The St La.dry (LL.) G "Ums is e "t
igest ises t tae hest asegpja priste OFPlCIAL JOURNAL.
______ THE ST. LAND RY ....LA .RJ.0.......__
"'-" - ¢ L~1zA R I .......... ....
e the whole set.-ANEIICAl dy larie Mll h -
I11SAER UNION. ..I. Jiar, UShuol m ewE s Bo*1 l lee!
cilages of epeleass, For Barre sato sm
ABSORBED THE ST. LANDRY COMMONER ON JULY 2, 1912.
"Here Shall The Press The People's Rights Maintain, Unawed by Influence and Unbribed by Cain."
VOL. XXIII.---NO. 30. OPELOUSAS, LA., SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1913. $1 PER YEAR
DUNBARS WILL NOT
GO TO NEW ORLEANS
Advised By His Attorneys Not to Go Out of Juris
diction of This Court.--Bilbos Must Come
Here if They Want to See Robert.
Mr. Percy Dunbar has been
advised by his attorneys not to
go to New Orleans to meet the
Bilbos, the people with whom
Walters left Bruce Anderson
in charge, at about the
time that Robert Dunbar was
kidnaped from his parents'
camp, at Swayze Lake, on the
23rd of August, 1912. If the
Bilbos want to see the little fel
low, now with Mr. and Mrs. Per
cy Dunbar, of this city, they will
have to come all the way from
their home in Mississippi to Opel
ousas.
When Mr. Dunbar was at first
asked to go to New Orleans to
meet the Bilbos, whom William
C. Walters says will be able to
free him of the charge of kid
naping Robert Dunbar, Jr., it
was thought that the little fel
low would be taken to the Cres
cent City, by his father and
mother, but it developed during
the week that it would not have
been wise for the Dunbars to go I
New Orleans, and the best thing
to do under the existing circum
stances was to remain right here
in Opelousas, within the juris
diction of this court.
"If the Bilboa want to see
Bobbie they will have to come to
Opelousas. We won't object to
letting them inspect him, since
we feel sure of his identity,"
said one of the family. So the
Bilbos have to come to Onelou
as, if they want to try to save
Walters from conviction.
Attorney R. Lee Garland left I
during the week for Columbia
and other points in Mississippi
to secure evidence in the case of
.William C. Walters, the alleged
i kidnaper of little Robert Dun
Sbar, but as yet nothing startling
has taken place. It is expected, i
I however, that by the time that
XMr. Garland returns to Opelou
sas he will have enough evidence
to prove to Governor Brewer, of
Mississippi, that Walters should
be turned over to the Louisiana
authorities for the prosecution t
of the kidnaping of little Robbie
D Dunbar .
Mr. Percy Dunbar, father ol
the little fellow, whom Walter,
and Julia Anderson claim a,
Bruce Anderson, went to Alex
andria to obtain some clue, as tc
whether or not Walters was in
that city, during the month of
July, last, as was asserted by
some citizens of Alexandria.
However, he did not discover
anything, so came back to Ope
lousas, when he was recalled to
Alexandria, immediately, taking
the next train for that city.
It is supposed that Mr. Dun
bar must have gone to a little
place called Sandy Hook, from
which point Mr. Dunbar had
gotten a telegram, after the dis
appearance of his little boy, to
the effect that some one had seen
a little boy and a tramp up
there; the little fellow comparing
with the description of Robert
Dunbar, Jr. Mr. Dunbar, on
returning to Opelousas Thurs
day, would give out no state
ment as to the result of his trip.
Mr. E. P. Veazie, one of the
Attorneys for the Dunbars, in
this case, received a communica
tion from Governor Earl Brewer,
of Mississippi, in which the Gov
ernor stated that he would hold
Walters in custody until the
Louisiana authorities would show
further evidence that Walters
was the kidnaper ot Robter Dun
bar, after which the alleged
kidnaper of Bobbie Dunbar would
be promptly conveyed to this
State. It is expected that evi
dence enough to secure the ex
tradition papers from the Gover
nor of Mississippi will be had
against Walters in the space of a
very few days.
