The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-06-12

We publish the following letter Of Mr.
Tucker to the Times, for Wat it is worth,
in order that our our readers may sec what
officials can write. The stale SANDER about
a hundred murders &C, picked up doubt
less in a moment Of spleen, can receive NO
uerification from this epistle. We have nc
comments, except to refer our readers to
our last number, in which will be found the
result of the official examination of the
supposed ate nptcd assassination.
OrELuuSAS JUNE ., 1869.
To the Edit"r IF tie Ven Orleaus Times.
In your issue Of the 10Th ult. you pub
! n IN an, onynloulS letter, dated May oath,
ls6y, >ig"cd l.. IL. r., shametally misrepre-
sen ting me and deiamling my character
" ill you permit me space in your columns
to- refute what was set forth in that colnmu-
| nication, and,to state the facts as they are ?
/. | have been for about a year and a
half Assistant Assessor Of United States In
terna, Revenue at Opclousas.
2. [ did visit the camp Of Company II,
10Th United states Infantry, and did spend
the evening OF May Esd with the officers of
that company. | left there near half past
ten P. NJ. About fifteen or twenty minutes
after | ltt camp [ was knocked down, ther-
by made partially insensible, my pistol Ia
ken from MY pocket, and | was twice shot
at by some person to me unknown. One
ball passed through my left arm, fracturing
one OF the bones, and the other ball Just
srazeI my arm.
). 1t has been stated under oath that
| visited a saloon and drank liquor between
the hours of eight and ten o'clock on the
above mentioned evening. | can prove by
the army officers present here that | did
not leave camp during that time, and that
the man who made the statement per ured
himself.
There was no liquor drank in camp du-
ring the evening and the officers have te>ti-
fled that [ was perfectly sober dlring the
whole evening, and at the time l left camp,
fifteen Or twenty minutes before they heard
the two shots fired. | did not drink any
liquor while in camp, nor after | lett camp,
nor have | tasted of a drop oflIquor of any
kind since; and the story got up evidently
to help screen the guilty parties, that
I was vi anu Stot H. SILLY, 10 d h'SN
hood. Were this the first bloody outrage
that has been committed here. there might
be some plausibility in the story that has
been made up and circulated; but fortuna
tely for me, there is already sufficient evil
dence in possession Of the United States
authorities as to the character of this par
iSh. Upwards of one hundred murders
have been committed in this parish within
the last year, and to the best of my belief,
no one has been brought t. punishment.
Until this record is blotted out, there does
not seem to be much sense in the hit t that
a a would shoot himself simply to"cre-
ate an effect"
4. | had been called to testify before the
Co :gressional Committee, now in session in
New Orleans. Threats had been made
against my life before the night in question,
and tbs fact is known to others besides my
self.
o. All statements in the communication
referred to not in accordance with the facts
as have here stated them, | pronounce
base falsehoods, maliciously coined to injure
my character. JNo. C. TUCKER.