The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-07-05

a00al paFtteulal1 concerning the ar.
rest, confession and lynching of the
eang who, on the night of the thirteenth
instant, murdered Messrs. Lanet and
Snaer at their store in New Iberia and
then set fire to the building contain
ing their dead bodies:
MIR. Kyle aud others started on Sun.
day from New iberia in search of the
murderers, but only rumors were
brought back by them.
MIR. Kyle in his description Of the
negroes he saw in the store on the
night Of the murder, caused suspicion
to point strongly to one Polycarp, a
black, villainous looking negro. and
on Tuesday he was arrested in the
neighborhood Of the tragedy.
OnTuesday morning a large number
OF citizens, many armed, assembled in
SnaeFville for the purpose Of attending
the coroner's jury investigation. The
first witness brought ON the stand was
Polycarp. He denied all knowledge
Of the affair, but upon being closely
questioned by q brother Of one Of the
murdered men, Mr.. Seymour Snaer
(attorney -at-law, Of New Orleans), he
confessed to having been at the store
when the deed was done, but had no
hand in it. He gave the names Of
Martin Peterson, Ozemie and Adrien
Frilot, alias Williams. All three were
arrested, but denied the charge.
At about p. NJ. the prisoners un-
der citizen guards, reached New
Iberia, where they confessed their
crime.
They went to the store, and after
attracting the attention Of the two
keepers by engaging them in showing
them tkcir goods, upon a given signal
by one Of the prisoners, both Lanet
and Snaer were felled to the floor by
heavy blows, administered with hick-
ory clubs. Adrien Frilot, the most
powerful Of the party, cut their throats.
The doors were then closed, and tax
ing the safe key from Snaer's pocket
the safe was rifled Of 5000 in currency
and $20O in gold and silver. The
bodies were then carried into room,
saturated with coal oil and set fire to.
The alarm of FIRE was then given by
the mur,ierers. The prisoners were
aN young men, the oldest twenty
three years old. They belong to a
gang Of thieves and murderers, who
have been operating in that neighbor-
hood for the past eighteen months,
and during that time the murders
amount to four, and two attempts at
assassination, besides in the past six
months not less than four daring rob-
.lseries, aalong which the warehouse
Of Swain, telegraph operators house,
district attorneys house and Lanet T.
Snaer's store. Mr.. Snaer having
promised protection to Polycarp if he
confessed all, was protected by him
and sent to Jail under charge OF con-
stable to guard him from being taken
out and hung by the incensed and in
dignant people.
At about sunset from 1900 to 1000
colored people had assembled in New
Iberia, and, taking Paterson, Ozemie
and Adrien Frilot across the bayou,
tied them together and swung them
to an oak limb. They were so close
together that their cheeks touched
each other.
One of the prisoners, while they
were tying his hands, stated that he
was u steamboatman and wonld die
like steamboat bully. All three
seemed Indifferent to their fate. Two
Of the number were recognized as
having attended the funeral Of their
victims on Sunday. In the hanging
no drop was used, but white and col
ored men hoisted them up bodily from
the ground. Their necks were not
broken, but they were choked to death.
No manifestation of pain or suffering,
and the only movement was made by
the strong man, Adrien, who shrugged
his shoulders three times. When
taken down next day, with the excep-
ton of a slight projection of the tongue,
their features were not the least con-
tortel. The Rev. L. Y. Jessup offered
a prayer at the scaffold, and they
we're placed in rough boxes and bur
led.
Our correspondent visited Polycarp
and asked him if they had succeeded
in eluding the authorities was it their
intention Of committing more such
deeds. He answered 81 spec So"
Polycarp is expected to still con-
fess more, and the citizens are conf
dent of capturing the whole gang.
Officers are already on track Of three
more men, and before our paper
reaches the public they will likely
have them secure in Jail, if not taken
by the citizens and strung to the same
oak limb as their confederates. Poly
carp is supposed to have been the
leader of the band, and turning States
evidence is regarded as the breaking
up of the gang.
tsCording" the Bedstead.
tits a little singular why your wife's
mother will persist in sleeping on a
cord bedstead. But she does. You