The Ouachita Telegraph - Four Killed Amid Racial Tensions Date: Aug. 2000 Submitted by: Lora Peppers * ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** * The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, October 18, 1878 Page 2, Column 2 ASSASSINATION. Bloody Week in Ouachita Parish. Intelligence has, no doubt, gone abroad that four colored men were assassinated, or killed, in this city, or vicinity, Thursday night was a week ago. What construction has been placed abroad upon these acts of lawlessness, we cannot say, since the quarantine regulations have deprived us of our newspaper exchanges. Nor, do we know how these deplorable events occurred. Many stories reach us – all conflicting – and we are left absolutely in the dark as to an opinion how, or why these murders were committed. There was a number of men on horseback in town, who rode up and down the streets. That much all the people we have interviewed agree upon; but we have been unable to ascertain anything definite further. The number of men who were () in town is variously estimated, by our informants, from seventy-five to three hundred and fifty. We are told by two gentlemen who saw the cavalcade, that they did not know either a horse or a man in the line. We submit copies of the proces verbal made by the Coroner of the Parish who viewed the dead bodies of the murdered men. We have heard wild and vague stories, of a sensational character, we will not print, because they have no fit place in this paper. The TELEGRAPH condemns these acts of lawlessness, and that is enough. Life and liberty are precious boons, and no reckless disregard of either will be tolerated in these columns. We grieve that our poor State should suffer such afflictions, but the fault is not ours. The findings of the Coroner’s inquest read as follows: MONROE, LA., October 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the body of Dan Hill, there lying dead. – After summoning and swearing a jury of inquest, the following testimony was elicited. David Hopping, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: “I was sitting on a chair on the gallery – Mr. Herring’s gallery. The deceased was sitting about a foot and a half to the right of me. He was shot while sitting there. We wee sitting talking about two minutes. Two men came along; when they got a little past they wheeled and shot. They shot three or four times. Nobody spoke. I could not say whether they were white or black. I then went into Mr. Lewis’ and when I came out they were gone. DAVID HOPPING.” John Hewson, being sworn, deposes as follows: “I was at Mrs. Boner’s at the time the shooting took place. I did not come out then; about five minutes after the shooting I came out. JOHN HEWSON.” Wash Johnson, being sworn, deposes as follows: “As near as I can guess it was between 11 and 12 o’clock last night when the deceased was shot in the house. He was shot from the outside and inside of the house. I could not tell how many men there were; one came in the house and one outside the window. Id did not know any of these men. After the shooting they got their horses and rode off. His WASH X JOHNSON” Mark After the testimony was taken the jury then retired, and after returning rendered the following verdict: That the deceased came to his death by gunshot wounds at the hands of party or parties unknown to them. J.W. LOCKE, C.F. SAUNDERS, His HENRY X DORSEY, Mark S.C. HERRING, His JOE X HAMILTON. Mark PARGOUD’S LOWER PLACE, October 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the bodies of Sam Wallace and Joshua Hall, there lying dead. – After summoning and swearing a jury of qualified voters the following testimony was elicited. P. Trouard, being sworn, deposes as follows: “I was at home this morning at one o’clock. There was some shooting, and saw the firing, but do not know who it was. I think there were about ninety men. After these men left I went out into the quarters; after getting out there I found the two men dead. They (the squad of men) went down the river and came back in about an hour afterwards. P. TROUARD.” After hearing the testimony and the statement of the surgeon (whose statement is hereto annexed) the following verdict was rendered: That the said Sam Wallace and Joshua Hall came to their deaths by gun-shot wounds at the hands of parties unknown to us. E.T. MORRIS, His ANDREW X PARKER, Mark His ROBERT X SEGANS, Mark His SILAS X CALDWELL. Mark NEAR MONROE, LA., Oct. 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the body of Herman Bell, there lying dead, and after inquiry, there being no witnesses, the jury being duly sworn and empannelled, rendered the following verdict After they examined the body and found several gun-shot wounds about the chest and back, sufficient in their opinion to cause death, they do say upon their oath that death ensued from the causes as above stated. J.G. VANEMBURGH, J.E. HANNA, T.S. O’KELLY, CHAS. T. SUBLETT. # # #