It is hoped that it will not be
long before this case will be at
an end, as it has caused untold
worry to the Dunbar family, and
also to the many friends and ad
mirers of Mr. and Mrs. Percy
Dunbar. Opelousas in general,
has been in a Mtate of unrest,
ever since the news of the find
ing of little Robert Dunbar, was
flashed all over the world across
the wires fron. the little city of
Columbia, Mi . This case has
kept people guessing so much
that they are always waiting
new developments to take place
at any moment.
The little fellow keeps on say
ing stories, which leads to his
identity. During the week while
ini front of the Kandy
e told his moterb
"Mamma, I know this place. I
used to come here lots, long time
ago." This and many other
similar stories go to prove that
the little boy, whom some claim
is Bruce Anderson, son of the
North Carolina woman, who did
not recognize him as her child
until she was shown which one
this fuss was being made over,
is no one else but Robert Dun
bar, Jr., the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Percy Dunbar.
Monday morning little Bobbie
was telling his mother how he
had cried when his ugly papa
had taken his nice hat and suit
off to put on some dirty clothes.
After having ridden in a dirty
freight train for a long ways he
was taken out, when his clothes
were changed and Walters prom
ised him something good if he
would cease his crying.
It is expected that it will not
be long t efore the little fellow
will have completely regained
his memory of things which
happened while he was in Ope
lousas, prior to his mysterious
disappearance, at Swayze Lake.
The people of Opelousas have no
doubt whatever as to the ident
ity of the child; they have ex
plict believe in Mr. and Mrs.
Dunbar's statement that it is
their child and they will be with
them to the very last, no matter
if the Bilbos, or any one else
would stand up and say that it
is Bruce Anderson, unless they
can give sufficient proofs to
show that Robert Dunbar has
been done away with and that
Bruce Anderson is the
living double of the little fellow,
who remained in oblivion from
Opelousas since August.
There is a belief that there
are more than one complicated
in this most wonderful kidnap
ing case, and that by the time.
the trial begins, the court house
at Opelousas, or in any other
place, where the case will be
tried, will be the scene of one of
fhe most sensational cases ever
tried in any court in the United
States. There will be more than
Walters, on trial, it is thought,
when twelve stern jurymen will
have been swo-n to try Walters 1
for the kidnaping of little Robert
Dunbar. ,
Rest easy people of Opelousas.
the mystery will be solved for
you within a few days, then you
wont have so many hot discus
sions as to "Walters did this,"
"Julia Anderson said that the
boy was Bruce, her son" and so
on. The time will come v. hen
all doubts as to the identity of the
little chap now with Mr. and
Mrs. Percy Dunbar will have
been washed away, and Robert
Dunbar, Jr. will be in the hands
of his father and mother for all
times. It will not be long before
all those who think the little
fellow Bruce Anderson, is really
and truly Robert, the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Percy Dunbar, who
has been found after a disappear
ance of eight long months.
The Police Jury of this parish
has appropriated $500.00 to the
Dunbar-Walters case and the
money will be turned over to
District Attorney R. Lee Gar
land, for the purpose of secur
ing sufficient evidence to con
vince Governor Earl Brewer
that Walters was here during
the time of the kidnaping of lit
tle Robert Dunbar in August,
1912, and that there is sufficient
reason to accuse William C. Wal
ters, the itinerant stove-pipe
mender, from whom Bobbie
Dunbar was taken away, in Col
umbia, Miss., on April 21st, as
the kidnaper of the long lost
child of Mr. and Mrs. Percy
Dunbar.
As soon as Governor Brewer
has been shown that Walters
could be the kidnaper of Robert
Dunbar, he will give the requi
sition papers and Walters will
be brought to Louisiana to stand
trial for one of the most extra
ordinary and most mysterious
cases ever pulledoff inthe United
States.
Federal-Court To Con
vene Here.
Judge Aleek Boarman, Fed
eral Court Judge, for the West
ern District of Louisiana an
nounces that he will convene
rotu rt : at! onte morn
mgofW yVryI4E
DR. LADISLAS LAZA
RO DEFENDS DISTRICT
Congressman From Seventh
District Fast Coming To
The Front.
Dr. Ladislas Lazaro, the man
sent up to Congress to repre
sent this our Seventh Congress
ional District, is making a fight
to preserve rice, the main indus
try of this District off the free
list and is rapidly forging to the
front.
