New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-16

hefo % ToesAsy mornine, sud crested a
astounding sensationt IN the community
and many for sometime refused to credi
it. However, Sheriff Hawthorn feltit to b
his duty to summon posse and repair Il
h the \ sceno 90tf the disaster to takeE eucl
hands. He soon had sixteen, men sum
moned aud started with them, Isaac Craw
ford, the brother of the judge, who wal
there, accompanying them On reaching
the spot they found that an inquest had
already been held over the bodies, which
had eenimmediately afterward taken of
to Colum bia. Mr.. Crawford was, naturally
enough, sorely grieved at the awful event
e there had existed the very strongest pos
4 side ahects,n between the brothere. and
| wished to follow the corpse to its home, but
was afraid to go alone, and hence urged
Sheriff Hawthorn and Mesers. Simon Ken
ton and Fred Abel to accompany him.
| which they did all the way to Colnmbi be
manifesting great fear whenever they
struck thick woods or brush. szs
In the meantime tho agitation in the COM
| munity continued. and in the total absence
| OF particulars, ecOnjectures and theories
were made as to how the thing happened
and who it would be charged 20. That our
poor parish would be, as usual, charged
with it was generally believed, but the
theory upon which to rest the charge was
too unreasonable and shocking to give it
credence in unbiased and rejecting minds-
that theory was that Harris was killed in
o der that there should be NO witness to the
r. Now. while we know that Judge Crawford
was not beliked in the parish, still, the dis
like vas based almost, if not entirely, on
political grounds, and just at this time
hardly anybody concern themselves with
politics, yet they must have been wrought
up to high pitch, if, to kill political foe,
they would kill friend-a true and tried
friend at that. as Mr.. Harris was known to
be. Mr.. Harris personal acquaintance in the
parish was considerable and his reputation
was universal, and universally good. He
was their candidate at the last election, and
his sympathies were known to be in unison
with them. For these reasons we are bound
t. ignore this theory. and to discard the
idea that political feelings induced the kill
ing or that parties in this parish partici-
pated in it.. There must be some other
theory found, and evidence already obtained
goes 70 build one, rs we shall see. But we
will proceed with the particulars of the
Thomas j. Hough was the first person,
perhaps, who saw the bodies after they
were killed. He left Columbia about three
hours after the parties. and thinks they
must have been killed two hours when he
\ came up with them. He Immediately
! wheeled his buggy and went back to Co
lumbia as fast as he could travel, and OBJ
tanning q wagon and assistance put ri
pie discovered the bodies ard gave the in
formation, and they were guarded to await
legal action, and the coroner was sent for.
The murder was committed at the first
place in this parish, which is right on the
edge Of B9uf river swamp. The parties
who did the shooting were inside of the
fence, at the far end J, where they conld
command the rosd; and still be screened
from sight By the weeds. 1t is here where
the track described by Mr.. Jordan in his
evidence as peculiar one was seen that
points, with other facts, to certain person
as one, of the party who probably com
mitted the deed. s. Mr.. H0ugh,. with the
Columbia party, reached there in the night,
and he and others induced Judge Buie to
hold an inquest, in order that they might
take home the bodies with as little delay as
possible. -,-s-s--
: Previously we had no means of knowing
what if any enmiries or animosities existed
elsewhere against either or both of the de-
ceased parties. But now we are assured
that such enmities did exist, and that they
were of violent, if not deadly, nature
against both of them. Sheriff Hawthorn
informs us that he heard it reported in
Columbia that the lives of Crawford, Har-
ris and the sheriff of Caldwell had been
threatened by the very party who is sup
posed to have made the tracks above de-
scribed. When to this is added the fact that
four men were met on the Ouachita river
on the night of the murder, who put their
hats over their faces to keep from being
recognized, it gives rise to a strong conjec-
ture in the matter of the killing, out of
which something may be worked up, and
we trust it will. .-5 '..s
Judge Buie impaneled and swore as
Jury Of inquest the following persons, viz;
Jones, Louis White (coloredi and Jesse
johnson. who proceeded to take the follow
ing testimony:
Thomas j. Hough, sworn-Judge Thomas
5. Crawford and District Attorney Arthur
H. Harris left Columbia, in the parish of
Caldwell, Louisiana, on the eighth of Sep
tember 1873, at about Q A. NJ, en- route for
parish of Franklin, Louisiana,
where the district court was in session; l
left Columbia at 2:3o p. NJ. the same
day; Harris and Crawford were on
horseback was in my buggy
l arrived at this place, which is on The
Columbia and WinnsbOro' road, fourteen
miles from Columbia and the same distance
from Winnsboro', at about 5 p. NJ;
stopped my horse, and first thought that
some one was lying in the road under the
influence of intoxicating liquors; on exam
ming, l found that Harris was dead, that |
his saddle horse was dead, and that Judge |
Crawford was also dead; Harris was living |
on the north side of the road, with his head |
on the south side of the road, with his head |
turned Westward Harris horse was lying !
leugthwise the road with his head turned |
ar@ '' .17~ .. .... |
! did not examine the bodies closels;. I |
got in my carriage and returned to |
Columbia; l returned here about eleven |
D clock last night; the dead bodies seem to |
be in the same place and positions as when |
first discovered them; l think they had |
been killed two or three hours when first !
discovered them; know nothing of the |
cause or causes of their death. except that |
IN examination find that they were evil |
iently killed by having been shot with |
'hotguns and PISTOLS Arthur H. Harris |
seems to have received seventeen shots; |
i've in the right leg, one in the thigh, two
Il the right side, one in the neck, one in |
he thumb, and the remainder in the back |
md head; notice on his person his watch I
md jewel, and $57 IS in currency, also |
papers, pocket knife and keys; | have |
,een unable to find any firearms on his !
person; his hat and umbrella are lying
him and his horse; he is about |
wenty feet from his horse. ? f-.r-J .-.r |
Judge Crawford seems to have received a
,reat many shots, it is impossible to tell the
lumber; the fatal shots were in his breast
md head; his brains are at least one fourth
hot out. He has no weapons about his
'erson, has twenty-five cents in his pocket
,ook. st'r.55 .-.g. =. |
Jane Woods being sworn, states-I was I
licking cotton yesterday in the Isaac Doyal
leld. the one next to BCeuf river, fourteen
niles from Columbia; my little son Charley
Wright was with me: about three O'clock