The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-18
ROBBERY AND PROBABLsMURDER.
A WOMAN THE VICTIM.
ARREST or FOUR NEGROES, EACH SUSPECTED OF
The DIED.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS


question dwell a man named Borowska, rag
picker by occupation, his wife, about thirty'hve
years and their son, boy about twelve years DID,
From the house where the tragedy, swift, short
and terrible occurred the father was absent, and
the boy had gone out on some message or errand,
leaving the mother in the front room ironing
clothes. He returned to find her lying senseless
on the floor, bathed in blood flowing from wound
evidently made by some sharp instrument, such
as a hatchet, in the back part OF the head. The
room was in confusion, indicating that the mys-
terious visitor had added TO the crime OF mur-
der that of robbery. This was all that the boy
in returning saw. He at once gave the alarm,
and the neighbOrs came in, giving their assist
ance in transferring Mrs. Borowska, still insen-
sible, to her bed. The officer on duty on that
beat, being Immediately apprized OF The affair,
| followed as far as the Magnolia bridge q colored
man, upon suspicion of having committed the
deed, but az that point missed him. The suspected
party shortly sferwsrd was, however, arrested
by another officer in the same vicinity, and gave
| ms name as Richard Jones, living al the corner
of Euphrosine and Magnolia streets. He was
dressed in black felt hat, black coat, gray shirt
| aud blue army psnts when arrested. de denied
any knowledge of the crime, ayerrinR that he had
| a rived on Sunday from voyage on schooner
across the Jake, and that since that time he had
| been confined to his house by sickness. lie was,
| however, taken 10 the First District Police
Staten, and confronted in the superintendent
| Office with Captain Cam, who made close ex.
animation OF the person of the accused. cross
| questioning him closely T5ore were some stains
| visible upon the pantaioons, hut whether of blood
| or not, we c I'D not undertake TO say. Thele
| were also CIe or Two stains upon the shoes,
| which the accused said had not been brushed
| siace Sunday, though they were remarkably
| clean.
During this examination the husband of the
| riured woman entered, eVoently much excited.
| but vet suppressing his feeling, and listening
| quietly to the supeTintendents seaSchlng inquI
i ries, which resulted only in repeated denlals By
Jones of any knowledge OF the affair. IL may be
| mentioned however, that in his pocket were
/ found two or three Confederate notes, of the
i same kind with one, though Of another denomina-
| tion. which the husband produced from his own
/ pocket. book. Borowska said he knew OF some OF
ihls money being In his house, while, on the other
hand the accused offered to prove that his (Jones)
1 wife had given him the notes.
At this juncture a phase of the affair trans
pred, II being announced that in the outside room
/ was negro who had seen the fatal blow struck,
and VINO had been brought in by an officer to give
4 what information he could on the important mat
i ter. Repairing thlher We saw, the center Of
! group, a coalbac man, about twenty-five years
| of age, ragged, and leaning on crutch, yet
| With an intelligent, goOd-natured countenance.
| His name was Charley Grant, he said, and he had
| been one of the troops who fought nobly. That
| orDing he had come from the Marine Hospital,
and passing along Poydras street, (this Is his
statement,) when he spied colOred man walking
| in advance of him, whom he described as wearing
| black hat and coat, blue army pants, and as
being taller in stature and lighter in color than
| himself. He says be saw this man, who was
about ten or fifteen yards in advance of him, step
of the baDquette and enter the house. In passing
| be locked IN, and saw q woman seated and the
| man striking ber. This was all he seemed to
| krOw Of the affair. When confronted with the
accused. he appeared uncertain about the latter's
identity, although his previous description had
| been exactly that of Jones. The superintendent
ordered him detained in a separate cell as a wit
| ness dispatched Specials Dumas and Dpert to
| search JOness house, and made arrangements for
| a microscopic examination of the stains upon the
| boots and pantalOons of the accused.
Jones is mUatto, apparently about thirty
| years of age, with q countenence which indicates
both cunning and violent temper when aroused
He answered all the questions put him promptly
| and in a straight forw ard manner, aud appeared
little if any disconnected by the position in which
| he found himself placed. especially when con-
fTonlIng the other negro Grant, or the husband of
| the wounded woman-both OF whom, It must be
| confessed, be regarded with much cOOlness, con-
sideriDg the importance OF their then relations
| toward him.
The intricate workings of the police department,
aided by the telegraph, are evidenced by the fol
| lowing dispatch, which about an hour later was
received by the superintendent from Capt. Schret
| ber of the Pacanier Precinct, viz:
| HAS there been murder committed this A. ".
corner of POydras and Galvez streets? II so. have
| the parties been arrested? There is a cOlored
man named wesleySmth arrested here and from
the description given he is supposed to be the
| man who committed the murder"
Areply was Sc 1t directing that the man referre
1
past three there entered the superintendents
| office. in charge of Special Beggs, a negro.
very black and ignorant looking, wearing an old
amy jacket, with one two brass buttons left,
| ribbed torn black pants, and an old hat slapped
down on the side of his head, with string to hold
1t on. He too had been in the army, for thre e
sears. he esid. and is a issorins man now. n wo
officers had followed him from the vicinity OF the
trsgedy to corner of Triton Walk and Baronne
street, where he had disappeared intos house oc.
cupied by negroes, near the corner. Here the
duty of watching him had been turned over TO
Officer Meade, OF the PacaDier Precinct tine limit
| Of which is Triton Walk and Officer Meade, a
short time after seeing smith coming out again,
arrested him forthwith.
When brought before the superintendent he was
hsndcuned but the manacles were removed, and
be was subjected to as rigid an inspection and
cross-questionng as Jones had undergone. He
lived corner of Gravier and st. Paul he said, but
most of his answers were stupid and unsatisfac-
'ry. The officers then inspected his clothing.
| What had at first appeared q blue army jacket,
| proved on a closer examination to be an army
| coat with the tail cut off. Now there seemed to
be suspicion that he might have cut this of to
| effect q change in his appearance, but the negro
| asserted that il had been cut year ago. Then
| the ribbed pants came of, disclosing q gray pep
per and salt pair, which the wearer said he hsd
put on last Sunday, although there were
| wrinkles end cresses IN them, as if WY taken
from some place where they had been packed
| away.
Charles Grant. the veteran on q crutcn, was
here sgsin brought in and questioned by the So.
perintend ent, stating additionally that he had
seen the man who struck the woman in the house
also take some money from her, and then run out
| with some money in his hand, and go toward
| the Bssn
Meanwhile specials Dumas and Dipert had re.
tnFred from their search Of Jones' house, a1d their
report was decidedly favorable to Jones. his wife
having, though ignorant Of the discovery of the
| two Confederate notes in her husbands pocket.
curoborated the statement that she had given him
| two such notes that morning. saying thst she hsi
, | found them in the pocket Of gentleman whose
| clothes she had been washing, and describing one
, | of thsm torn across the middle by having been
) | wet This description in point of fact correct
and would therefore seem to set at rest the coin