When Dr. Lazaro was elected
to Congress, some of his political
enemies said he would be nothing
but a figure-head up in Washing
ton, but by his speach, delivered
in the House of Representatives,
on Monday April 28, 1913, he
proves to the people who dis-be
lieved in him that he can fight
for his rights, if nothing else.
Congressman Lazaro has been
endeavoring to show, ever since
he first established himself up in
Congress, that he was as able to
take care of his District, as any
other man the people of this sec
tion could send to Washington.
All who supported Dr. Lazaro in
the last election, as well as the
greater majority of those who
opposed him are convinced that
he is making the Seventh Dis
trict a splendid Congressman and
will see that his people will be
dealt with according to what is
just.
- The Underwood bill calls for a
reduction of 50 per cent on rice,
which would make the duty on
clean rice, or food rice one cent
per pound, and would greatly in
jure the rice industry of Louisi
ana, especially the Seventh Dis
trict, where most of the Louisi
ana rice is cultivated.
If rice is reduced this low Ja
pan, China and other rice raising
countries will be able to compete
with the American mills, since it
is true which Dr. Lazaro says in
his speach: "On account of the
cheapness of transportation, in
years of plenty Asia, Japan and
China, where rice is produced
with the cheapest of pauper lab
or, would use this country as a
dumping ground and ruin our
domestic industry, which is in
the hanes of white farmers, ac
customed to live like Americans
and who pay American wages.
The people whom Congressman
Lazaro represents in Washington
need have no fear that the "Doc
tor" will not keep to his political
pledges, made in the recent cam
paign. The first opportunity it
had to make a fight for his coun
try and to keep to a political
promise he came out with clean
cut words, showing the people of
Louisiana that he stood with
them "through thick and thin,"
and was a real true Democrat to
the core.
FIRST COMMUNION
LARGELY ATTENDED.
Services At Catholic Church On
Last Sunday Witnessed
By Hundreds.
The annual First Communion
Day, of the St. Landry Catholic
Church, of this city, was attend
ed by several hundred people of
Opelousas and various points in
St. Landry Parish. Not only
followers of the Catholic religion
were present to witness some
two hundred young boys and
girls make their First Communion
but there were a considerable lot
of non-Catholics on hand to see
the impressive ceremonies.
From six o'clock Sunday morn
ing until eleven o'clock the
Church was crowded with rela
tives and friends of the little tots
who received their Creator for
the first time in Holy Commun
ion; the large building was pack
ed to its utmost capacity with
anxious spectators and Church
goers.
,First Communion Day has al
ways been a great day for the
people of this city and this year's
ceremonies were by no means
less attended, on the contrary it
is believed that there were more
people for this occasion than any
before.
Besides the Holy Communion
making the St. Landry Catholic
Church very popular this week
was the Mission given by two
very able pulpit orators, Rever
end Fathers Power, S. J., and
Beaver, S. J. Each night the
spacious hall of the Holy edifice
was crowded with anxious list
eners of the Word of God, which
were delivered in very interest
i aners by the .two Jesfuit
RELIHION IS MAN'S
ONLY SALVATION
Father Power Delivers Beautiful Set
mon on Sunday Night.
The following is a brief sum
mary of some of the principal
points treated in the lecture de
livered on Sunday night, May
4th, on the subject "Religion
alone the Salvation of our Land:"
No substitute can be found for
God-nor can any substitute be
found for religion that golden
band by which mortal man is
united to his God. This is a
principle which holds rigorously
true whether it be question of
the individual, of the family, or
of that great aggregate of fami
lies that we call the s t a t e-a
principle proclaimed by faith and
reason alike and which the ex
perience of ages has amply con
firmed. And yet strange to say
men still persist in
attempting the impossible
task of finding a substitute for
one and the other. We have a
notable instance of this in the
various remedies so frequently
proposed for the social unrest
and discontent so prevalent now
adays and the many ills from
which our nation suffers as also
in the many theories proclaimed
concerning its true progress and
prosperity. Some seem to have
unbounded confidence in the
power of legislation, others,
witnesses of its repeated failures,
look rather to the diffusion of
knowledge and ithe multiplica
tion of educational institutions,
others, intent rather on supply
ing our material needs, see noth
ing else in national prosperity
than improved methods of agri
culture, manufature and trans
portation, richer1 products from
our mines and harvests from our
fields and commerce on our
shores, others again impressed
with the futilit.. of amassing
treasures without first providing
for their security, eager to mani
tain our safety at home and our
dignity abroad invoke the ge
nius of militarism as our pri
mary resource and make arma
ments, battleships and a huge
standing army the burden of
their song, to say nothing of
those who enlisted under the so
cialistic banner to secure for the
workman the full benefit of his
toil would rob him of that which
he cherishes most his individual
ity, his personality, his liberty,
and would make of every citizen
a mere cog in the wheels of the
political machine.
