New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-24

| intended raising difficulty about 1t, though h
| was evidently dissatisfied with Kings course.
witness had been entitled to vote, he would hav
voted against King in the position he had taker
He had never had any other than friendly relation
with King up to that time.
Being asked by Mr. Hunt if he did not hear Kin
say, Arthur, don't wish to have any difficult
| with you witness answered that he believed b
did hear King say something to that effect. BeiD
asked il lie Gid not hear Mct5nI cali King "a d
| eowardiy son of a b-h,s witness answered that HI
| believed he did hear some thing OF that kind, O
| some other high words. Ashley stood ut the gate
at the foot of the stairs Mctii stood between kim
and the gate, as if to keep him from leaving. Al
King drew his knife he jumped back: then ad
vaneed and made pass at AeciiIl, and turned ant
ran through the hose house. Witness was ther
certain there would be fight if they got together
again. When witness saw item together near the
front door, Mcfil was STOPPING forward: thinks
his hands were on Kings shoulders. AcGill was
down when witness got TO him, and King was pull
ing at the knife, as II trying to get ii out. One
side of the guard Of the knife was broken: as wit
ness thought, from the force of the blow. The
whole thing took place IN less time than itrequired
witness to tell II. Witness never contributed
money to procure counsel TO prosecute King be-
| fore the Recorder. Did 60 with Mr.. Sears when
the latter paid q lawyer for that purpose; don't
know where the money come from. Never said
he would like to see King hung Or sent up the
river; might have said something about desiring
| to see justice done. Witness minutely described
| the positions Of King and McGill and being re-
l.
| Of McGili when he went up to him.
Henry Pierson: Was present at the meeting of
| the Union, Of which body he was door-keeper.
Testified IA. same ~ Rrsbin about King going out
and Mc(iill after him. After closing tile door Wit
ness saw them, through one of the side-liebts of
| the door, as they went down stairs. King twice
waved his hand, as if declining to have anything
TO % With heGill: Hing pnt his hand on the gate,
| gate; they talked; witness could not hear them.
| but could see that they were talking. King an
peared to treat McGill with contempt, as Ii not
wanting to talk to, him. King drew q knife and
jumped back; witness turned and shouted hght;s
then opened the door, ran out on the gallery and
saw King running under into the house; McGiIl
was pursuing with lis hand in his pocket; be stag
| gered along in drunken, stumbling sort Of way
and as he drew his hand from his pocket a small
knife, closed, fell to the ground. 0
Lewis Simmons: Was at the meeting Of the
Union. Was outside on the gallery when King and
McGill came ont had gone out before, On account
OF the noise of horses dogs etc. around the bull
| ding. Did not see McGill do anything to King.
| King drew a knife, advanced and cut at Mc(fiii
and then retreated; McGill pursuing, and dropping
| pocket knife as he followed. He did not follow
| rapidly.
This closed the case for the State, and witnesses
| for the defense were introduced.
| James Nimmo: Was at the meeting. was ont
| side the door, when King came out and Mcfsl
| after him. McGill wished to detain King. King
said he did not wish to have anything to. do with
anything to do with King but he followed, and as
| King put his hand on the door knob to go out
| McGill put his hand ON his shoulder to stop him
and called him cowardly son Of a b--h. King
leaped back, drew knife and told him not to ap-
| proach. He then made lunge, or plunge at McGil
with his knife. McGill staggered forward three or
four steps; King ran; Mct;ill followed, and as he
did 50, he ppt his hand TO his back it TO draw
| weapon; lie then put bis hand in his pocket and
drew a small knife which he dropped. When Mct;ill
staggered forward, witness thought he fell on his
hands; butwas sure he staggered. Witness strong
belief that Mctiill had pistol, was what kept him
| rapidly; McGill followed in staggering, half
drunken manner. Witness was seated on the sill of
| the window outside, on the gallery.
