The Opelousas courier., 1873-08-30
Death of Two Noted Outlaw.
FULL HISTORY OF THEIR CRIMES.

Cyriaque Guillory tbrothers) have long stood
pre'eminent We know of no chapter in re-
nance that would possess q more thrilling in
terest than plain narrative of all their deeds
of blood and violence in this parish, from the
conclusion of the war until brought face to
face with posse of officers and citizens, at
their residence on Little River, in Catahoula
parish, on Tuesday Aug. l9, 1873, where was
nnally presented them the dread alternative
OF submitting to an arrest and facing ST.
Landry jury, or of resistance unto the DEATH
AS a matter of course, they preferred the lat
ter, and were both killed.
These men first came into notice in the er;
ninal court of this parish in the spring of 1867,
1t Is still fresh i'll the minds of our readers
that on Good Friday evening of that year. in
broad daylight, Richard Dunbar, all unarmed,
detenceless freedman, was met by crowd on
the public highway, near Washington, and
literally shot to pieces. Amongst othnrs, both
the Guillorys were arrested for this murder
but as it could not be fastened upon them,
they were discharged. From that time they
became noted for their reckless deviItry, and
soon established in the region of country
where they resided reign of terror unequaled
III the history f,auy civilized, Christian coun-
try. lii November, 1868, Joseph Boniean, a
freedman, residing on Louis Fontenots place,
i'll Grand Prairie, was called up out of his bed
and riddled with buckshot, by a crowd of four
men, one of whom was distinctly recognized
as Cyriaque Guillory and another as Ben Gull
iory. On the same occasion, another freed
man i'll the same house was badly wounded by
shot from one of the party, but escaped.
ln December of the same year, Cyriaque
GuillOry proceeded to the residence of Auaelas
Prudhomme, his brotherin-law. in this parish,
called a freedman named Paul Soileau from
the field, where he was breaking corn, and rid
dfah him with hrrat, shnha
words, Carroll Blackman, assisted by one or
two others, buried the body; aud from that
day began the animosity between himself and
the Guillorys, which terminated i'll the terri
ble massacre of the 1lth inst, and of which
an account was given in late number of our
paper.
On the morning of the 9th June, 1869, Cy-
riague Guillory, Angelas Prud d'homme and
Louis Prudhomme ambushed themselves on
the public road, in Prairie Plaisance, in this
parish, and deliberately assassinated James
Mcdaniel, young Texan, as he was coming
from ball at Mrs. Joachim Pitre's.
All the guilty parties were Immediately ar
rested, but so perfect was the reign of terror
which they had created, that no evidence
could be adduced; and on preliminary ex-
animation they were discharged. The cold
blooded atrocity of the deed sent thrill of
horror to the heart of every thinking man in
the community. There was no telling how
soon q similar fate awaited every man who
should render himself at all obnoxious to any
of the gang. 1t was evident to every one who
witnessed the preliminary examination that
the officers had the real murderers in custody,
but it was at the same time painfully evident
that the witnesses were SO dumbfounded with
terror that to hold the prisoners was an ini-
possibility. In this emergency, our District
Attorney applied to the Governor to offer a
reward of one Thousand dollars for the appre-
hension and conviction of the murderers,
which was Immediately done and at the same
time, one of the abiest detectives in New Or
leans was dispatched to the scene of the hom-
icide. He, however, effected nothing, and the
case was apparently dropped. We say appa-
rently, because our efficient District Attorney
was all the time secretly working up the case.
Quietly and silently he was weaving about the
three assassins train of cireumstantial evil
dence which, as we shall presently show, finally
brought out q full confession from one, sent
another to the penltentiary for life, and
brought the last one of the gang to his end
on the 18th inst, in CatahOula parish.
But whilst the District Attorney was thus
busy weaving around them net from which
there was no escape, the Guillorys were not
idle. Always traversing the public roads in
squads of three or four, armed to the teeth,
they were constantly violating the law. On
the 18th of October, 1863, i'll company with
two or three others of the gang, they halted q
young Irishman named Carol ON the public
road, near Moundville, shot at him, beat him,
and maltreated him generally. For this they
were arrested, bat Carol having left the coun-
try the Grand Jury ignored the bill presented
by the District Attorney, and they again went
on their way to commit new crimes and Of
fences. They next came before the Court in
company with two others of the gang, for
having, on November 90, 1870, gone to the
cabin of William Smith, freedman, near
Moundvile, and beaten him numerically
without the slightest provocation whatever.
The case was tried in December; they were
convicted, and fined $500 90 and costs. The
writer well remembers the bullying swagger
with which they came into court and paid the
fine, and how they went out OF town filled
with whisky, and breathing threats. One
night In the month of February following, TAX
ing enc of their associates and a freedman with
wagon, they proceeded to the gin of Mr.. Jo-
seph Vidrine, one of their neighbors, and stole
six bales of cotton and 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 by Ben Gull
lory, armed to the teeth. Though the case
was perfectly clear, yet the parties to whom
up, but failed to make any complaint The
matter, however, began TO be talked about so
much, that the party at whose house the cot
ton had been stored came to Opelousas and
made full statement to the District Attor-
ney. Warrants were Immediately issued, and
a posse, composed of Messrs. Aristide Ortego,
Alexandre Vidrine and Carroll Blackman, un-
/ der Deputy Sheriff John ID. Cook, started in
| pursuit. Reaching the Sabine, Blackman took
charge of the posse. crossed into Texas, and
! arrested them near Liberty. Here the author
ities interfered, and released them, as Black
man had neither commission nor requisition.
No sooner had they left the country, and the
terror inspired by their presence been forgot
/ ten, than proofs of their murders and assassi-
nations began to pour in from all sides. In
aaSyr, lfa n