All these as is apparent, each
representing a considerable sec
tion of our fellow-citizens, has
widely divergent views concern
ing the true welfare and pros
perity of our country and the
means of procuring it, but in one
very important point they all
agree and that is that religion tne
highest and holiest element in
human affairs and by far the
mightiest factor for the accom
plishment of good does not come
in even for a passing mention.
And yet I will boldly assert that
religion and religion alone can
go to the very root of all of our
social ills and provide fOr them
a truly effective remedy. As for
those theorists whose sentiments
I have just exposed, there may
be indeed in their respective con
tentions a certain element of
truth but if they imagine that
anyone of the specifics which
they offer or all taken together
can heal the many woe as from
which the nation suffers they
and their followers are wofully
mistaken. Faith and reason as
I intend to show as also common
sense and every day experienrce
are ready to bear me out in mak
ing this statement.
When I speak in the present
instance of religion as the salva
tion of the state I mean of course
its temporal salvation for where
is the man so weak as to imag
ine anything else can serve as a
passport to life everlasting. And
if it be urged against me in this
connection that the proper ob
ject of religion is our eternal
rather than our temporal wel
fare I will answer in the words
of Pope Leo's encyclical that
while religion has its avowed ob
ject the promoting of our eternal
interests it nevertheless offers to
us in this present life all that is
really worth the having. Great
monarchs such as Constantine,
Charlemagne and St. Louis of
France were so convinced that
religion is the best guarantee of
a nation's peace and prosperity
that they used every' means to
make it flourish within their do
minions. We have the authority
of the .iopire wordfozthodecla
ration 'JuaIikE xaIts natu
WA RD lINGl TO TALK
ON GiOOD HIGIWAYS
Famous Road Builder and
Lecturer Will Speak
Here Monday
Hon. D. Ward King, one of
the most renowned of all Amer
ican lecturers, will deliver a ser
mon on how to secure and how
to build good roads. in St. Lan
dry Parish. He is an expert
roadbuilder, thereby knowing
what he will preach to the par
ish solons, who will be on hand
at the historic old building to
hear Mr. King on this all im
portant subject. He will deliver
his speech sometime during the
day on Monday, May 19th, the ex
act hour to be fixed later, so as
to allow all the country people,
desiring to hear this well known
orator on good roads, the oppor
tunity to be present.
Mr. Ward has been asked to
come to Opelousas as it is
thought that he can do a world
of good in the way of bettering
the present condition of the
roads in St. Landry Parish. The
Progressive League is due the
credit for having gotten Mr.
Ward to come to this city; while
the citizens of this city, who are
determined that good roads
would be the best thing that St.
Landry could obtain for itself,
generously donated the neces
sary "dough" to convey the
distinguished lecturer to Opelou
sas.
Every man and woman in -the
parish of St. Landry, as well as
neighboring parishes, is earnest
ly urged to be present at the
speaking on Monday, May the
19th. There can be no excuse
as to the lateness of the meet
ing, s i n c e the Progressive
League, in whose hand the en
tire meetirg will rest, has it so
arranged as to have the speak
ing at'a time suitable to all the
country people, no matter how
distant they live from Opelousas,
so long as they are residents of
St. Landry Parish.
but sin makes peoples miser
able."
The Savior himself declared it
to be the light of the world and
the salt of the earth. He was
unquestionably of all men the
most progressive but with Him
religion and progrees were iden
tified. Religion alone in His
estimation could make men truly
wise and virtuous in this life as
it alone can secure their beati
tude in the next.
