The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-06-05
THE OPELOUSASJOURNAL
oPELoUsAs. u:
Saturday, dlne 5, 1869.
Shooting OF VII. j. G.. Tucker.

Shooting of Mr.. j. C. Tucker
We made no comments last week rela
tive TO the shooting of Mr.. Jno. C. Tucker
U. S. Internal Revenue Assessor, because
at that time the matter was undergoing :
rigid judicial investigation before J.dge
Porter, and we hoped this investigation
would throw some light on the mystery
which seemed to hang about this affair.
The examination continued two days, but
nothing satisfactory was ELECTED.
Mr.. Tucker. in his deposition, says: On
Thursday evening, May Esd, 1869, he went
to the camp u, 25th U. S. Infantry,
near town, and remained there until about
ten O'Clock. Returning to town, as he
crossed the bridge over Bayou lesson, he
saw a groupof four or five men standing on
the sidesNalk lie passed them, and came
up Landry street, opposite his Office which
is in Whites hotel. Here he hesitated a
moment whether TO go in, or to 60 ever to
to Mr.. V. B. Wilson'S, the Revenue Collec.
tor, whom he wished to see, as he intended
leaving town early in the morning. Final
1y, concluding to 90 to Wilson's, he went
on to Court street, took Court street to
Vine, followed Vine street to Main, where
he concluded not to 60 to Wilson's, but as
the night was beautifully bright andbalmy,
he thought he would take a stroll. He &C.
cordingly walked down Main to the next
corner, then came back up to Vine, where
he finally determined to go to Wilson'S, late
as it was. As he turned into Vine street.
he again noticed a group of men, apparent
ly about the same number he had seen
near the bridge, standing at Judge Baileys
corner, at the intersection Divine and Main
streets. After going some distance, he
perceived be was followed, and quickened
his pace; but on reaching the Corner Of
Vine nd---- streets; as he turned to
the right to take the latter, be was felled to
the earth in an insensible condition, by O
blow on the head. He remembers that the
person who struck him was a tall man, and
he thinks a white one He does not re- :
member how he was dressed, and thinks he |
was . stranger. He heard the words id
Of b-ch, felt his own pistol "a self. Z
cooking Remington six shooter) being pull a
I'd out Of The right inside brsast pocket of :
his coat, heard two shots, and felt a sting = =
ng %sensasionIin the left fore arm. Recov- .
he went as }. fas . Judge Garrig1es :
'orner: Here his groans attracted the Y !,
ttention Of the Judge andIalso of Mr.. Jno. o
I. Morgan. These gentlementook him !
o his Office and called in Doctor Estorge. P
)n ? sexanainatieae y pistol ball was found "
0 have penetrated his left forearm, en- o.
ering on the inside, about threeinche "
rom the wrist joint, passing through the a. ~
space, and making its exit on "
he back part of the fore arm, about one "
1ch from the wrist,, infieting a painful, but =
OF dangerous wound. The track Of anoth- =,
r ball was also visible on his arm, but a :
distance from. where the other had =
enetrated. sBut, strange to say, there was r.
D bruise or confusion on his head. ai1' I ~ -
The next morning. Mayor Perrodin and
r. ". B. Cochran visited the place where -
aeker was shot. They saw no traces. Of
; nor did they see any tracks, save W
ose muade. byx parties visiting the place =;
riy in the morning. Near by was w.,
dge. Looking Into this, they saw the w
|tofa epiistolypsutruding from On old tin
n. This proved to be Mr.. fuckers pis-
!, and was identified by W. N. -Caanntiin1e,, -,
employe of Nr. Tucker, who had loaded i"
. pistol and hsnded it to him the evening =.
fore ore. Two cylinders were discharged, 49,
t an intermediate one was loaded and U
pped, whiehis the strangest matter Of
s satrEange. affair. It seems that any one ~,
,slo-. ;n.,.a.- ~, nAe 'ne pri
chran testify that the pistol must have
IN placed Intentionally by some one in W
position they found it, The hedge. was h,'.
thick, that to have thrown it there would -
se been impossible. The intersection Of a"..
e e o md streets being the place th;s
ere Tucker WAS shot, is Fonetof the most ~-~
and lonely in town. The M only 90
use near by is occupied by freedmen. -
heard the shots bat nothing more 800
streets, at the point Of intersection ,e
are the shooting took. place, are impassa. lIoi
to vehicles and are rarely 4haaaversed by s
and Why Thicker should have tai. 1--WE
loute ut night TO 60 to MI. Wilson's as
Eicniarly when followed by q groun Of os1l
! whoseefnto have excited h-issuspicionsI 'ne
Eoeedingly strange. :" l.
9th Judge Gaarriggyuieess' ahnt MI. Jao. J. "A
who were the first persons that1 Of Ii
Fucker utter the shooting, say he was this
xicated.a Other parties testify thai he term
drunk rust before the shooting. Tuck W
iaiself swears he was sober; aud the who
ers Of Go. II, 18th Infantry, testify that since