The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-05-27
LOUISIANA.
The Hearing Of DeBlanc and Others
on Charges of IntimedaIlng the
BlackS..Thcy are Acquitted.

hQu OlueIb lEOul Dk. MAI blubNlllo HGlo VI
this morning for trial charged by L. L
BIartinett with conspiracy, or as COM
monty called Ku.Klux.
Witnesses for the prosecution: ]. L
Peen, (colored) sworn-I reside in St
Martin and am a planter; have resided
there thirty years; am acquitted with the
prisoners; know Of nothing against them
The witness here decided TO hear the
affidavit read which was done. The wit.
ness knew Of no such Offense haV-
ing been committed by the pris'
oncrs. was at St. Martin In May.
know oil no colored people who arc hin.
dered In the exercise Of their rights as
citizens.
Victor Rocton, (colored) one OF the par
ties named In the affidavit and q member
Of the bayonet LegiSlature-I know the
prisoners; never knew OF their doing
anything against the colored people; did
inform Alr. Martinett that the Fusionists
intended TO resist the police In our parish,
and asked him 10 obtain United States
troops 10 preserve peace; /, however,
know Of no offense having been commit
ted by the prisoners; none ol them ever
did anything to any colored man that l
know Of. was present at the time ofthe
troubles; only saw two Of the gentlemen
there; l saw them where they usually
were in town, by themselves and quietly
walking together.
Question by the deiense-YOu say you
wanted 10 preserve peace? Ayes, l did
because l did not desire the people hurt.
knew at least they said that If the U.
s. troops came all would be quiet.
Gustave Baker, (colored), resides In St.
Martin, and Is teacher. l know the
gentlemen prisoners; 1 do not know of
their intimidsting colored people; there
were rumors to that effect, but no one
credited them; the rumor was that II the
police were whipped, the cOlored people
would be next attacked; none Of the col
ored people believed this however. did
not see any OF these gentlemen skirmish-
ing with tho police; know nothing about
their being connected with the affair. l
was about q mile from the fighting, and
Of course could not have recognized them
even II l had been there. They never
kept me from attending, or did anything
against any colored men.
Theogine ,Castell (cOlored) )-l know the
gentlemen, the prisoners; know OF moth.
ing against them; they never intimidated
any cOlored men in the parish to myknowl.
edge; saw them in ST. Martin; they had
no arms or weapons and were peaceably
walking about attending to their business
Charles Hercular (colored)-I keep
store in st. Martin. know the
gentlemen; they never intimidated any
colored people or any one else; no one
intimidated me. saw General DeBlanc
after he was arrested, not before; they
had all quit and were peaceable; l had
known them for years; General DeBlanc
has been friend Of the colored people,
Adolph White-I live in St. Martin; l
know the gentlemen; was there all the
time; they never hurt any colored people;
did see them once, Messrs. DeClonet and
Bertrand, with shot guns; do not know
whether they were connected with any
body OF men or not; was not disturbed
and nobody was hurt; saw the fight, but
did not recognize any Of them there.
Monroe Barker (colored u reside IN
St. Martin and keep livery stable. !
know the prisoners; they never troubled
the colored people at all. The police were
the only people that made any disturbI
ance: they went out one evening, and
after shooting came back again; TWO of
them were shot; they forced me to re.
ceive them. never saw the prisoners
make any disturbance; General De Blanc,
whom have known for lie time, has
always been the best friend ofthe colored
man.
Lsblane Adair (colored.) VI reside in
St. Martin and am preacher. ! know
the gentlemen; they never hurt any col
ored people or intimidated them in the
least. II Is true the colored people were
frightened, but the white people talked to
them and they found they would not be
hurt. The police came and fred, which
was returned; l kept out ol the way; l
have place there and own plantation;
after the firing the police came back; l
did not go out after tho police came.
Alcede Vazie, (whitc)-I reside In St.
Martin; am clerk Of the court; the prison.
ers never intimidated anybody except the
MetropolItans; never intimidsted colored
people; prisoners went out TO camp; l
saw them when they lett town; Col. De
Blanc commanding; they went quietly on
horse back; arrived with a shot gun; 1t
was on the 4th Of May; they went about
two miles from town; they were organ.
lied about ten or fifteen days; they had a
list with names signed to resist the
police; none oI the prisoners names
were signed TO this, however; l
saw them every day in town;
never heard them say anything against
anybody but the police. l was
elected clerk Of the court but nobody
ever kept me out Of It by intimidation,
only through the court; Mr.. Founet was
clerk at the time; be did not resist me by
force, l was elected on the Republican
ticket; all the officers were white men on
this ticket; the same as the Fusion ticket;
the Fusion officers never made any effort
at intimidation oi US; we arc now In office
and nobody intimldates US or attempted
TO: the Fusion clerk Of the court kept me
out by an injunction, this has, however,
been dissolved by Judge Castell In the
private chambers; there Is some one claim.
Ing JudgeICastell's office; 1t has never
been decided; Judge Csstell has held
court only since the 9th Of May.
FOntenells (while.)-I am deputy
sheriff. / know the prisoners; they
resisted the Kellogg government
and the metropolitan police. They
said they would not submit 10 the
Kellogg government. The colOred people
had nothing TO do with this; they were let
alone; nobody inierlered with them.
Edward Jost (colored) sworn-Il live in
St. Martin, and am Coroner Of the parish.
Do not know any one but Mr.. Bertrand;
never saw any Of the gentlemen doing
anything to anybody; none Of the prison.
ers ever intimldated anybody; never was
interfered with in my office; they never
troubled the colored people,
Mr.. Martlnett sworn-All l know ol
these gentlemen was when they were in
St. Martin, some time before 1 received