Year: 1875

w u
Tho Picayune and nlrs. Judsc Myers-A


Caustic Reply frsD tho Lady.


NEW ORLEANS, February l, 1875.
EDITOR REPUBIIcAN:


In justice to myself will you be kind
enough to insert this card in your papers


The New Orleans Picay'1ne Of February l,
1875, in an article headed "Frightful In
timidation,"I am willfully and believe
purposely misrepresented in my testimony
before the congressional committee in this
l am made to say by the Picayane that Mr..
McKenna refused to build tombstone or
monument over my dead child. made no
such statement; neither can it be found
amoung the reports of the committee.


The Bulletin, although do not coincide
with its politics, yet I admire it's con-
eistency and the correctness of its reports;
also that of the New Orleans Times, and
the reports of my statement in the Bulletin
and Times are substantially correct.


In answer to o question from the Hon.
Mr.. FRYE, I stated that Mr.. Hugh
McKenna refused to build tomb to bury
my child in. did not say tomstone or
monument. In the section OF country
where I live the custom followed in the
burial of the dead, is that the grave is dug
about two feet deep, then bricked at the
bottom and sides, then the coffin is placed
within it. hope this is plain enough to be
understood. 1 had to send into the country
to an old man to have the grave dug and
build the tomb, as Mr. McKen ma being the
only one in the city of Natchitoches, who
makes it business to bury the dead, had
refused. made this statement to show
how far Republicans were ostracised in that
section of country, and not to show intimi.
dation.


Mr.. Myers had made his mind up not
to leave his sick child and his sick father,
who had been confined to his bed for nine
months. and concluded to be killed in his
house at the bedside Of his dying child and
in presence of his family, rather than be
forced to resign by an armed mob of six or
seven hundred men. 1t was only at my
earnest and repeated entire aties that he
reluctantly left his home, not even daring
to take q change Of clothes. or even saying
good-by to myself or to my little ones, for
if he remained felt and believed he would
be killed, as his life was threatened. l
knew he could not fight mob from Nat
chitoches and other parishes; also knew
that single-handed he is now, and always
has been willing to afford satisfaction to
any one member of that mob or any one of
it's friends that feel disposed to hold him
accountable for his political opinions or for
any other grievance he may be called ON to
answer.


This Misrepresentation in the Pcayune
relative to my testimony is uncalled for.
Why is it that the Bulletin, Times or RE-
PUBLICAN, who reported my statement, do
not agree in points of fact with the Plea
ynnes 1t may be source of much gratifi-
cation and satisfaction to the Picayune to
be facetious over o subject that every
to her. They alone, it matters not what
their political opinion be, can only see the
outrageous and unchristian-like hilarity
over the conduct of man who refuses the
burial Of an innocent babe, and in whose
heart that milk Of. human kindness is
wanting.


The Picayune may indorse and sustain
the action of Mr.. McKenna in refusing to
bury my child. 1t may jeer and make merry
over the result; it may applaud Mr.. Nc
Kenna for refusing to bury the child be-
cause its parents happen to differ in politics
from that of the Picayune; it may deem it
q fit subject for merriment and general
rejoicing, but / submit, for all that, tho
Picayune, in endeavoring to make hunor
at the expense, and swapping the heart
strings of the mother of the dead babe,
is not only unjust, uncharitable, but un-
to say the least of it,
when l am made to say, in that
paper, words that never came from my
lips.


We have many personal and warm friends
in Natchitoches. and large number of the
people are opposed to the White League,
Democrats, but could not even
call to see us without fear of being ostra.
cised.


1 am under the impression and be-
lieve that if the Democratic undertaken had
not had more coffins on hands than suffi-
cient to bury the Democrats in that section,
that I might have had trouble even to
procure a coffin for the child.
Mr.. Myers did not know that was going |
<J,oo To \
know it myself until about five minutes
before went, and Mr.. Myers on his return |
home to dinner that evening, became an.
cry because gave my statement before the |
and remarked to me "that if the |
can not prove up their case
without putting ladies on the stand, it was
better to stop the investigation, besides it |
will be charged against them that ladies |
we're introduced before the committee to |
'xcite their sympathy." I in answer told
lin that had been sent for to appear, and
lid 80, and gave true statment of facts.
l did not say that the Democrats did not |
'ome to see Mr.. Myers, as charged BY the |
Picayune, but in answer to the question of |
Hon. Mr.. Frye whether my Democratic
leighbors came to see Mr.. Myers or my
lick child, said they did not.
AS to the school fund referred to in the
Hcnyune the committee is satisfied from
he evidence submitted to them that tha
charge is untounded.


MRS. OCTAVIA MYERS.


Mortunry.
From the report of S. c. Russell, secretary