The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-11-11
The Arrests In Grant.
from the Alexandria Democr,


[From the Alexandria Democrat.
From reliable gentleman, an
eyewitness Of the affair, we gather
the following details of the arrest
and taking to New Orleans. the
Sheriff, Shelby, the deputy Sher-
if; Rufus X. Houston, Attorney
at Law and several citizens OF
Grant Parish. ---a--..-- .ss.---z.
On Monday when Judge Ors-
born opened his session of the
Ninth District Court in and for
that Parish, he issued writ of
Habeas Corpus, to ascertain by
what right these gentlemen had
had been arrested, and were be-
ing guarded by an armed and
uniformed band of negro militia.
The prisoners themselves had not
been informed of the charges
against them. They were brought
into court, and in answer to the
writ, Judge w. B. Phillips, ex-
planned that they had been ar
rested under a warrant from Uni
ted States Commissioner Grant.
in New Orleans, charged under
the 9Th section of the Election
Law of Congress-, with cOnspiring,
to cause the death of Captain
White, supposed to have been
killed some weeks ago. 1t trans
PRED, however, during the course
of his testimony that all the war
rants, except the one for Shelby,
were blank and he himself had
inserted the names, of Houston
and others.
From Captain Ward, the negro
from Ohio, in command of the
militia, who when called to the
witness stand, took a chair and
Slammed it on the floor and sat
down very pompOusly with his
hat on his head and his arms
crossed over his breast, it was as
certained that he was acting un-
der orders from General Long
street, the quondam Confederate
General, and that he was instruct
ed to obey the commands of Mr..
Schooten, United States Marshal,
who had the warrants from Grant,
the Commissioner. Judge Ors-
born exhibited his commission
from Washington, as United
States Commissioner having the
same power as Grant, the COM.
missioner, and also the law max
ing him United States Marshal ;.
and claimed for himself jurisdic-
ton of the alleged offence against
the United States laws but at
this point when the evidence on
the trial of the. writ of habeas
corpus had been closed, and while
Judge T. G. Manning, on behalf
of the prisoners, was addressing
the court, the Steamer Right Way
come in sight, on her way down,
the Marshal, Schooten, came in
and demanded the prisoners, for
the purpose of carrying them off.
Judge Orsborn refused to give
them up and told him he could
only have them before the trial
was over, by using such force as
he could not resist. Whereupon,
Captain Ward, with his militia
marched into the court room and
with bayonets forced the prisoners
to march down to the boat and
aboard. Judge Orsborn protest
ed against the outrage upon the
dignity of his court, but they
said "d-n the court Some of
the privates among the militia
when summoned by the Grand
jury to give their evidence, con-
corning other crimes, made the
same reply to them, ''d-n the
Grand jury and refused to obey
the summons.
The Right Way passed here on
the night of the 23d ult., with
them on board, accompanied by
Phillips and Shooter, and squad
of the negro militia, and we sup
pose the prisoners are now luxa-
rating in the parish prison in
New Orleans, awaiting their trial
three hundred miles from home,
charged with killing a man, whom
every body believes not to have
been killed.
An exchange says that naviga-
ton closed in the Red river of the
North on the 21st ult. The next