New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-04
THE GEILLOEYs.

the morning of the nineteenth Of August by
Deputy Sheriff Dunson and his posse, while
resisting arrest-are thus described IN the
asst number of the Opelousas Courier:
These men first came into notice in the
criminal court of this parish in the spring
of 1867. 1t is still fresh in the minds OF our
readers that on Good Friday evening OF
that year. in broad daylight, Richard Dun
bar, an unarmed, Getenseless freedman,
was met by crowd on the public highway.
near Washington, and literally shot 10
pieces. Among others, both the Guiilorys
were arrested for this murder, but as II
could not be fastened upon them they were
discharged From that time they became
noted for their reckless deviltry, ana soon
established in the region OF country Wnere
they resided reigC Of terror unequaled IN
the history of any civilized, Christian coun-
try.
In November. 1868, Joseph Bonjeau,s
freedman. residing on Louis Fontenot5 }
place in Grand Prairie was called up out
of his bed and ridGleli with buckshot, by
crowd of four men, one OF whom was dl9-
tinctly recognized as Cgriaque Gulllory and
another as Ben Guilory On the same oc-
casion, another freedman in the same house
was badly wounded by ashot from one OF
the party, but escaped.
| In December of the same year, Cyrlaque.
| Guillory proceeded to the residence OF
| Argelas Prud 'homme, his brother-in-law,
| III this parish, called a freedman named
| Paul Soileau from the field, where he was
| breaking corn, and riddled him with BUCK
| shot. Two days atterward, Carroll Black.
man. assisted by one or two others, buried
lothe body, and from that day began the ami
! mostly between himself and the Gulllorys,
| which terminated in the terrible massacre
| OF tie eleventh instant, and OF which AN ac-
count was given in a late number OF our
| paper. ,
On the morning of the twenty yseveDth
| june, 1869, Cyrlaque Guliiory, Angeias ffud
| honme and Louis PrudhOmme ambusned
themselves on the public road. in Prairie
| Plaisance in this parish, and deliberately
| assassinated James Mcdaniel, young
| Texan, as he was coming trcm ball at
! Mrs. Joachim Pitres.
All the guilty parties We're Immediately
arrested. but so perfect was the reign or
terror which they had created, that no evl-
dence could be adduced; and on prelImi-
| nary examination they were discharged.
| The cOld-blooued atrocity OF the deed sent
| a thrill of horror TO the heart OF every
| thinking man in the community. There
was no telling how soon a similar fate
awaited every man who should render hilG-
| self at all obnoxious to any OF the gang.
1t was evident 10 every one who witnessed
| the preliminary examination that the OIL
| GERS had the real murderers in custody, but
t; it was at the same time painfully evident
| that the witnesses were SO dumbtounded
with terror that to hold the prisoners was
an impossibility In this emergency, our
| district attorney applied to the Governor 10
otter a reward of $1,000 for the apprehension
aid conviction of the murderers. which was
| Immediately done: and at the same time one
| OF the ablest detectives in New Orleans was
| dispatched to the scene OF the homicide.
He, however, effected nothing, and the case
was apparently dropped. We say appa-
rently, because our efficient district attor-
ney was all the time secretly working up
the case Quietly and silently lie Was
weaving about the three assassins train OF
circumstantial evidence which, as we shall
presently show, finally brought out full
confession from one, sent another 10 the
Penitentiarv for life, and brought the last
one of the gang to his end OF the nineteenth
instant in Catahoula parish.
| But while the district attorney was thus
busy weaving around them a net tron
which there Gas no escape, tie Gullorys
were not idle. Always travcrsing the puo-
| lie roads in squads of three or four armed
| to the teeth. they were constantly violating
the law. On the seventeenth OF October,
1869 IN company with two or three others
| of the gang. they halted Young lrlshnan
named Carroll on the public road, near
Mound .ille, shot at him, beat him and NAL
treated ON generally. For this they We're
arrested but Carroll having left the coun-
try the grand jury ignored the bill pre-
sented by the district attorney, and they
! again went on their way to commit new
| crimes and oHenses. o
They next came before the court in ccm-
pany with two others of the gang, for
having, on November %, lS70 gone to the
cabin of William Smith, a freedman, near
Moundville, and beaten MIN unmerclfully
without the slightest prov0cation whatever.
The case was tried N December they were
, convicted, and fined $500 and costs. The
writer well remembers the bullying swag:
, ger with which they came into court and
paid the fine, and how they went OUT OF
town filed with whisky, and breathln9
threats. One night in the month OF Feb
, ruarv following, taking one of their asso
ciates and a freedman with q wagon. they
, proceeded 10 the gin Of Mr.. Joseph Nldrlne
one of their neighbors and stole six bales
OF cotton and a cross-cut saw. Early next
morning. the track of the wagon was foi
lowed and the cotton found stored away
in an clubhouse. The party following the
wagon met it returning home, escorted oy
Ben Guillory, armed to the teeth. Though
the case was perfectly clear, vet the paftie:
| to whom the cotton belonged, not only did
not take it up. but failed to make any com
plaint
The matter, however, began to be talked
, | about so much, that the party at whose
house the cotton had been stored, came t'
0peiousas and made 1ull statement 10 tnt
district attorney. Warrants were lmme
d,ately issued. and a posse composed o
Messrs. Aristotle Ortego, Alexandra Nid
| rine and Carroll Blackman, under Deputy
: Sheriff John D. Cook started in pursuit
s. ! Reaching the ssbina, Blacknan took charge
9 Of the posse, crossed into Texas, and ar
rested them near Liberty. Here the au
tborities interfered, and released them, q!
| Blackman had neither commission no
= reouistion. No sooner had they left tn,
country. and the terror inspired by thel
presence heen forgotten. than proofs o
their murders and assassinations began t
pour in from all sides In April, Isl |, rhre'
indictments for murder anu one for larcen,
/ were returned against them. Angela
} | Prud homme, one OF their associates, was a
:, the same term indicted for attempting t.
e intimidate a witness. and on a hint bein
!, slvly given him. that he would probably b
e arrested in a few days, lie decamped iron
, the country instanter.
In Nav. Louis Prud'h0mme, indicted
Jointly with his brother and Cyrlaque Gui
= Iorv. for assassinating Mcdaniel. surrer
dered himself to the sheriff, aud alter
long confinement in jail, and when he ha
every reason to suppose thal nis plo'ne ne
and CvriaGue GEillory were safe from tn
L pursuit of theaIaw in Mexico, made tu
confession of the assassination {. Mechanic
But though out of harms way. neither IN
GuilIorys nor Angelas Prud hOmhe coui
:, remain away. They returned home on
d visit. and on the night OF January
is 1872, c. c. Duson. deputy sheriff, ssurpris,e
u and captured Prud homme, concealed IN III
a, residence in this parish.
r The. Guillorys, however, escaped an
<. entire ~ eluded the pursuit OF the otticer
| Prud homme remained in Jail until MaN