New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-17
FIRING THE SLAUGHTERHOUSR
The Second Attempt Made
Suspected Persons Arrested

Suspected Persons Arrested
The clue which the police Of the right
bank obtained concerning the incendiaries
who attempted to fire the Crescent Slaugh-
terhouse on Monday night, has been fol-
lowed up, and resulted so far in the arrest
of five individuals, who are all more or less
open to suspicion as principals or abettOrs.
| Two of these persons were arrested early
yesterday morning, and three about noon
yesterday. Their names are Bertrand
Andrieu, Maurisan Hypolite, P. Lafon,
| Francois Conrizan, and Pauline Conrizan,
his wife.
These persons were arrested upon the
following affidavit. made by L. Clayland,
Secretary Of the Slaughterhouse Works for
the right bank.
The State of Louisiana, Fifth District,
| city of New Internationally appeared
before me, Andrew Dumont Recorder of
the Fifth District of the city of New Or
leans, and Justice of the Peace, duly COM
missiOned and sworn, L. Clayland, who
having been duly sworn, doth depose and
say, that, on Monday, August IS, 1870. be-
| tween the hours of ten and eleven o'clock
p. NJ, on Patterson, between Red River and
Attakapas streets, in this district and city,
Bertrand Andrien, Manrisan HypOlite Mrs
| Courizan, Mr.. Lafonse, and Mr. Courizan
| from information received, did then and
| there wilfully and maiciOusly attempt to
set fire to the Crescent City Slaughter
| house, and did aid, abet and comfort each
| other in firing the aforesaid slaughterhOuse
the aforesaid parties having brought com
| bustible materials in said building and set
| fire to the same.
Wherefore deponent charges the accused
with attempting to set fire and burn build
| ing in the night time, in violation of law,
| and against the peace and dignity of the
| State Of Louisiana. And therefore depOnent
| prays that the aforesaid Bertrand Andriep,
! Maurisan HypOlite, Mrs. Courizan, Mr..
Lafons and Mr.. Courizan, may be arrested
and dealt with according to law.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
sixteenth day of August. 1870.
(Signed) L. CLAYLAND.
(Signed) A. DUMONT,
Recorder Fifth District.
One of the arrested prisoners, Lafon,
keeps the Magnolia Park, in Algiers, which
he reopened few weeks ago. The others
are all employed at the Slaughterhouse by
parties doing business there, and board
with Lafon. They are all Gascon or other
French.
The circumstances that led to the suspi-
cions, upon which the affidavit of Mr.. Clay
land is founded, are as follows:
There are three colored families occupy
ing tenements on the premises known as
nectiOn with Lafon, as they rent from his
landlord. One of these cOlored persons,
woman named Mary Jefferson, happening
on Monday evening to pass by an unhitched
cart in the yard near the main building of
Magnolia Park, was attracted by pungent
smell of coal oil coming frem the cart.
RecOllecting the late attempt to fire the
slaughterhouse by means of coal oil, her
curiosity was excited, and she watched
for what might follow. Sometime after she
saw Mime. COurizan, with two others of the
parties now arrested go to the cart and
seem to be very busy about it. She saw
that they had two cans of what was evil
IDENTIFY coal oil, and they were pouring some
thing out Of small can into the large one.
1t was then dark, and they were operating
by the light of a candle. As Mary Jefferson
approached she saw that Mime. COurizan
held the candle, which, as Mary drew
nearer, was suddenly blown out, and she
could discern nothing further. Not long
afterwards she discerned them hitch up the
cart. which was then driven down the road
in the direction of the SlaughterhOuse. 1t
returned in short time, evidently empty,
was unhitched, and stood in the yard till
morning.
After witnessing what she did, feeling
uneasy, she at once sought Mr.. Clayland,
the Secretary fer the right bank of the
slaughter works, and told him what she
had seen. 1t was. however. some time be-
fore she could find Mr. Clayland, who
boards in the lower part of the town. On
receiving the information Mr.. Clayland to
neglect no precaution started at once for
the Slaughterhouse premises to take such
preventive measures might be required.
On his arrival, he found everything quiet.
He communicated with the head watchman,
and of course the precautionary measures
included the capture of the incendiaries, if
possible. ...-....
Circumstances seem to show that the ar
rangements to fire the building must have
been completed between the time Mary JEFF
ferson saw the cart go down the road, and
the time Mr. Clayland gave notice to the
SlauehterhOuse watchman. For although
no Suspicious persons was detected after the
watch had been put on the alert, yet shortly
afterward flames were seen flashing up
around the rails and posts OF the cattle pen
facing on Attakapas street.
A subsequent examination shows that the |
contrivers Of the fire, after having put a
plentiful quantity of coal oil ON the rails
and posts of the cattle pen, had laid a fuse
across the road (Attakapas street,, which is
hardly ever used except in daylight. To |
this fuse was attached slow match, cal |
culated. it is supposed, for half an hour. |
and having lighted this match, retreated |
before an alarm could be given. The part |
of the premises chosen where to start the |
fire is remote from where the killing is done |
and where the hubitnes are assembled. And, |
although the attention of the watchmen |
was aroused, this attention was mainly |
directed more toward the spot where the |
attempt had been made before. The people |
of the slaughtcrhOuse being, nevertheless. |
on the qui cire, the tire WAS at once eXtin-
gulshed, before a pigs ear was singed or
its tail had obtained an extra curl
Another witness besides Mary Jefferson,
is an old man named Tom Plummer, who
states that he saw Madame Courizan hand a
can Ok coal oil and sack to somebody on
the cart, just before it started toward the
This cart. it seems, Is
owned by Madame Coylrizan. Both Tom
Plummer and Mary Jefferson. the next
saw Madame Courizan washing
out with soapsuds the cart that had been
driven toward the Slaushterhouse. Ser
geant Duncan has examined the cart in
question and found that it smelt very
strongly of coal oil.
The remains of the fuse. which is about
twenty feet long. two coal oil cans and
sack were found in the neighborhood where
the fire was attempted. This corrObOrates
the statements OF Mary Jefferson and Tom
Plummer.
A number of other circumstances are
known to the police, but to relate them
would be too much like arguing the case.