New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-20
A BLOODY AFFRAY IN ST. LANDRY.
Three Men Killed and Two Wounded-One
Fatally.

Fatally.
The Opelousas Jou,na. OF the fifteenth
| gives elaborate details of the recent bloody
battle at Grand Prairie, in St. Landry par
| ish, brief mention of which was made in the
REPUBLICAN of yesterday morning. We
| cOndense from its columns the following
account:
Last Monday morning one OF those terri.
be tragedies which all communities are oc-
| casionally liable to- occurred at Old Grand
Prairie, in this parish.
Recently there was Saturday light ball
in that neighborhood. which was attended
By two young men. Dreux Guillory and
Felix Soileau, who Quarreed. II was
agreed that the difficulty should be settled
by regular old Creole fist duel. and Mon
day morning last was fixed upon as the
time, and the place was Point Meyon, a
point of woods extending from the Bayou
Cocodrie into Old Grand Prairie, near
Widow Alexandra Fontenot's house, two
miles from Stages store, on the right of the
road leading from Washington TO Vile
Platte, about three quarters of mile from
ton, and thirteen OK fourteen miles from
Opelcusas.
Mr.. Augustin Guillorv, an Old gentleman
between sixty-fve and seventy, but still
vigorous and fierce and vindictive. is the
father of Benjamin. Cyriaque and DreuX
Guillory, and father-inlaw of Angelas
Prudhomme.' Aquarrel of one of the family
is the quarrel of all; and their feuds are as
fierce, and deep, and long enduring as were
those of the ancient Scotch Hiyhlanders.
Indictments have been pending for a con-
riaque Guillory and Apgelas and Louis
Prudhomme, for the murder Of James Nc
Daniel. on the twenty-seventh of June,
1869. These indictments have been pend
ing since October 20, 1871; and from that
time the parties accused became fngitives
from justice. Louis Prudhomme was ar
rested and turned States evidence. An
geias Prudhomme was arrested and tried
at the last term of our district court. found
guilty without capital punishment and Sen
fenced to the Penitentiary, where he is now
serving out his sentence.
Previous to this the two GuiilOrys, Ben
amin and Cyriaque. had been pursued into
Texas, on a warrant from here, and ar
rested. They obtained their release there
on writ Of habeas corpus, because the
warrant of arrest had not been indOrsed
by the authorities in Texas. Three Of the
persons composing the posse that made the
arrest were Aristide OrtegO, Carroll Black
man and Alexandra Vidrine. They reside
in the GuillOry neighborhood, Or that sec
ton of the parish; and two of them were
killed at the fight in Old Grand Prairie last
Monday morning. From the time of the
arrest in Texas there have been mortal
enmity and never dying hate between the
GuillOrys and them
When the crowd assembled at Point
Meyon, last Monday morning al! these
parties were present, except the two Prud-
hommes-Angelas is in the Tenitentiary,
and Louis does not inhabit that section any
lOnger-and Benjamin and Cyriaque Gull
lory, who were and still are refugees. Mr.
AugUstin GuillOry, it seems, was one of the
seconds and hackers of his son. in the fight
with Soileau, and Carroll Blackman was
the friend of Soileau.
The account we first give is from memory
and from those who profess to give an i'm
partial one. Mr. Guillory. the old man, is
very excltable, fractions and insulting and
always quick to grab his pistol Before the
first fight he tried to pick quarrel with
Dlackman by calling him hard names and
using insulting language to him generally
Some of them cOaxed him little and asked
bin not to get up a row until the fist fight
was over. when there would be an open
field for all who were inclined to fight. The
tisticuf began, and SOileau soon cried
enough, because. it is said, Mr.. Guillory.
the old man, came too near. nervously
handling his pistol. Soileau expected to be
shot and as he ran off was shot at by Gull
lOry and grazed, but not seriously hurt.
Then a difficulty began between Gull
lory, pere. and Carroll Blackman. Guillory
approached him with his pistol and
began abusing him an: made use Of
language that Blackman told him he
must take back and that he must not
draw his pistol. Ore of Blacsnan's friends
jumped between them and seized Black.
man around the arms, and enGeavored to
push or pull him away, while Blackman en-
deavored to free himself from his grasp.
holding his pistol in his hand. Dreux Gut.
iory had also got in front of his father.
While Blackmans friend was holding him,
and pulled him about half round, GuillOry;
peye, pushed up and put his pistol Just under
Blackmans shoulder blade and fired. The
the other side. Blackman tell il his tracks.
and everybody sprang out of the way.
Blackman died in about five minutes. but
as Guiliory ran Off he fired az him but shot
too low, being too weak to hold up his pis-
tol. He propped it up. then. on the other
hand and fired twice. Guilorv fell, and it
was discovered afterward that he had !
been shot in three places during the |
Il fight-his. thigh bone was badly shat |
tered jus. abuve the knee. a flesh wound |
across the breast or stomach, and ball |
entered his back on one side and ranged |
across to the breast on the other |
side, but did not come out. Two of these !
wounds are thought to be mortal. In the !
mean time young Guillo'y received his !
pistol from young man named Pruett. |
an employe of the family, ran in the |
crowd and shot Alexandra Nidrine through !
the breast. who fell dead. He then
snapped couple of caps at the head OF
Blackman who was down dying. and when
OrteSa demonstrated with hin for trying
to shoot dying man, Le turned on Orte-
90 and snapped two caps at him. As he was
about to snap the third time. Ortnga drew
iis own pistol, remarking in French: Your
pistol snaps, but here comes one that nevsr
snaps With this he fired at GuiliO-v. the
bal! passing through his stomach or chest.
Guillory dropped his pistol and asked him
not to shoot any more. that he had finished
him. and started to run Oft. but when a few
Daces distant he sprang up and fell down
lead. This ended the battle of Old Grand !
Prairie. When the shooting began the
'rowd of 100 or II, persons present stam-
Deded. leaving only few who were per-
'onally interested III the killed and
The statement given by Arsustin Gull
ory differs from the fore going. He states
hat Felix Soleau had selected the place
or the fight last Saturday. and sent for
)reux Guillory to meet him there. On
eaching the ground on Monday, they
ound about one hundred men there. whom
le supposed TO be the friends Of Soileau
nd large portion Of them went there to
Onspire against the life OF himself. Angus
in Guiliory. None Of those who conspired
o take his life were as near kin to Felix
oleau as Felix Soileau was to Dreux Gull.
ory-these two being first cousins. When
elk Soileau, in the fist fight. cried out
nough, Carroll Blackman parted them.
lfter parting them Blacklnan advanced on
i'm, Augustin Guillory, with a drawn pis-
ol, threatening to take his life. While