The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-22
PUBLIC EXECUTIONS IN LOUISIANA
Three Negroes Hung on the Spot Where
They Committed the Murder.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE GhLLOWS.
Another Murderer Taken Ont Of Prison to
Witness tie Execution.
From The New Orleans ,,,me. Can, :.

z.
Yesterday, Tor the first time IN many years the ex
IRENE penalty OF the law was administered In the
men, convicted and sentenced to death on the nth
OF july for the crimes OF murder and arson In hav.
ing, on the dolh OF may last murdered Frank Men.
above parshh In which young Menteath was EN-.
pl0yed = 80,
THE CRIME
Qn re night OF May 10 the store Of MI Chopin. on
Mrs. Welhalns plantation, ironing the river stu.
ated about two miles above College Point, Ia the
parish OF st. James, was burned TO the ground and
Frank Menteath, clerk, murdered and his body
thrown into the river. Circumstances indicated
that the store was broken into between the hour OF
midnight and four O'Clock In the morning as one Of
the coast steamers landed short distance from 1t at
about mldnght and IL was unframed then. Among
the ruins next morning were found two shot guns,
winch tue young man ma VINO slept there was known
cooked, giving rise TO the theory that he was
awakened by the noise caused in breaking INTO the
store and had seized and cooked the gun, out was
assaulted and Overpowered before he Gould use it,
Suspicion pointing TO negro named James
Parker as having been concerned in the deed, he
was arrested, and upon promise of protection aud
final release, he made confession duplicating
three other negroes, named John Williams Noel
alias Madison Hampton and Alfred Decaraux, as the
SubJoined Is
PARKER's CONFESSION
which clearly relates all the circumstances con.
nected with the bloody affair. lie stated that the
four started out with the intention OF robbing some
store; they passed by Chopin's store and came up
the road as far as st. Mlchaers church, unueter-
mined where to make the attempt put finally con-
cluded to retraoe their stops and rob Chopns store,
as there was least danger oil detection there. An
attempt to force open the rear door awakened
the young man Menteath, who called out .WhO is
silence until they supposed the young man mad
fallen asleep again, when second and more sue
cessiul attempt to enter was made. Williams then
succeeded In wrenching the door open by q
powerful on eiof when Parker rushed IN and
nate Young man begged me nud HnTr' to
spare IS life. but his entreaties were una
vaiiing. Williams instructed one Of his com.
a nj NnA vlnpn,
was brought adjusted 1t around Menteath's neck;
ne and Parker then each took an end Of the rope
tying the arms and legs firmly together Williams
took the body on his shoulders and threw 1t into
sank. They then proceeded TO ransack the store
and appropriate such articles pleased their fancy;
after accomplishing which they started OF, but had
gone but = short distance when Williams proposed
to return ana set fire to the store, in order as he
said, to destroy anything that might 'tell tale on
tered coal OIL over the bed ana nOor, touched q
match to the bedclothes and left. The dog WHICH
them s a. short a " distance, but Williams placed gun
In immediate contact with the anlmais body and
Parker made his statement with q minute clear
ness and unhesilancy which bespoke mature de6-
Grafton and an evident determination to tell all
TIE circumstances as they had really transpired.
He Immediately Identified three guns, pistol ana
q pipe that were taken from the store, and named
NE person that had taken each respective article
For instance, Alfred Decaraux had taken gun
with red stock Noel ha1 taken gun with ,.. a
gun--which also had red stOck-and the pipe.
He stated that Williams mad given the pipe TO man
VINO lives in the Vacherie settlement which was
fully verified by the statement Of the person who
had received 1t. and the production OF the pipe III
Several witnesses were examined, among them
the person VINO first discovered the body IN the
river MI Middeson oversesf o, rhe Wena p eat
fed having been IN the store conversng with the
deceased until nine O'Clock r. M. the night OF tne
hours OF eleven ana twelve on seeing the store Ia
flames. He Immediately recognized the pistol III
night, ana testified to having ideniids.s rs iDaa,
taken from INC 'iys. as yas called s9 ~ staaa
81 S he decessea ana re ss his Written statement
or the said Inquest evidences he says IN tins state
ment that death was apparently caused by stranpu
latlOn produced by means OF a rope being wound
tightly around the neck. lie also mentions con-
fusion on the right temple or deceaseds body, which,
however may have been calsed by the body coming
IN contact with some hard substance when It was
thrown INTO the river. The doctor Identified two
ropes produced In court as those ne mad taken rom
the neck and legs OF the deceased.