Can any or all of those social
specifics above referred to ac
complish such a task? A little
reflection will show how inade
quate they are. To begin by
legislation can vicious men be
so easily legislated into virtue or
abuses and disorders so easily
legislated out of existence?
Legislation is often a rather
clumsy weapon to employ for
such a purpose. How difficult to
devise laws that will just answer
the purpose and have no ulterior
effects contrary to the wishes of
the legislator. How easy by re
sorting to technicalities to ex
plain them away. How hard at
times even when their, meaning
is ever so plain to find agents
willing and able to enforce them.
In truth any system of social re
form which does not go to the
very fountain-head of human
action that is the minds and
hearts of men cannot be radical
or permanent. If men are truly
religious each one will become in
a manner a law to himself. He
has an internal principle to di
rect and restrain him. Without
this external restraints such as
laws offer will amount to very
little.
Education cry out others-wit
nesses of the repeated failures
of legal enactments-education
is our paramount need and the
one great hope of our country.
If such persons understood edu
cation aright as including, in its
scope, as its chief factor, the
formation of character and the
formation of character on a re
ligious basis I would heartily
agree with them for this is in
deed the very point that I am
contending for. But unfortu
nately they confound education
with bare instruction or the mere
imparting of a certain amount of
information. They lose sight of
this simple elementary principle
that knowledge of itself has no
power to rectify the will but is
absolutely indifferent, just as in
different as a sword or a gun that
I hold in my hand-to the good
or bad use I make of it. In fact
highest degree of knowledge is
( otinrued on page 4)
JULIA ANDERSON DID
NOT GO TO COLUMBIA
Woman Who Came Here from North Carolina
Would Not See
Walters.
Julia Anderson, the woman
who was brought here from
North Carolina, by the New Or
leans Item, for the purpose of
identifying the boy now in the
possession of Mr. and Mrs. Percy
Dunbar, whom the entire popu
lation of this city have proclaim
ed little Robert Dunbar, the
long lost son of Mr. and Mrs.
Percy Dunbar.
Julia Anderson had come to
Opelousas for the expressed pur
pose of verifying W. C. Walters'
statement when he said, after
the little fellow had been taken
away from him, in Columbn.,
Miss., sometime ago, that the
boy, whom Mr. and Mrs. Dun
bar called Robert, their son, was
the son of Julia Anderson, and
that she would be able to iden
tify the little fellow as "Bruce"
Anderson. The Item hearing
of this statement and learning
that the Anderson woman would
be willing to come to Opelousas
for the purpose of seeing the
little fellow, immediately set out
upon getting Julia here She
came here, arriving in Opelou
sas on Thursday morning, of last
week.
The woman inspected the lit
tie fellow now with Mr. and Mrs.,
Percy Dunbar and said that he
was not her child; in fact she
did not recognize the little boy
at all, on the contrary, she took
little Alonzo, brother to Robert,
as her child saying that he
looked-more like'Bruce than any
of the others, and that he had
the same ways as her little boy.
But after the inspection was over
with~dJli Anderson said that a
moth 9 tilsrt could always
know her own,. whereupon Mrs.
Dunbar was asked to show her
little Robert.
On Friday, the morning of her
departure, as she was getting
fhEllN ITINI II FAIY.
fIR IV;O ENTION
blvuwI uae wiusind arainrb The wlhe
.r.n St~ snt asey.
The Firemen of this city will
be hosts at the Louisiana State
Firemen Convention from June
27th to 29th, and these men are
getting ready tor receive their
brother Firemen in a grand sand
royal fashion. From the 27th
to the 29th inclusive of next
month Opelousas promises to be
lively and there is no doubt that
the Firemen Convention will
break up the usual monotony,
by giving jolly dances, fat ban
quets and other such amusing
and enjoyablefunctiobs.
The Police Jurors of this Par
ish, following on the principal
always upheld by the residents
of St. Landry, for which ther
are known all through the world,
that is-for their generosity, ap
propriated the sum of one
hundred dollars to the Hope
Hook and Ladder Company, for
the purpose of entertaining the
visiting firemen, in June. This
appropriation was greatly need
ed by.thelocal firemen, and these
men appreciate this generous
deed on the part of the Police
Jurors as much as they needed
the money-which goes to say a
lots.
