New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-18
ORLEANS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER l8 1870

the women and children in the near neigh
bOrhood, and behind them on the galleries;
saw several persons passing into the Jail
with guns, returning without them there
the witness pointed out Cooper, as one OF
the persons mentioned); saw Antoine Cuis-
inard, that is him there the witness pointed
out Cuisinard); he said he was the jailor;
he told me that there were no arms In the
jail: l entered the Jail and found several
guns and revolvers, all of which
had been discharged but short
time previously; Cuisinard said that
none of his assistants had fired; /
showed him the weapons in the Jail, and he
confessed that they had been fired, but said
he did not know who had fired them. Scott
Gordon was on the Boulevard, armed; Twill
further state that in the courtroom where
the ballot-bOxes had been placed, the tables
| and chairs were all overturned: everything
was in the utmost confusion; the official pa
pers were all torn up and scattered; one
colored man was on the floor, wounded in
the thigh; another had been put on a table;
! this latter had been shot through the head:
! he died while I was there; | may further
| state that found none of the cOlOred men
| (Republicansl armeI; afterward encOun-
| tered twelve or fifteen men armed: found
| they were escOrting the Deputy Marshal.
| who had the ballot boxes in charge: | di-
| rected him to deliver the boxes to the Com
missioner Of Elections, and disperse his
men. These were the only armed men
| did not arrest.
In answer to a question of Mr.. Gurley,
the witness stated that the men on the
| Boulevard were formed in position to use
arms, their attitude indicating an intention
| to use violence.
sent the parties whom l had arrested
! and disarmed, to the garrison under guard
| The crowd arrested were within easy pistol
| shot of the courthouse. They fell back as
/ approached, and formed in another street
| l have reason to think with the intention of
| surprising me. / sent all the arrested par
| ties to the garrison in one body, escorted
by troops, and SO arranged that they could
| have no communication with any one
outside Lieutenant Cook nnlanded
the detachment sent with the pris
| ers Previously had cOnversa-
tions with United States Commissioners
Van Ornum and United States Marshal
Schroten. who desired me to hold the pris-
| oners as warrants against then would be
prepared immediately; my orders to Lieu
tenant Cock had been carried out. and the
prisoners remained in custody until sent on
| board the United States revenue cutter Will
| derness on the twelfth instant: | arrested Il
number Of persons next day (after the elec-
tom on warrants; there the witness pointed
ont Chesney, Wies, Buckner, Laux. Hnbbs
and Lobdell): remember Lobdell on the
|
cannot be mistaken about him: he escaped
! at that time; went to the engine-house
| with view to ascertain if the ringing of
| the bell heard had been a real alarm OF lre,
but found that the engines had not left
the house at all: there were nnmistakable
| indications of this.
In answer TO a question by the counsel
| for the government. the witness stated that
| the courthouse, where the ballot boxes had
! been. was not only in confusion. but that
there were unmistakable indications of its
| having been fred into; this being shown by
the appearance of the windows and walls.
| There was but one shot fired after my ap-
pearance 1T the scene of disturbance
| nothing else but my coming with troops
caused the cessation of the firing; the firing
was kept up till appeared on the ground.
In the course Of his testimony Captain
| Myers had pointed out in the courtroom a
number of persons whom he had arrested
on the night Of the disturbance and on the
| following day: Chesney, Wies, Buckuer
Laux, Huhbs, Lobdell, Lesage, Hay,
Michael Lusk. McQh;psey and Gordon.
Mr.. Gurley now moved the court that the
| names of the accused be called, that the
witness might the better identify them.
Mr.. Fuqua, for the defense, objected TO
this as in the nature of leading question.
| Considerable debate then took place be
tween counsel on both sides, bnt the court
| finally ruled that the names Of the accused
should be called. as moved by the counsel
for the government.
The names of the accused having been
called. the witness identified, as having
been arrested at the night of the election,
the Iollowikg persons: lillian. Gordon,
Thomas, Heenan, Scofeld, Myers, Hubbs.
| The witness named number of others,
but would not be positive. The remainder
Of the persons were shown to have been
arrested subsequently on the warrants
issued by the United States Commissioner.
Witness further stated that he had ar
rested nobody except those around the
| court house. Tie persons arrested were
drawn up in military style, as if for action,
indicating q preparation for mischief.
The direct testimony of the witness, Cap
tain Myers. being closed, Mr.. New moved
an adjournment of the court till next day.
Mr.. Beckwith objected; did not want to
hurry gentlemen, but thought the gov
crnment ought to get in all its testimony as
soon rs possible. with a view of discharging
those Of the accused against whom nothing
might he proved.
Mr.. Fuqua stated that the man reason
for asking an adjournment was the neces-
sity of the counsel for defense consulting
with their clients. and to enable them to
cross-cxamine Captain Myers; they could
not do justice to their clients otherwise, and
such conference would take up the balance
OF the day.
After some further discussion, the cour.
adjourned till this morning at ten o'clock.