New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-19
THE BATON ROUGE TRIAL
FOURTH DAYS EXAMINATION
CAPTAIN MYERS CROSS EXAMINED
His BOldness, Pluck and CantOr

alnluatlOn OF tuo ptESou5 dCCuScu VI p''h
ticipating in the riot at Baton Rouge was
resumed.
Captain Edmund S. Myers, the witness
whose direct examination took place Thurs
day, was again called to the stand for cross
examination, which was opened by Mr..
Fuqua for the defense.
The questions asked the witness were,
permitted to counsel who, in defending their
clients, naturally and properly attempt to
weaken the force of the testimony against
them, if they cannot entirely destroy it.
The witness who is evidently high-toned
gentleman, seemed, however, to labor under
some impression that his veracity was in
question Hence there was, during the
crossexamination, degree of feeling mani
tested very unusual in the courts OF this
city.
After some other unimpOrtant questions,
Mr.. Fuuua asked the witness if he had not
said in Baton Rouge that he would batter
down the town. The witness answered that
he had not said sO but he had said that
| it shot were to be fred from any house at
his command tmeaning. of course, at his
| troop's), he would batter down that house.
| The next question was, whether Il commit
! tee of citizens had not waited on him the
| day after the riot and consequent arrests.
The witness answered in the affirmative,
stating that he was visited by Thompson j.
| Bird Sheriff, and Mr.. Elan, Mayor OF Baton
| Rouge; that Mr. Elan had asked him if he
intended to hold as prisoners the persons
| whom he had arrested. To which he had
! replied that he certainly would hold them,
| subject to the orders of the United States
! government Mr.. Elam had then remarked
| that great feeling existed i'll Baton Rouge
| on account Of the outrage upon the white
citizens of the place, and that there was a
feeling Of vengeance in the community.
To these remarks of Mr.. Elam, the wit
ness had replied that he could not listen to
such remarks: that he was we'll aware that
a great outrage had been committed on
citizens Of Baton Rouge, but it was the re-
verse Of what Mr.. Elam had stated, for the
| outrage had been committed not on the
white people, but ON the colOred ones.
! In reply TO another question by Mr..
Fuuua, the witness said, in substance. that
| he had been asked by the head of a family
| whether in case some miscreant should fire
q shot from his 1.-THE interrogater'si house.
| the house would be battered down, as such
thing might occur, and the proprietor of
| the house be entirely innocent and ,rnknow-
| ing of the act To this he had replied that
he certainly should batter down the house;
that the proprietor ola house should be able
| to control all the actions within it, and if be
/
Meycrs) would control it for him.
The witness further stated that he had
been asked by the same head of a family,
| what would he done in case the fire should
! come from an OuthOuse, to which he had
| answered, down comes the outhouse.'
! BY Mr.. Fuqua-Did you attend . meeting
Of citizens in the Mayors parlor'
Yes; the conversation was in reference TO
arrangements necessary to preserve tine
peace of Baton Rouge.
Did You say that you wished shot had
| been fred on your command:
| l did not state that. but l stated that the
| parties who had gotten up this riot and par
ticipated in the assassination Of unOffending
citizens had acted like towards, and skunk
| away, dispersed and thrown down their
| arms as soon as they were confronted by an
armed force able to compete with them.
In answer to a question as to what he had
! said he would do in case he had been at
tackled, the witness replied that he had said
he would preserve the peace Of Baton
Rouge at all hazards, and if cyerpowered,
they would have to look for Baton Rouge
under heap of ashes. "And meant every
| word | said
| 1t must be confessed that Captain Meyers
| with his cOOi, resOlute, sOldierly bearing, il.
the very type Of a>man whose words meant
something.
The witness was then questioned by Mr
! Fuqua, whether, when he arrested FIR.
Cooper, that gentleman had not told him
that he had nothing to do with the affair,
but was there as an officer, and whether
Cooper had not asked him to make a memo
randum of that fact, and whether he, tthe
witnessl. had not given his word of honor as
gentleman that be would comply with his
| request.
The witness replied, ~ never pledge my
| word of honor to rioters; did not pledge
my word Of honor"
The cross-examination vas here taken up
| by Mr.. New for tho defense, aud from this
point the witness and prisoners counsel did
not get on very well together.
Mr.. New asked in effect, whether any
other persons had not got into the garrison
besides those he had sent there. To which
the witness replied with some hauteur, that
there was military discipline at the garri-
son. Mr.. New rejoined that he had not
asked him that. Mr.. New than questioned
witness how he could remember the faces
of parties SO well and identify them 80
readily; whether there twas not q great
| deal of excitement and confusion, and
| whether he himself was not excited Some
thing in tho manner Of the questioning
seemed to lead the witness to think that the
counsel intented to impeach his veracity,
while the counsel, on bis side, appeared 10
dislike the tone of the witness replies. The
consequence waa a considerable degree of
heat between the parties. Mr.. New made
some remark to the effect that the witness
was not in barracks, hectoring soldiers,
and finally the counsel made some appeal
| to the court.
The court then interfered and made some
remarks on the necessity Of gentlemen keep
ing their tempers. The court further re-
marked that Captain Myers should not sup
pose that any attempt was making to i'm
peach his veracity. The counsel had the
right to ask any and all questions relating
to the case, and that counsel would neglect
their duty to their clients if they did not at
tempt to break the force of adverse testi-
mony that it was not the intention Of coun-
| sci to insult him. MIR. New remarked,
Certainly not" The explanation was not
received with very good grace by the wit
ness, who said something about hope that
the court would protect him, and as he left
the stand he made q remark to Mr.. New,
not very audible, but it sounded like the
words "Tll see you" In the course of the
cross-examinatiOn the witness also remarked
that he was personally responsible for all
his words.
The crosse examination. of Captain Meyers
had no effect upon his direct testimony.
James johnson sworn-Lives in Baton
Rouge, and has lived there q long time;
keeps a restaurant; on the night OF the riot,
Scott Gordon came to witness house, in
suited, abused and threatened him; Gordon
was armed. and he afterward went out and
joined the rioters. The witness pointed out
Gordon in court
Charles NeE sworn-The testimony Of
this witness was of no moment.
j. A. knight sworn-Witness was pres
ent at the riot; heard man say "kiu every
one Of them;" it was said by moro than one;
don't know who said these words; saw
party OF men ire . volley into the court