IOME BOYS DEEEAT
Elli I POINT TEAM
The opening game of the base
ball season in Opelousas was
played off between the local team
and an aggregation of players
from Church Point, on last Sun
day. The bunch from Acadia
Parish seemed as though they
would have been more success
ful at chopping wood than hit
ting the curves of "Hawkins"
Dejean the lcoal pill flinger.
The Opelousas pitcher left the
Church Point aggregation off
very easy, with an enormous
amount of three bingles, in nine
long innings.
The winninning or this game on
the Opelousas team was a great,
but very pleasant surprise to the
many baseball fans of this city.
The game had been conceded to
the Church Point team, long be
fore the umpire yelled out ' Play
balL" Nevertheless the Church
Point ine, was a pretty good1
team, but the score showed
that the local boys were vastly
superior to the Acadian aggrega
"TheI s.*e was 6 to 2 in ear
her things ready to bpard a
Southern Pacific train, she told a
newspaper representative and
other prominent citizens of this
city that the boy was really and
truly her son and that the peo.
ple of Opelousas had not given,
hera fair trial. Upon hearing
this statement from the woman,
the men present hurriedly went
after Robert Dunbar and brought
him for her to take another look
at the child. She then identl..
fled him, after having faiedt 1 .
do so the previous afternoon, asi:
her son, whom William C. Wal
ters had taken away from her
home in North Carolina, with.'
her consent, in February, I.:12.i
This statement did not cause
the excitement, which would be !
supposed, "among the eitier of u:
this city. On the contraryit::
passed off quietly and none ga::
the statement.of Julia Anderson
was a omplete failure, as har
the end she was to have ae
complished.
She was to be taken to Cas
bia, Miss., to see William .s
Walters, the alleged Iddaper ei
Robert Dunbar, but the uieop-e
who brought her down Sokth
thought it best for her. to
back to her home in
N. C. Walters was disap
in not seeing Julia Mu
and upon heartg that she. 1
leftfor her home he would w
at fem. believe, it, saying t:
she would ot deesert ham.; `
was bound to come to his 41 a
sooner or later..
favor," was all one coui hear
on the streetsa of thiscty ud
after oon and- ahtý n It
glad tidings, :inded, .ijand .
one who attended the iga.-o~ml
pride in telling hi·s iemb t.
Opelousa d son c:lassy ~
this gear.
Itis mepeted that by th ieth
June rolls by this city will b4 t
one of the bas1tteanrawtin .
ing her in ` _ -
struck the ld ..
Same between tihe
and the swiftness of its
team tod ~ -e
There will be a t
hand to root .o l
team at the a etIiethe Kinder
aggregation is comb donib it
one hander and st r
yelal wholkave pow e la l
to cheer atb iboys on-we wetp
say victory in this case asOpt
Cesas will winl. It casthelpbrt.
win-just look who is in t
do the pitching-the old reliable
'"Toby" Veltin and the wonderful
curver Mlartin Bordelon, dividing
the innings equally among them
selves.
Both of these pitchers have
been pitied against the heavy
hitting Kinder team, last year
Martin Bordelon winning lhii
game and Toby- Veltin, through
a little bit of hard luck, dropping
his. They are determined to coap
this game and all indl~etions are
that to-morrow's battle will be
one of the hardest fought ever
witnessed on the local field. Be
sure to go out and see Opqlousas
win!
Capt. Haas III in Bunkle.
Captain Samuel L Hass, of
Chieot, one of the oldest and
most prominent citizen of this.
section, was stricken ill :in
Bankie, La., while on a visit to
his daughter, Mrs. W. D. Haas
recently. The old geetlem.an
was seriously ill sometime during
February and it was thought,
for a while that he would be un
able to recover. But luckily inr
the space of a few weeks,. the'
old veteran was once more: in,
good health and able toge
about. It is thought that h
last severe illness rendered him
weak, hence his sickness in
Bookie.
Dr. J. A. of this eiy,
was called to the bedside of his
fatheron Tuesday. It is said
that Mv. Has. is improvin
sly.