New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-29

nothing of the facts, or Who invented the
story to conceal their own participation in
the double murder and fendish mutilation
of the body Of one of the purest and most
inofensive gentlemen on the face of Gods
| earth
l now respectfully ask the Use OF so
much of your paper as this letter will
occupy, to say few words in memory OF
my old and intimate friend and school
mate, and of your class-mate, whose life
of usefulness was so suddenly cut of by
the hands of assassins, who, besides mutt
lating the body, to conceal their guilt or to
crafty the worst of passions, have caused
the injurious statement to be published.
This request would have been made sooner
but for belief that you would soon dis
cover aud denounce the imposition upon
your paper, and the wrong occasioned
thereby.
| Afidavits have been sworn to by ignorant
people, who, being unable to read or write'
have affixed their marks thereto, Without
knowing what they were swearing to-.
| Although these atfidavits contain the names
of some Of my warm personal friends, who
are charged therein with being implicated
| in the election riots, out of which the homi-
cides resulted, it is not my intention here to
defend the living, but the dead.
From infancy up, William C. Lawes has
been remarked for his quiet, gentle, and
amiable disposition. He was warm-hearted
and kind, and bore enmity to no human
| being. Born and raised in the parish where
he was murdered he was never known to
have been engaged in any difficulty, except
as peace-maker, the very mission from
which he was returning when he was SO
cruelty. murdered. Modest and retiring in
all who knew him. In the ''better days of
our Republic" he was elected to the State
Senate, in which he faithfully represented
his district
Judge Lawes was not rebel Judge, as
the public have been led to believe. In the
outspoken and undinching Union nan. He
was appointed Judge Of the then Fourth
judicial District to fill the vacancy occa-
stoned by the death of the hmentod Albert
Duffel, long before the days Of rebellion,
and the highest compliment which can be
paid to him is to state the fact that while
Judge Lawes was ever known as an Old Line
Wing, he received his appointment from a
Democratic Governor and was confirmed by
a Democratic Senate. His selection by a
political opponent was in consequence Of
his universally admitted legal attainments
and his acknowledged integrity.
The idea that such man would turn and
kill his companion and colleague while re-
turning in the same buggy from success
full mission Of peace, was 80 preposterous
that even its originators have been forced
to modify their Islander. In the testimony
given before the United States Commits
sioner it was stated that Mayor Schonberg
was accidentally killed by pistol in the
hands Of Judge Lawes: but the fact that no
such pistol has ever been found for the
good reason that he had none), coupled with
the testimony of the coroner, divests even
This modified statement of every semblance
of truth
The following is the testimony of the coro- l
ner, as copied from your report of the ex.>
animation before the United States Com
missioner:
Joseph Blanchard, swOrn.-Witness is
Coroner Of Ascension parish; he'd an in
quest on the bodies of Schonberg and
Lawes; Schonberg was shot in the breast;
took sir musket balls from his body, but took
no pistol shots from him; Lawes was shot in
the back with great many duck shot and
one pistol ball. there were powder marks
on the clothes of Lawes, showing that the
weapons from which he met his death must
have been close to his body, and his face
was chopped as with knives; there were no
powder marks ON the clothes Of Schonberg
Thus it will be seen that it was morally
and physically impossible for Judge Lawes
to have killed his friend accidentally or
otherwise, and it is evident that both gentle
men were killed by the same assassins.
Very respectfully and truly yours.
PHILIP WINFREE. :.