The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-12

stoned iustice Of the peace, in and for tne nItn
ward Of The parish of East Felicians ana tnat ms
acts are entitled TO full faith and credit.
Witness my signature official and the seal OF
said court, at Clinton. parish first aforesaid, TINS
''A'n ''' y -'' C. +. HUSTON, Clerk.
Mr.. Wise then said to vix, as we must now call
him ssI know that Faulkner IL at the bottom OF
tbis - To which viz responded, On Faulkner.
He has caused me sll this trouble. he prepared
all the papers," and further stated that he was
ready TO appear in any court to testify against
Faulkner. against whom he seemed much emoit-
tered. Vix was then released.
With the precious document, Vix's confession.
In their possession Messrs. Darling and Wise has
tened back to Port Hudson, and took the Nina
Snmes down to Baton Rouge, where they staid
Saturday night and Sunday. They had learned
that Chadwick. who 1t will be remembered was
one Of the principal witnesses TO substantiste
Vix's DEATH was keeping store for Faulkner
near Waterproof. La, and their object was to Sc
cure him before be could get the alarm. Sunday
they got on the Belle Lee, and were landed at
Waterproof early Monday morning: Waiting till
daylight they sought the house of Mr.. Nutter Muir
ply p. the location of which they had previously
ascertainec. To him they told their story, and ex-
planned what they wanted. He gave them the
agreeable information not only that Chadwick
was in the neighborhood, but that Noble, the man
In whose favor the policy was made out, was act
ing az his clerk. To secure both these worthless
was great object, SO Mr.. Murphy made out war
special officer to execute them. Then through
the cold gray of the early morning the two. the
detective aud the agent, wendell their way
towards Chadwick's store. They had gone as
they thought. about five miles. when meeting with
an old negro, they learned from him that Chad
wick's store had been burned down the night
before 800 yards further they found the ashes of
the store, and from afew negroes gathered around
learned that Chadwick had gone TO Waterproof,
and Noble 10 Ouachita parish. Turning short
Darling
Waterproof, determined, If possible, to nab tn
gentlemen. Arrived there they found Noble
sauntering around, when Mr.. Darling went up
to him and engaged him IN conversation, finding
out that he was tired of the delay on the part of
the insurance company IN paying him the $4,000
due on Vix's life, and was on his way TO New Or
leans to enter suit. But about that time up came
Mr.. Wise, and very quietly informed Noble that
he was under arrest. Noble, however. did not
lose his presence of mind, and when made aware
of the cause of his arrest stoutly denied that Vix
was alive; but when the statement of Vix was
shown TO him, and when he was told all that had
transpired, he gave in at once. just then Chad
wick hove in sight, when Mr.. Wise at once bore
down on him and soon had him under his wing,
bringing him to where Noble was. The latter's
SALVATION TO Chadwick was "Good God It's
all up" Chadwick then seeing that further con-
ceament was useless, opened his heart. The fol-
lowing is Mobiles confession, Uerbdttm:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF TENsAs.
/, VIM. c. Noble, Of the Parish of Caldwell
State aforementioned, do solemnly swear that on
or about LIST of June, A. D. 1867, Anthony w.
Faulkner, of Caldwell parish, State above men,
toned, came to my residence and proposed that
he intended to give me a start by insuring man;
If would furnish the subject he would pay the
premium, which he did. upon policy issued by
the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company of
Hartford, State of Connecticut, insuring the life
of one Thos. Vix, in the sum of $4,000. He stated
that he had been appointed agent, and would
stand between myself and the company and pro.
tect me from all harm. The said Anthony W. Faux
Der filed out an application and had the said
Thos. Vix examined by G. G. Meredith, M. D.,
Columbia. parish of Caldwell, State above men
toned. The said Anthony W. Faulkner told me
thatth insured party, Thos. Vix, could be report
ed ss being dead, and assisted in drafting the ne
cessary sfidavts Of his death, which we're sworn
enc subscribed TO before VIM. r. Valentine, JUS
tice of the peace for the parish of Caldwell. Ward
No 10, by Reuben Chadwick and others. The
said Faulkner said that about the time that the said
Vix was reported dead be could move 20 another
part of the State which the said Vix did, with the
knowledge of said A. W. Faulkner. l sm aware
that the said Thos. VIX is living in the vicinity
of Clinton, parish of East Fecisna. State of Louis
lana. The said Anthony w. Faulkner has con.
tiDuay urged me TO demand the payment of the
said 5000 from the Ph9nix Mutual Life lusur.
snce Company; and IT was mutually understood
that when the money was paid, he would divide
the amount equally between us F; and | am ready
and wi,lirys % appear iu any court within the
State of Louisiana and testify TO the truth Of the
foregoing affidavit. WIN. @. NOBLE.
Sworn and subscribed to before me this sth day
of March, A. ID. 1869: N. MURPHY, J. P.
Witness: ]. II. WISE.
Chadwick alsU made q statement to the effect
that some time in May, 1867, the time when the
application for insurance was made) he was stay
ing at Faulkner's house, when Faulkner, repre-
sentDg himself to be an agent of the Phoenix
Insurance Company, induced him to make an ap.
plcstion to insure the life Of Vix for the benefit
of Noble. He further states that the affidavit OF
Vix's death which was signed with his name
was written by Noble, who brought it to him
while be was sick in bed, and not being able to
write at the time, he requested Noble to sign
his name for him, which he did. At the time he
knew that Vix was alive. Chadwick states that
he believes Faulkner to be the principal party
in the whole transaction and is ready to testify
against him.
Their business at Waterproof thus satisfacto.
rily ended, Messrs. Darling and Wise, with all the
precious proofs they had secured, took passage
on the first boat and came down to New Orleans
where they instituted inquiries about the chief
villain, Faulkner only TO discov or yesteday morning
that be left here on the May Flower for Cald:
well parish on Wednesday afternoon.
Thus ends the narrative OF as complicated
piece OF roguery as ever was chronicled and of
as patient and as successful investigation Of
crime as ever took place. To the parties con-
cerned in Et, too much credit cannot be given.
For sixteen long months, with hardly g well
founded suspicion to work upon. Mr.. Darling has
pursued his task, and despite of every obstruc-
ton, has, by q combination of ingenuity and eu-
dacity, at last reached the goal. Mr.. Wise, too,
displayed in the part played by him judgment
and an energy that stamp him as one Of the
best detectives in this country. The Pheuix
Insurance Company, too, has acted well, as it
Mr.. Darling to spend any amount
Of money IN his quest and 10 take any measures
TO protect the policy holders of the company
against imposition and Loss.
Before we close this narrative of Faulkners ex-
ploits, we may state that he has been heard to
state that be lost everything during the war by
the Yankees, and that he would get his money
back out of the insurance companies. Twice
before the war his gin house, which was heavily
insured, burned down, and since the war he has
been interested in five buildings, which. all in
sured, have been burned down. He has also
been mixed up in other infamous transactions
and has run pretty successful career of villaiuy
until this. his last exploit, which has so signaly
been brought to grief. Faulkner was one of the
Two Radical members of the Legislature who voted
against the social equality bill.
p Vix ia said to be man Of bad character, and II
asserted that bis father was lynched Just before
he war for killing colored woman. This, how.
sver. is not substantiated.
Further investigation has shown that the coffin
buried, as containing the body of Vix, was an
4 - IL