| Henry S. Germain: Is related to King by mar
| riage Was at the meeting. After King and Nc
Gill left the ROOM the first witness of them both
were holding the door at the foot of the stairs Nc
Gill raised his fists, in q fighting attitude; King
made motion to draw his knife from behind him
did not see him draw the knife: for Just then witness
/ turned to run out and the next he saw of them
1 McGill was lying on the floor in the house below
| Before witness got out some one cried fight, and
4 some one said that MeGill had pistol and King a
/ knife. That morning McGill was in the Crescent
| composing room, in the fourth story he was then
/ about half-tight. He was q physically powerful
/ man, and witnessed believed he was SO when
/ drunk: he judged so from the manner in which
i he had on different occasions grasped him by the
arm, when in liquor. That day, though half tight,
| he appeared to have perfect control of himself.
| When King made the motion to draw his knife. he
| was near the far side of the yard from Perdido
street, and at that moment MciiiIl was in his box
i ing attitude. This was some two or three seconds
| after witness first saw them
/ 4. P. Petit Was at the meeting, After King
/ and McCSill went out, witness heard cry of fight
| and Immediately rushed out and down stairs. The
4 first lie saw of King and McG they were clinehed
having hold of each others collars, King standing
over McGill and struggling as if to get loose Bris-
| bin was standing near them. King said to Brisbin
+" Bill, couldn't help this; Thought he had
pistol" The front door was partly open, although
not wide enough for man to pass out: it consists
of two large sliding doors and as King went out of
the door he pushed the side back with his left shoul
der. Did not see King have knife, or make any
| blow. Witness did not know that AcGll was hurt
till after he had passed out Of the house and re-
turned. McGill said it was hard to be murdered
| in that way; witness did not hear him use the
| words ssson of b--h.n When King spoke to
| Brisbin he was standing over Mcl,ill.
| John Calhoun: Was at the meeting. That morn
ing McGill came into the Crescent office, as wit
| ness thought to go to work; but he did not; and
| soon afterWard all hands went to the meeting of
| the Union. When the alarm Of the fight took
place, witness went out with the rest; but fearing
| the gallery would break under the weight of the
| crowd, he returned into the meeting room. From
one of the windows he saw King across the street,
| in custody of two men, and heard him say in a
loud voice. I. Gentlemen, had to do it in selfde-
| fense.a Witness atterward saw MeGill and heard
him use the epthet about being killed by son Of
/ a b-h. Witness described Mc(sill as q large and
powerful man.
Charles Morrison Was at the meeting. Did not
see the rencounter. Heard King say, afterward,
| that he had acted in sefdefense. MeGill was d
| large and strong man: King also was strong man
| as he believed, hut McGil was strongest Of the
| two. Did not hear any of McGill's remarks after
| he was wounded.
Joseph d. Lewis: Was at the meeting; saw King
and McGill go out. Did not see any part Of the
meeting between them. Did not afterward heal
| the exclamatons of either party. Witness saw
Mctsi as he lay in the hose-house, and went aftel
| doctor who had Just passed.
| Special officer Boylan: Was called upon at The
Chief Is office, by gentleman who gave news of th
stabbing, and requested him to arrest King, thel
at the Crescent office. He visited the Office AM
found King, who asked him to wait till he finishe,
| note which he was at that moment writing to hi
| wife. Wness waited, and took King to the police
| office. Think there was blood on his hand but d
not remember seeing any cut.
Witnesses were now introduced to show til
| previous friendly relations between King an
| McGill, and to show the character of King.
| ID. Van Horne AS book-keeper of the Cres
| ent Office witness had frequent opportunities o
/ knowing the good feeling which had existed be
/ tween King and McG;ill. For q week previous t.
/ the difficulty, McGl had been spree. But
/ few days previous to the occurrence, witness ad
| vaneed money to McGill, at Kings request, he
i being responsible for the loan. Witness was about
4 to name other instances OF Kings friendship fol
McGill but his further testimony on this point was
| ruled out, as not relevant or necessary. Being
questioned to Kings character for peaceinlness,
a4t- L hntef IN