The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-09-30
Examination of a Charge of Arson.

pomene and Benton Streets on the night OF the oth
August last The District Attorney was present for
the prosecution. The first witness examined was
H. Stackhause-Is the brother of the owner of
the house. Was acting as his agent On the night
of the fire was woke up about O'Clock, by the
ringing Of bells. Was told the row OF buildings MS
brother was putting up was on fire. Went to the
fire. which, after some eXertions, was subdued.
Does not think the fire could have occurred unless
the building was set on fire. The fire first broke
out in the kitchen, IN the rear The carpenters
tools and quantity of window sashes were In the
kitchen. Only motive he knows Harris could have
for setting fire to the building is that he had been
discharged by his So brother, and had been at
work on the doors and windows of the kitchen, and
was well acquainted with that part of the premises
Harris was discharged because he was doing the
work in a slovenly and bungling manner. Knew
nothing of Mrs. Sexton had only seen her on the
premises picking chips. Does not know himself
that any body slept in the building Did not see
Harris during after the fire. Harris lived about
two hundred feet from the building. Mrs. Sexton
told him she lived in the same house with Harris.
Did not see her at the fire.
Cross-eramined-A man who had been working
on the roof was he understood, sleeping that night
in the main building, and was found drunk when
one of the carpenters asked him to help him move
his tool-chest from the kitchen. Another cause for
his suspecting Harris was, that Harris did not
bank after the fire; two other men who had been
discharged did come back.
w. II. BOmdn SDOrn.-ls a carpenter and knows
Harris One night, about three weeks after the fire,
met him and Mr.. Renfrow, near where the fire &C.
Cured Harris was toleraby tight but not so
drunk but he could stand and talk. He insisted
upon their going to drink with him. They walked
towards the grocery and when within one door of
it Harris stopped and said, " Staekhause is damn
rascal and that man overhead 1--WE did not hear the
name,) is no better l will give him hell" They
then drank after which Harris went into his house.
He (Boman) and Renfrow walked on, and shortly
heard Harris and Mrs. Sexton quarrelling. She
cried murder and watch He asked Renfrow to go
back with him and see what they could find out
When they went back, he appeard to be pinching
her, and said she, Z" Oh, you know what l could do
to you concerning Mr.. Stackhauses' building
Heard him say, d-n her, she never would keep her
CUTS warm, but would tell everything she knew
Was at the fire; believe the third person. Helped
to get out the tools. 1t was in the kitchen the fire
broke out, and believes about the centre. Heard
expressions of ill-will towards Stackhause, on the
night they drank together farther than has already
mentioned Harris was in liquor and might not
have used the expression had he been sober
Knows Harris intimately about two years. Has
always been friendly with him, and has frequently
been in his house since he moved to that neigh
borhood.
Nothing was elected from witness in the cross
examination to invadate his testimony
r. Renfrow SlDOrn.-On the way to the Piney
Woods Hotel, some time after the fire and in the
They all went to the Piney Woods, and drank;
drank again at the Tivoli House, and at several
other drinking houses. Commenced talking about
the burning of Stackhauses house, and about
Harris quarrelling with the woman Sexton. Har-
rs said he g did not care d-n if he did set the
house on fire." He (Renfrow) cautioned him
against talking in this way. Harris said Stack
hause was d-n rascal had discharged him, and
so on. Boman told Harris the conversation he
had overheard on the night of his I'll. 81 quarrel
with Mrs. Sexton. Harris said he had never said
anything to her that she could talk in that way,
and if he thought she did talk so he would go home
and whip her. Harris, when he talked in this way,
had been drinking and appeared to be drunk he
was able to walk When Harris talked as has
been stated, he (Renfrow) cautioned him. said if
he talked that way he would have to bring the
matter before justice. Harris replied they were
Kentuckians and could depend on one another.
From Harris manner of speaking, supposed him to
be vexed with Stackhause Knows nothing about
Sexton, except seeing her in the same house with
Harris. Has been acquainted with Harris about
three months.
Recommendations did not say he didn't
care d-n if he had set the house on fire said he
didn't care d-n if he did set the house on fire.
Does not recollect of accusing VIM. BOman of
setting the house On fire. The witness was asked
if he had not accused Boman of stealing money,
but the Court considering the question irrelevant,
it was not answered.
Direct examination resumed.-Knows nothing
against BOman in connection with the fire.
Cross examination TeSuHled.-Boman did not take
him (Renfrow) out of prison on condition that he
I should swear Harris had set the house on fire.
Boman did not take him out of prison at all. He
was in prison for striking Boman.
| - Mclfulen StU0rn.-Lives within few doors
| fwhere the fire occurred. When he first saw it
| no one was there saw no one running First per-
| son he saw at the fire was either Harris or Mr..
! Buckley, does not know which. Surprising the
| fire might reach his own house, was engaged in
preparing to save his own property and did not pay
| a great deal of attention to what was done or who
was there. Was first alarmed by the fire bells.
| Had seen a man. apparently Texan or a volun-
| teer, sleeping in the house from his appearance
should suppose him to be dissipated. Knows Harris
| to be Woodworking man. Has known him since
| 1912, when they were both members of a temper
ance association over which the District Attorney
| (Hr SEWER presided. Has understood that Harris
has since drank liquor Knows nothing bad in his
/ character.
| Cross-eramination Nothing additional elected.
| RenfrOD was again brought to the stand, and be-
| ing Intercepted as to whether Harris had made
any other declarations in relation to the fire than
| those already given in testimony, or if he knew
any thing more in relation TO the matter; he replied
| that he had stated all he knew.
! - StdckhauSe SDorn.-There had been no fire in
the building the day of the night on which the fire
| occurred. Is confident of this. There were some
/ spirits of turpentine and some whitehead in the
| kitchen. The turpentne was in a tin can. There
were no other combustible materials. Did not see
| Harris at the fire. Knows nothing against Mrs.
| Sexton.
Boman was again called on the stand by the Re-
! corder, who asked him if, in giving his evidence
| he had not been influenced by the expectation OF
/ reward by the conviction of Harris. BOmdn said
he was not, until after Harris arrest aware that
the 90 laws or constitution" authorized a reward
He then heard it for the first time and he had not
| been influenced in his evidence by it.
The testimony for the State closed here, and Mrs
Sexton was discharged at the request of the Dis
trict Attorney, there being, he said, no evidence
against her,
! For THE DEFENCE Charles FornO sW0rn.-
| Knows Boman and doubts his veracity. Never had
any particular intercourse with him, but never
would believe what he would say. This is his
general character in his neighborhood. Had work
ed nn the building burned and had lost by it. Knew
| Harris To be a Woodworking man a little addcted