Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-09-28
THE OLIVER CASE.

The New Orleans Times, driven
desperate by its utter failure to
fasten any unworthy or dishonor-
abe action upon Governor War
moth, through its friend Mr.. Walsh
or other means, resorts to unblush.
ing falsshood Il charges upon
Sheriff Oliver. Ct St James parish
a gross abuse Of power, makes ur
an imaginary case full of dramatic
incident and vouches for its authen.
ITCHY, and then tries to fix the re.
sponsibility for this supposiiious
outrage upon the Governor.
The Times begins its attack by
picturing Sheriff Oliver as 6end
incarnate, utterly without human
impulses or sy,npathiea, when the
truth is that Mr.. Oliver is represent.
ed by his neighbors as charitable
considerate and in every way g
worthy q izen. Itnext charges the
Governor with releasing Oliver from
a prison wherein he Was confined
for the most heinous Of crimes
when the fact was we'll known to
our contemporary that the action
complained Of was simply releasing
a man who had been fairly tried
and acquitted from continued false
imprisonment. The Times next &C.
cuses the Governor of appointing
this "bloody minded and brutal
negro" as sheriff, in face of the pub.
ished election returns which show
that the people of st. James elected
him to that Office, and that His Elk
cellency simply performed the min
isterial duty of commissioning him
which he could not have avoided
had he even been 50 minded.
But the climax of Governor War
moth crimes in this connection
originates in the hanging of three
men for murder. Sheriff Oliver in
executing the death warrant, is de.
clared to have "made a grand
scene," to have COLLECTED a large
number OF armed negroes" and
marched to the place of execution
dragging there Every depressed
looking and ironed colored man
named Coleman, charged with
murder, to witness the hanging
and subsequently reading him a
moral lecture in which he cautioned
him to prepare for a possible SINH
lar fate. Extraordinary, brutal,
insolent outrage, and Outraged
humanity and civilization" is the
way in which the Times character
ICES divers conduct, and for which it
holds the Governor queerly enough
to account. Now even if the Times
report of the attendant circum-
stances to the execution were cor
rect, it would be difficult for any
one but a Democratic editor to in
volve his Excellencv in the wrong
doing but it has no better founda-
ton for its venomous outbreak il,
this than i'll the allegations pre-
viously alluded to, as viii be seen
by the subjoined dispa. Q onate
statement from Mr.. Oliver himself.
SHERIFF's OFFICE.
Parish fist. James, Sept. 20, Isl. {
EDiToR REPUBLICAN
In consequence Of the miSrepre-
eentations recently made in the
New Orleans Times, in regard to
The unpleasant part I was, as al
officer OF the law, compelled to act
III the st. james execution, and O,
the fal,e impression upon the pub
lie mind that Will naturally follow
III tie uain Of III reprt sentation.
L deem Ii ii du.y / owe 10 mvsei;.
the Governor Of Tie S.,ae. a..
humanity, to present tu tie poo;l.
.. the osa It large the ,ac;s is
icy Gu IL o-cur Ell.
y. = .ul. .ho 4.;ee t.. If So.
ttin.t., IL, Wee. Al, Uou:s
e-cve.i ii .we.,o y v,ocA, = eutere.
The cell OF We parish Jail III which
the doomed men We're confined, ano
read, III presence of several com-
petent witnesses, 10 John Williams.
Alfred DecairO and Noel alias
Madison Hamilton their dea.h war
rant, which had received from tie
Governor. Between the hours OF
four and five o'clock of the same
day, Randall Coleman requested
the jailor and the chief constable of
the parish to obtain for him from
the sheriff permission to witness
the execution, and his request was
granted, but with the proviso that
he was to be thoroughly secured,