The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-04-26
Cotton Stealing.

About six o'clock on Saturday morn
ing OF last week, three cOlOred men.
with four bales Of cotton in a cart
or wagon, arrived at the store of Mr..
Camille Roos in this place, and offered
1t for sale. Both men and beasts were
sWeaty and fatigued, as if they had
travelled far and hurriedIy. The bag
glng was torn from each end of all the
bales; and there were consequently, if
there ever had been, no "marksn un0n
them. Mr. ROos' suspicious were i'm
mediately excited that the cotton had
been stolen. They agreed to let him have
two OF the bales at fifteen and a half
cents, and unlOaded and delivered them
In his lot. They said they would take
the other two bales to WASHINGTON
where they would get eighteen cents,
He refused then to pay them unless
they would let him have the other two
bales at the same price; which thew oc-
cordingly did. He then stated to them
that he believed the cotton had been
stolen, and declined to pay them until
they brought some proper person who
would VOuch to the contrary. This they
could not do, as they knew no person in
O~pelousas. They then went off. and
one or two of them returned about eight
o'clock at night and tried to effect a set
Element, but with the same result, On
Sunday morning, goth inst, they return
ed with a white man, who stated that
the cotton belonged to the cOlored men,
and demanded payment for them. But
lie also was stranger to Mr.. ROos, and
payment was also declined on his vOuch-
ing. He then said he was a "French-
man" and tried to "bully" Mr.. Roos in
to paying, but without avail. They then
all went Oft, but one of the colOred men
was observed to be changing about
was identified as Emile Grader working
for Mr.. Chas. F. Burr near Opelousas.
and was arrested on the affidavit of Mr..
Clretien Mornhinveg, Jr., who had ex-
amlned the cotton and the of it's
sale, Il was convinced that i thad been
stolen.
From this one, Emile Grader, infor-
nation was obtained which led TO the
arrest of the white man and one other
colOred man-the third colored man.
Joseph Grader, nephew to the other and
working at the same place, having i'm
mediately after his uncle7s arrest left on
the boat for New Orleans.
Information was obtained from Mr.,
Burr, that the two Graders borrowed his
wagon on Friday evening and left with
1t about eight o'clock, "tO haul some
things" The next morning the cotton
was brought to Opelousas in his wagon
as aforesaid. Nj. Burr obtained from
Grader i'll Jail, the names of the white
mai and of the other colored man,
which were respectively Alexandra Bou-
lon Extraordinary living at Ozeme
Breaux', and Joseph Ozeme living at
Armogene Breaux-bothin the Carancro
neighbOrhOod, parish of Lafayette.
Mr.. JOS. '. Roy, of this place, and Mr.,
NN-NA AAAs
Chas. f. Burr, armed with the proner
warrants, after some difficulty in finding
the places, succeeding in arrestingthem.
the "Frenchman" blowing in the field,
and the colOred MAJ at a neighboring
blacksmith shop where he had zone to
have some work done.
All three were lodged in Jail here.
and bound over to appear before the
District Court of the parish of Lafa-
yette, the theft having been committed
in that parish.
The cotton was stolen from the gin of
Messrs. Chenille COrmier and Ursin Cor
mier, in Carancro, who identified and
claimed three of the bales; but one of
the thieves says that they took them all
from the same gin. The two Graders
had formerly lived at Carancro.
All parties concerned in having the
thieves arrested, displayed commenda~
BILE energy and public spirit, and deserve
the thanks of the honest part of the
community,