The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-26

ana olssg IS they may have been, were
/ OF sufficient cause for taking away the life of q
fellow creature. Another element of complica.
tOn is the fact thss no one saw the killing; the
only evidence, other than circumstantial against
Morris is his own statement Altogether the
whole affair is mysterious and, unless further de-
velopments are made, will prove most perplex-
ing one TO jury.
We append the important portion of the eyi.
dence taken at the cOroner's Inquest:
George II. Cturk, proprietor OF Tie Orleans
House, SlnOrn-Snce MOrris's arrival in this city
he and Laugc had been intimate friends; that he
heard of a quarrel between them on Friday night,
but can say nothing Of il Of his own knowledge;
that the pistol used had been left at the bar by
gentleman on the night of the grand Democratic
demonstration. and belonged neither to Morris
nor to the house.
Henry w. DiIon srorn-Lives at 22i Caronde-
let street; knows that Morris and Lange have
been Tooming together for some time past has
witnessed hard words passing between them on
several former occasions, particularly on the
night Of the oath; then deceased, just as the
house was closing, came in and begged the
accused TO 60 home with him, which the accused
declined, saying be was going home with witness;
home with deceased; witness refused to inter
fere; witness. deceased and accused left the
house together; deceased continuing to ask the
accused to 60 home with him, which the accused
refused, at the same time remarking, "No; |
and / WON'T" Accused then pushed deceased
TO one side and said, Go away from me
l don't want to have anything to do with you ;
witness and accused then started up 81. Charles
street, the deceased following them and begging
prisoner TO go home with him. When they got
opposite Lafayette square, the deceased told wit
ness TO 60 on one side, as he wished TO speak TO
prisoner. Witness then stepped off q short dis
tance out of earshot; after talking few minutes,
the prisoner left the deceased and started towards
witness, when the deceased endeavored to retain
him by catching hold of his arm, when the prs.
oner pushed him back and said " Go away from
me-" Witness and prisoner continued walking
up ST. Charles street, deceased still following; de.
ceased called the prisoner damned thief aud
witness told deceased to leave them deceased
then repeatedly called the accused a damned
thief" saying he could prove it; accused and
witness turned down Julia street, the deceased
keeping on up st Charles street, when the pris-
OneT went home with witness and staid with him
all night; came down to the Orleans House to-
ge,her this morning (2jth) about O'Clock;
shortly after, the deceased came TO the bar with
a small bundle, and holding it up to the
prisoner said TO him: al am going to prove by
this that you are a thief" then got drink from
the prisoner, and after asking a young man who
was behind the counter II Mr.. Clark was in, and
being told be was not, left the house. Shortly
afterwards the deceased came back and asked the
prisoner for another drink. when conversation
ersued relative to prisoners trunk; prisoner said,
m going 10 get my trunk: don't owe you
anything or the landlady." Knows that on the
Path, prisoner sent 10 deceased's room for his
trunk, which deceased refused to deliver; witness
then told prisoner he could get his trunk by the
aid Of a policeman; witness then went into the
pantry at The end OF the counter, and while there
heard the shot; as soon as he heard IL he ran to
the door and saw deceased fall and the accused
with pistol in his hand. An officer then came
into The house snd asked who shot the deceased.
The prisoner said " ] did it.n The reason that
prisoner desired TO leave the room of the deceased
was in the habit of taking improper liberties with
his person. Says that accused told him night
before last that on the preceding night he had
walked up about O'Clock in the mor0ing and
found the deceased taking imp roper liberties with
his person, and for that reason had determined
! never again to have anything to do with him.
Dr. Aichols-Testiied that the death OF Lange
caused by gunshot wound the ball en-
tered the chest near the left side of the breast
bone, between the second and third ribs. passed
| through the heart, and after penetrating the
| chest, cut out near the spinal column.
Robert Ote1n, sJrOrTl-Is employed in the Or
leans House; on Friday last he was sent by Morris
! TO the room formerly occupied by Morris and
Lspge for his trunk; he found Lange in the room,
who refused to give up the trunk, and at the
same tine told the witness to say to Morris that
he (Lsnge) was sick and wanted to see him saw
nothing about the shooting, but after ii was over
saw pistol in Morris's hand.
Gen. H. T. Hays S,coTn-Lives at 526 Bacchus
street, he did not see the shooting. At 81 o'clock
this morning, while be was passing the side en-.
trance TO the Orleans House, on st. Charles street,
| he heard shot, and at once went in the Orleans
| House to see what had caused it; found a man
lying on bis face on the floor; there was but one
| man standing behind the counter and no one else
| 10 the room except two or three gentlemen who
| had entered with the witness; witness asked the
| man behind the counter, "Who shot this mann"
He replied /" did," A police officer then coming
in, witness pointed out to him the man behind the
| counter and told him that he (the msn behind
the counter) had told witness that he had shot
the deceased
AT the conclusion of the inquest a verdict was
| rendered that Lange had come to his death by a
| gunshot wound, supposed to have been inflicted
| by one Francis A. Morris. The qualifying phrase
| supposed to ben was inserted because no one
| bad seen the deed committed, and therefore no
one could swear to Morris's guilt.
The prisoner is at the First District station
| He will be brought before the recorder to-mor
/ row, and thence semitic one of the upper courts
| when the tIisl occurs it will be one Of peculiar
| interest.
ANOTHER TRAeEDY.-A duel was yesterday
! morning, at III O'Clock, fought between Paul
| Lafescbe, Jr., and J. S. BOssier. The ground was
| little back of the Barracks, below the city; the
weapons we're double barreled shotguns. Mr.
| larescbe was shot through the abdomen and, we
| regret TO chronicle, died shortly afterwards. Mr..
Bossier was Afterwards arrested and connoed al
| the Second District station house. II appears
that the police IN some way got wind of the affair
| yesterday morning, and as means OF preventing
| IT, arrested Mr.. LaTescbe' s brother, whO however
refused 10 give any information and was therefore
| put under bonds to keep the peace. Since the
duel be and the physician who was present at the
| duel have been arrested, accused OF being acces
sories before the deed. The cause of the difficulty
we DO not know, but have been told that it origin
sted in dispute relative to a lady. Mr.. Larescht
" as the chal lenging party.
Since writing the above we have learned The
fons ing additional particulars There had beer
| a quarrel existing for some days between th'
parties, both Of them very young men. Mr.. La
| Tesche, in sn alteration, on Thursday forenoon
on Commercial Alley, told Mr.. B0ssier to consider
Lis face slapped. Mr.. Bossier was inclined tC
treat the matter as jest, and the parties sepa
rated. Meeting afterwards, words became 30 higt
that Mr. Boesier struck Mr.. Laresche, and received
a achslienPe the same day. Mr. BOsser accepted anC
ected the double barrel gun, one barrel lOade'
with ball. The parties metab0ut half past clever
An. yesterday in the rear Of lantation near th
battle-ground. at the first fire Mr.. Laresche's bal
passtd very near Mr. Bosser's face, whilst th
laiter's gun snapped the zap merely, and did no
60 of. At the second FIRE Mr.. Bossier pulle
trigger at he word one firing. first and shooting hi
antagonist through the body above the hips Mr.
Lsrtsche's aim, of coure, was di concerted b