New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-18
Texas Intelligence.

The Galveston News says:
The recent rains have again caused the Trinity
River to overflow its banks, A letter of late date
to a gentleman of this city, says that Judge John
Fl. Burnetts plantation in Leon county, which is
comparatively high, has been oVerlowed. The
damage to growing crops along the river will
doubtless be considerable.
The same paper has an account of dabolical
murder, committed by negro soldier upon the
body ofan unofendng citizen of Galveston, named
l.. H d. HefenBten. The News SAYS:
The unfortunate victim left home at o'clock
P. ons5unday in his shirt sleeves, to get cigar
and at once proceeded to Mr.. Lofts grocery, but
could not get what he wanted, and went to the
corner grocery store, near the negro church.
where he got cigar, and remembering he had
message for a negro man, who he supposed he
might find at the church, he went to the door of
the church.
Whilst the deceased was standing near, or at the
door, conversing with d negro man, negro sol
der accosted him and told him to g come away,
he had something to say to him" and then pulled
nim by the vest collar, and kicked him with his
boots, and presented pistol first at his head, and
when he had Fetreated in the direction Of his home
ABOUT SIX steps, the negro soldier shot him in the
pack with the pistol. After being shot he ran
'uoWh from the church towards the corner and fell
upon some oysts: shells, where he was found and
placed upon the stoop or porch of the grocery
Al Shls place Dr. .2ande found him, and from here
Re t,, was conveyed to his home. He died Of his
woQads yesterday morning
The above statement Of the manner in which
sgs 49, Aeliehsteln was wounded was given by him
SOL is 10 ghe physician who attended him, to his
mltc,8a4 iler sister The following evidence comes
from Ashpurg Jones and Peter Carson, colored
Glnhe9S VINO being sworn by the coroner testified
that tney we're at the church when deceased was
sAot. tn9t !. he gave the soldier doe Fletcher a
MEMBER OF the Tenth Regiment CoIored Troons
no cause to modest him That daceosod T rs
standing at the church door when the soldier said
to him, 1e0me here to me- and he renliad ffbe
soldier in the meantime butting up against him !
anything to you" "oi'
The soldier then said. "shut up, God d-.r yo,, ),
and drawing his pistol, struck Heleenstein On the
side OF the head, and kicked him in the sidegsanS
as deceased raised up to run the soldier 6red tbo
pistol When he was running the soldier Stained
out of the gate and cooked his pistol and starteJ
eff on trot and fred the pistol again These wiz
aesses heard deceased hollo murder. In a few
minutes the soldier returned to the church donr
and wanted TO know who in the hell that was shoii
The pistol, and remarked if they did not mind how
they did shoot around there he would do some
shooting himself. One of the witnesses who knew
the soldier testified that he was quarrelsome and
saw him draw pistol in the afternoon of the same
day upon Logan Austin.
In accordance with the evidence above given
the coroner's jury returned the verdict that Louis
N. Helfenstein came to- bis death, on the night Of
the 18th of May, 1866, from pistol shot in the
hands of Joe Fletcher, colored soldier, member
of the 10th United States Infantry
The accused was arres ted yesterday, By the
officers of his regiment, and Gen. Wright, at the
instance of the mayor and other citizens and
officials, has ordered him to be placed under guard
at the camp of the 18th regular infantry, and will
we understand, order a court mar hal Immediately
to try him.
Mr.. Helfenstein was native of Galveston. At
the time of his deeease he was clerk in the
hardware store of Mr., J. P Dagie. he leave a
family which we're dependent upon him for q sup
port
We saw him late in the afternoon of Shat Ito
HIM fatal day walking down fremont street
pleasantly chatting with his little daughter as be
held her by the hand