Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1884 — SIXTEEN KILLED. [ARTICLE]

SIXTEEN KILLED.

Hot-Headed Politicians Engage is Bloody Battle at Loiea*iville, La- \ l V \ »\ One Hundred Shots and the Battlefield Strewn witp_Jead and Wounded.

LNew Orleans telegram.! There was a Republican meeting at Faucre Point, a, small village near the town of Iberia, Iberia Parish, on Saturday. The place is located on the bank of Bayou Teche, is dotted with canebrakes, and the low lands make it the home principally of negroes of the poorer and harder classes. These were the people who were holding the meeting on Saturday. Their speakers were Judge Fonteheu, a white Republican, and one or two colored politicians from Louisville. The speeches were i articularly bitter and the speakers laid great emphasis on their experience of last summer when the State militia took the Court House by force and turned the administration ever to the Democracy. Then res alt of the speeches was that the negroes became agitated, and those of the Republican faith were furious in their passions. As the meeting was about to close some colored Democrats came up and began to discuss the question, with the men who had straggled ont m grouus from the place at which the meeting bad been held. In one of these groups the discussion had grown into a desperate quarrel, and the men were dividing for a battle, when Joe Gilfoux, a white Democrat, stepped into the crowd and took a hand in the discussion. He was a prominent character in the quarrel of last summer, and his presence Increased the indignation of the Repxblioans. Epithets came quick, and GUfaux had been in the crowd but a moment when a negro fired from a pistol in his pocket and the ball passed through Gilfaux’s hat The latter responded to the attack by drawing a gun, and had fired one harmless shot when he received a fatal wound. He fell dead in bis tracks, and his death was the signal for a quick and furious attack. A number of Democratic politicians, whose presence had not been observed, rushed suddenly to the scene, and, commanding their friends to form a line, they at once sent a murderous volley into the crowd of negroes. Many of the latter fell, some dead, others dangerously wounded, aßd many more or less hurt. The shots had attracted many of the men who were at the meeting, and in approaching the scene of the quarrel they were forced to come up on the side of the Repnbiicans and were exposed to the fatal rolley. The spectacle of the dead and dying had a confusing effect. Many of the negroes were stampeded and ran like wild men into the glades jtnd canebrakes. Others whose fright was uncontrollable fled into Bayou Teche and were drowned. Some of the wounded crept to the roadside to die of the injuries they had already received or to receive fresh wounds that were fatal There were many of the negroes, however, to whom the sight of their dead and bleeding comrades was a denqdniac inspiration, and, drawing such weapon? as they had, some Distols and others knives and clubs, they rushed upon the Democrats. A furious hand-to-hand battle ensued. Neither side of th? stampede showed Bians of faltering until their weapons had been rendered useless, and then they drew off sullenly, and with threats and jeers taunted even the dying of their enemies. The battle subsided as quietly as it began, although more than 1,000 shots were fired and many knives were stained with blood before the fray was over. After the combatants separated each left the scene. The dead and wounded were uncared for. The Democrats went to New Iberia; the Republicans to Loreauviile. In tha * course of halt an hpur a truce party returned to minister to the injured and carry off the dead, but they attended only to those who ‘ lay in tha road where the battle had occurred. An embassador notified Coroner Manville of the affray, and he visited the scene. He returned to-day, and gives the following version, as gleaned from the Democratic survivors: There are sixteen negroes dead and two whitemen. I have ordered a jury, and will hold the inquest to-morrow. All in the fight when it began say that the first shot came from a negro,, who fired at Joe Gilfoux from his coat-pocket. Gilfoux and another Democrat named Beit were killed instantly, and from the first volley. The pistols taken from their bodies showthat they had not fired a shot when' they fell. It is not known how many were killed, but it is oertain there were sixteen, probably twenty. Nearly all Those killed received wounds from stray shots. It was reported that the white Republicans present wore breastplates. Judge Fonteiieu’s clothing was full of ballet holes, but his skin was untouched. Capt. Bell was buried to-day at St. Martinsville. Bell and Gilfoux were two of Fausse Point’s most respected, citizens. Their friends present, six or eight men, were so infuriated that they went into the battle regardless of everything, and fought bravely. A great many negroes stood and fought until they emptied their pistols. A majority, however, stampeded. Hundreds of them jumped into the bayou, and somebeing wounded did not get out. Others ran and some fell down on the way and died. One negro was found near by in his cabia, dead, without a bruise.