Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1848-09-30
Mpappn Will Our Tho slaves Zen

tuck, Nose, and Harry. The property Of
| Benjamin Poyiras and others, wete tried
on Monday blst, ut the Court housn, by two
Justices Of the Peace and tan respectable
slaveholIers. Those slaves were arrested
| about n week sihcs upon the affidavit Of
Mr. Thomas Chapotnn, aud Mr.. -- Bry-
an, who stated that Tho named above
| slaves, they believed, were concerned In
the mufdpr Of Thompson, Of whose mYste-
riots Disappearance WE published IONS
tims since. Twenty five or thirty witness.
es we're examined. The principal witness
NJ. Thomas Ctapotou, who made the
affidavit, WA not al The trial. The dis
trict Attorney then applied for n Bench
warrant for his arrest, which was immn~
| diateIy issued, but he was not to be found.
Several Witnesses ware examined and they
knew nothing, except from ranor, and the
Court would not Hdnit them to state any
thing excerpt what they had seen and knew
from their personal knowledge.
The prosecution was conducted by All
guste Provosty, Esq, on the par. Of the
accused, and tie district Attorney,
Pierre A. Roy. Esq. on the part OF
The State. who i entitled to much credit
for his zanl and interchangeable exertjons to
prosecute those whom, he thinks, are act
ing against The dignity and laws Of The
State and Parish. the community ut large
will approve Of bis conduct in sustaining
The laws Of the State, and 10 find that they
have some one Ia represent them who will
not let the l. avs be tfampled upon with i'm
punity.
Zig Joe, being brought to The stand,
stated as follows That. about nine
o'clock at u ght, af or the horn had been
blown for The negroes to retire to bed, he
heard The report Of a gun, he repaired to
the spot and found Thompson lying on The
ground shot and the overseer near him, he
was not yet dead. The overseer beat the
deceased with tho butt end Of his gun, he
then sent for Il fifty pound Weight lying III.
der the house the weight being brought,
Thompson was dragged 10 III Oh nal,
where the fifty pound weight was lied 10
his body, aud witness, the accused, aud
two others assisted to take the body in 81
pirogne and throw il in Tho Chenat. Two
or three days afterwards. the body uppe r.
Cd on the surface Of the water, they then
tied II mill. stone to the body, but | ~ltelieve
God had forbidden The body from sinking.
The overs er ordered Us to take the body
{" in a cart and bury il back in the cane, enc
he and several others could point out the
place where he was buried.
The d strict Attorney moved the Court,
that a jury Of inquest should he summoned
to repait to the spot, and take with their
the negroes who stated that they coUit
point out The spot. The motion was ganted
The court took a recess for half an hour
in the evening, for the purpose Of asceF-
tanning if the principal witness could no
be procured. During the recess, tho die,
trict Attorney made affidavit before J. De
moruelle, Jr., Esq. against Mr.. - Mar
tin, stating, That there were strong grounds
to suspect said Martin Of committing the
murder of Thompson, a warrant was Inn
mediateIy issued. aud the accused was i'm.
modiatCly brought into court. Angnste
Provosty, Fsq, appeared on the part ofthe
accused, and the district Attorney on the
part Of the State. After much argument
on both sides, the case was fixed FOR
Thursday, TO ascertain whether II vas n
baiIable case or not, or whether The jus
tice, should even require bsit, as M posi-
tive evidence was adduced, The Justice,
John DemorueIle, Esq, decided that IL was
not a bailabIe case. We have been in
formed that u writ Of habeas corpus will be
applied for to the Judge Of the adjoining
Parish At St. FrancisviIIe, and that the
trial will take place on Monday next.
On Tuesday, The jury repaired 10 the
spot with the witnesses, and The body was
disentetred and was recognized as the bo-
dy Of Thompson, although buried four of
five months On examination Of the body
it appears hat eight buekshot were found
in bis back or shoulder, and hat The lower
part Of his cars were cut of, he being in
the habit of wearing god earrings.
Po5ntc Conpee Echo.