New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-27
THE BATON ROUGE RIOT
NINTH DAYS EXAMINATIONS

y
sioner Grant resumed the examination of
the persons arrested on charge Of partici-
patton in the Baton Rouge riot.
William Brown, swOrn-Lives in Baton
Rouge and was there at the time OF the dis
turbance. The evidence of this witness
amounted to this--that a lady called to him
and told him cOlOred man was in her yard,
and requested him to search, which he did,
but could not find the cOlOred man although
he had looked everywhere in the yard.
The testimony, of this witness somewhat
discrcdited portion of the evidence Of
Jaskamski and McCabe, as he stated that if
the squad Jaskamski had sent out had been
fred On he would have heard it. Like all
the witnesses for the defense, he saw nothing
nor knew nothing tending to criminate the
accused.
Mrs Mary Baum sworn-Lives in Baton
Rouge, and was there during the election
| riot. The testimony Of this witness was
principally a recitation Of the cistern story,
as related in the evidence of Major Stewart,
with the variation, however, that the els
tern had four inches instead of four feet of
| water. The ecrOsseXamination did not vary
| the evidence.
William j. Walters sworn-Is editor Of
the Baton Rouge Adpocate; was deputy
sheriff previously to my connection with the
| AdrOcate: was authorized by T. j. Bird to
assist him in preserving order during the
| election; / understood that l had nothing
| to do with the immediate neighborhOOd of
the polls, these being cared for by the par
| ish constable, who is also United States
| Marshal: during my rounds, l met L. }.
| Bird on his way home; at the time, he WAS
| over three-0uarters of a mile from the court
house; MIR. Bird was on horseback, and the
| road was the most direct route to his resi-
| dence; it was more than an hour and Il half
before the firing began; he told me that
! there was 40 trouble to be apprehended;
| was on my way toward the town, and went
| to the telegraph office: there met Mr. Schor-
| ten. who told me that through his suggestion,
| Mr.. Chapman had requested my presence,
| together with that OF Mr.. Poindexter, to wit
! ness the counting of the votes, and that
nv presence was desired as a member of
| the press to see that everything was fairly
done: then went to the Police Jury room,
| where saw Mr.. Chapman, the Supervisor
| Of Election: the ballot-bOxes having been
taken away; ! stayed there for few
| minutes and afterward went toward the
Boulevard. Here a map of Baton Rouge
was shown to the witness, who described
| the route he had taken after leaving the
courthouse, and the places at which he had
| stopped.t On his way witness met some
| thirty or forty men, none OF whom We're
armed; heard the 4uarreling in front OF
JOhnston's restaurant, and heard shot
| fired there: then about forty shots were
| fred, which appeared in front of the restau-
| rant. opposite the courthouse; l hurried to
| the house OF Independence Fire Company
| No. l. and rang the alarm: upon that body
of firemen went to the Mayors Office, ac
| cOrding to previous understanding: here the
| firemcn were formed and went to the North
| Boulevard: Mr.. Buckner was there. and al
ter consultation. it was thought best
| 1a1i m a
rison for aid. The City Marshal.
Mr.. Buckner. and myself were appointed to
| 90; on our way to the garrison we MET the
| troops. under Captain Meyers. and We in
formed that officer; Captain Meyers made
some inquiry about the telegraph; Captain
| Meyers told lis to go home and tell the par
ties to disperse, and il any man was found
! IN contraventiOn of the peace he would be
in danger of being shot: We informed the
party of Jaskamski about this: in returning
| met some armed cOlOred men turning Mrs.
| Turner's corner; some officer, whose name
do not know, With a lheavy mustache, told
these men to go home, but arrested none of
them. The witness stated his almost posi-
| tive conviction that four cOlOred men,
armed with revOlvers, were standing on one
| side of the street as the military passed.
! Cross examined by Mr.. Beckwith-Therc
! was but little excitement Immediately pre-
| cetling the election. The witness here spoke
! of the feeling excited by the change of
| voting places; about the distinction be-
| tween the white and colored voters; about
! some of the polls being considered to be-
long almost exclusively to the latter: about
| the length of travel certain parties had to un-
dertake in order to vote: that the excite
| ment that existed before the election had
finally settled down to contest the election;
| that the parish had always been cOnsid-
cred Democratic; that because the voting
was to he massed in Baton Rouge it must
be Republican.
What the witness meant by this is not
very clear. unless We infer that at the
| country polls Republican voters could be
| intimidated. but that in Baton Rouge, so
near military succOr, this could not SO easily
be done.
There had been no resolution to resort to
force. No incendiary articles either direct
or by inuendO, had appeared III the columns
of the Baton Rouge press. One article did
appear in the -4dcoeate to the effect that
people were determined to have justice;
but that did not point to force.
The witness was questioned about the
| identity of the colored men whom he stated
| he had seen armed opposite the restaurant
! He replied that all colOred men were the
same to him as mules-he did not know one
! from another. The witness said in con
| nection: Gentlemen, l am on my oath"
Witness, in making his rounds. saw many
squads OF cOlored men: saw some III the
| courthouse: also saw six or seven white
| men about the courthouse. The testimony
| of the witness was to the effect that he
knew nothing to .disprove that the men
| found dead in the courthouse had died Il
natural death.
Weiss swOrn.-Lives in Baton Rouge;
| is City Marshal; on the night OF election
| was at saloon and heard shot fired;
went to the Mayors office and also gave
| directions to sound the alarm: l sent two or
three scouts to see where the firing was;
| soon after witness heard shots at the court
| house; when the firemen were on the bOule-
! ward consultation took place, and in con-
| sequence three of us, Mr.. Buckner. Walter
| and myself, went to call on Captain Meyers;
| this part of tie testimony OF the witness
| was the same as that given by the witness
| Walters;) witness did not see T. }. Bird at
| the time of the trouble; he was at the polls
| during the day; he was mounted on his way
| home; 1t was considerable time before the
! firing: saw o. Hubbs also.
| A list Of the names of the accused was
here read to witness by Mr.. New, but some
| of them he had not seen, while those he did
| see had no arms and were without guile.
| The further evidence of this witness went
| to show what he called the stern, harsh con-
duct of Captain Meyers. and the lamb-like
| department of those whom he arrested.
Cross-examination by Mr.. Beckwith.
When the bells were tapped they came run
ming up The Mayors private office was not
| open. Witness went to get the arms found
| there in charge of an old colored woman,
| who said that colored men had lett them.
| The arms taken were deposited in the
| Mayor's private office. Witness thinks they
were taken away by 1.-The boys" who when
! the alarm was sounded came running up