiting crushed and broken
bones as visible evidence, DR.. Charles
Duval and DR.. John Lanford, pathol-
ogists, testified that scientific exami-
nation of the bodies of the two men
showed that they had been tortured
on a device Especially constructed
for inflicting punishment"
That the men who halted the au-
tomObile party of which Daniel and
Richards were members. wore black
hoods was testified to by witnesses
who felt the wrath of the raiders,
but were allowed to return to their
homes after being flogged,
These We're the outstanding fea-
lures of a day of sensational testi-
mOny in the investigation under
taken under the direction of Cover
nOr John NJ. Parker to fix respou-
sibility for the Staying of Daniel and
Richards, and reveal perpetrators OF
ether masked band depredations
which the governor has laid at the
door of the Ku Klux Khan.
MutiIatiOns Described
Describing in minute detail the
crushed and mutilated condition of
the bodies, the two pathologists tess
titled that the men were subjected
to torture in what Us believed to
have been a vice-like contrivance,
which broke their bones at equi-dis-
tant intervals and that the body of
Daniel showed mutilation before he
was put to death.
Two witnesses, J. L. Daniel, faith
err of Watt and w. C. Andrews-de-
scribed members of the mob, which
halted the party en- route from Bas-
trop to their homes in Mer Rouge
on the-,-eyeuflg Of August "a, last
as black hooded.
Both Daniel, a man nearly 70
years old, and Andrews, 25, declared
they were flogged by the raiders.
Andrews testified he was beaten un-
til he was numb. The elder man de
clared he was not given more th-n
four or five blows,
For the first time during the in
quiry, which began on Friday, ref
erence was made Saturday to the
| khan"
Il believe it was some members
of the khan, maybe not the action
of the khan as an organization, but
| by some members of the klan," An
drews said. He declared, however,
| he could not name any man whom
he suspected to be implicated.
The testimony of the two men !;
along much the same lines.
They declared they were return
ing from Bastrop, where they at
tended a barbec and baseball
game and were halted by an auto
mobile parked across the road.
1--WE We're stopped at d cross
road" Andrews testified, 'by a
crowd of men-15 or 20-whO, wore
black hoods. One came to the car
in which l was riding, covered me
with a gun and ordered me to the
road. I was blindfo1ded with a red
| bandana handk erchief, my hands
were tied and 7 was taken to the
side of the road. Soon after the
| elder Daniel was taken prisoner and
seated beside me. I heard a voice
which [ recognized as that of Watt
Daniel saying wait a minute, don't
! be so fast
Tell of Whippings
"Then [ was questioned as to an
assassinate DR.. McKoin. told them
[ knew nothing of it; that I was in
another part of the parish at the
time.
They said they knew I had some
thing to do with it and were going
to whip me to make me tell"
Next old man Daniel and ] were
taken to a woods where L was laid
on the ground and whipped until
was numb. They told me if L couldn t
talk they were going, to hang me.
Then they whipped old man Dan.
iel'
Andrews said after the flogging
the two men with Tot" Davenport,
another of the Mer Rouge party who
was taken prisoner, were put in an
automobile and taken to Collinston
where they We're released and told
they might catch train back tc
Mer Rouge. Davenport was not mis-
treated, Andrews said.
DIR. McKoin, former mayor of Mer
Rouge, now is under bond to await
disposition of a charge of murder or
which he was arrested recently in
Baltimore in connection with the
death of Daniel and Richards. Nc
Koin voluntarily returned to More
house parish on FRIDAY after a re
quest for his extradition had beer
refused by the governor of Maryland
He has asserted his innocence of any
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