Upon receiving the statement OF Parker, an at
sisted and fed TO the swamp. However he was
captured early sunday morning, May 2, while at
tempting to cross the clver some miles below.
Frank Williams, ringeader and insiigator OF the
outrage, Is large, powerful negro and appears TO
be a most consummate villain devoid OF every IN
stInct OF humanity, and no novice IN deeds OF
murder and robbery. Alter being Drought to prison
and placed in the stocks, lie feigned insanity all
made several desperate efforts TO break loose nom
his lastenings. Dr. Chas. Gray examined the
prisoner and at pronounced him perfectly sane
He adJuOn.sned he would be crazy man that II he
continued Eis freaks he would be subjected 10 harsh
treatment, and the fellow cooled down al once, APP
parenrIy satisfied that the insanity dodge was too
Common TO be successful in thus case.
on the i'm OF June Hampton and Decaraux were
arrested on the rignt bank OF the river WINE walk
Texas Railroad. As they were passing through the
plantation OF Messrs. Lessassier Binder they were
esp.ed by Mir. Thomas L. Norman, assistant over
seer Of the plantation, who superin tending the
laborers working hard by, and his suspicious were
.l.au haf Az
II ~ screen his lace from observation. Mr. Norman
loaned his horse 10 colored man, with Instructions
tam good view OF them. In the meantime, feeling
sure that these men were the ST. James muir.
aefeTs az and s1are Snef after e rne @
ing that they were followed, ran toward
the woods which they entered before Mr. Nor
man could overtlke them. The latter gentleman
then sent ior his neighbor Mr. Adoiphe Wal, re-
Qucsting him TO pring IT'S bloodhounds. These ami
mails, beng put on the scent came up with the
criminals after about miles chase and these lat
ter, realizing the imposslbllity OF escape, surren.
dered without resistance and were brought 10 this
parish and incarcerated In the parish Jail.
IL may be well here to state lhat both Alfred ana
Noel made voluntary confession OF the murder and
robbery, and that in all the main points their state.
merits CONCEDED with those OF arker They all
declared that Williams was The rlnglcader OF the
party; that he was the one who ala most TOWARDS
strangling Menteath. But both OF the men agreed
In saving that Parker helped TO hold the victim. and
river. According TO Parker's own statement, he
d.d not touch young Menteath; however oil his
other statements were colfooorated by AuIeo ana
Noel.
TIE TRIAL, ETC.
Parker having teen accepted as States evidence,
the remaining three tried before Judge Beau
vais, July 10, and on the same day tney were found
guilty or the crime OF murder ana arson on Mon
1ay, July ~, ahey were sentenced to be hung.
August rs the Governor sig ed the death war;
rant ordering their execution to take place sepiem
Der 10. -
Sheriff Oliver visited the Governor TO know
whether the law provided that the criminal must
be hung in the jail yard, AMI being informed that
he might use his discretion, he determined 10 exc
cute the
UPON THE VERY SPOT
wrere their crime was committed. This was once
an old English law, ana for many years the rule was
adhered to in England.
The feeling manifested by the colored population
OF ST. James was very bitter against the murderers,
and DESTROYS were tney mat nothing should
occur cheat the law OF It's vengeance they organ
tied volunteer guards who TOOK turns IN keeping
watch over tho prisoners AT the jail from The time
OF sentence until the day OF execution.
At four o clock on saturday morning, september
49, our reporter reached Convent Landing 1--WE
miles above College Point, where, in the parish
PRISON, the condemned men were confined. News
OF the approaching execution having been widely