The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-29
A HORRIBLE MURDER.


A HORRIBLE MURDER.
Owing to the fact that the publica-
ton Of our paper has been unavoida7
bly, delayed until to-day (Tuesday) we
are enabled to give the sickening de-
tails of one of the foulest crimes that
has ever been perpetrated in any COM
munity, civilized or barbarous. on
the plantation of DR.. j. C. Legare,
about four miles above this town,
there lived a certain colored male
servant named Young c. Hicken,
whose principal duty it was to watch
the yard and attend the poultry. He
was faithful fellow, Of peaceful and
retiring disposition, quite domestic
in his habits, scarcely ever leaving the
premises, by reason Of which he was
known to few persons in our parish
and those few residing contiguous to
Or. Legare's place.
Life is strange, for in spite Of his
inoffensiye disposition, itappears that
Hicken had somehow excited the
enmity of a fellow servant called Cook,
whose first name we have not yet been
able to learn. Cook is naturally a
coward. md like most persons of his
kind, u very implacable in his hatred.
Afraid to confront his enemy iu open
day, yet urged ON by his inhuman
!. nature to murder him, lie yesterday
evening, after dark, assaulted Hicken,
who had retired for the night, and,
being a powerful man, dragged him
from his bed to the floor, and actually
severed his head from his body with
an axe which he had procured for
the purpose. After the commission
of the bloody deed, Cook became
nearly crazedl With fear Of detection,
and set his wits to work to conceal
his guilt by making way with the
remains Of Hicken. Now comes the
most horrible part of our narrative.
After stripping the clothing from his
victim and throwing it in the fire,
Cook literally chopped the body, to
pieces, placed these pieces one by one
in a large pot of boiling water, where
.he allowed them to remain until the
flesh had become quite soft, then tore
it from tho bones and threw the lat
ter in a large sink back Of the kitchen.
IN spite of this fendish precaution
the old saying murder viii out" was
swiftly verified aud the deed brought
to light at an early hour this morning.
A female house servant, crossing the
yard, picked up a beautiful comb
which had been the property of Hicken,
and upon which he set great value,
and immediately sought him in order
to return the trinket. Not finding
Hicken about the premises, and know
ing his domestic habits, the maid be-
came alarmed for his safety and COM
,nunicatel her fears to the inmates Of
the house, and a vigorous search for
the missing servant was instituted.
This was aided hy the circumstance
of dog dragging one of Hicken's
bones from the sink to cat the par
ticles Of flesh still adllering to it.
Traces of blood were discovered on
the kitchen floor, and suspicion natu-
rally attaching to Cook he was at once
secured and charged with the crime.
Overcome by mortal terror, the fiend
confessed the decd, giving the dis.
gushing details we have narrated
above,
We refrain from comments upon
this foul murder, and draw veil over
its sickening particulars, merely
pausing to express the profound regret
we feel that this peaceful neighbor-
hood should have been destined to be-
come the scene OF q crime almost
without parallel in history in the man
ner of its commission aud attempted |
cGucealment.