New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-21
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.

Trial in the United states Circuit Court.
The third days proceedings in the case
OF J. w. Cruikshank and others, charged
with conspiracy and murder, in Coltax.
Grant parish. in April, 1873, was yesterday
opened by calling the names of witnesses.
Jadge Woods on the bench, United
States District Attorney Beckwith for
prosecutions; w. r. Whitaker, r. H. Mari
and others, counsel for defense.
The prisoners looked we'll. The Jury, on
which there is only one colored man,
scanned equal to the emergency.
Mr.. Beckwith addressed the jury at
length in the case, quoting the laws rela-
tive to this suit, opening the case by an
elaborate and clear statement, laying the
principles of law before the twelve as dis
tinctly as possible. He spoke for one hour
and half, and at noon a recess of thirty
minutes was taken.
On reassembling the first witness called
was L. &. Register, and all other witnesses
were ordered to leave the room and to re-
main out until called.
Counsel for defense objected to Mr.. Regis
ter testifying, but rs the objection was not
specifically made the court overruled it.
The testimony of Mr.. Register is about
the same as that already published by US
last February, showing that he and Mr..
Shaw held commissions from Governor Kel-
logg, Register for parish Judge and Shaw
for sheriff. and that they took possession of
the courthouse under color of those COM
missions; that they met with opposition
from G. c. Nash and others; that party Of
fifteen mounted armed white men entered
COltax soon after; one of them was John
Hadnot; Mr.. Calhoun brought me q mes
sage from Judge Cazabat, asking what
proposed to do, and that he had q party of
400 men; this was about the first Of April;
by the fifth Of April there were nearly 200
colored people in Colfax; heard that
party from Winn parish and Montgomery
had arrived and were to attack Smithfeld
quarters; they were armed and mounted;
on the morning of the fourteenth OF April
returned to COlfax and saw evident signs
of violence; before left for New Orleans
knew nothing whatever Of any intention
| on the part of the colored people to COM
| nit any violence; 1 visited New Orleans to
see Governor Kellogg and to inform him Of
the condition of things in Colfax; l am
| judge Of Grant parish, and have been since
the twenty-irst OF February, 1873; know
all the prisoners.
| Counsel for defense gave this witness a
very thorough cross examination, and sue
| ceeded in eliciting the unsOught for fact
| that old man Hadnot, mounted and armed,
| appeared in Colfax with seveal other armed
persons, wearing red sash about the time
| of the massacre; that most of the cOlOred
| people in COlfax sustained themselves, the
women going out and in at night for pro-
| visions; tha. there was no drilling, officers
or roll call; Ward, Allen and Thomas dis
| played some little military authority; one
| third of the colored folk were armed; do
| not know who robbed Rutland's house; did
not see any wine said to have been stolen
| from that house; did not offer Shaw some
wine and tell that it was from Rutland q
house.
Colonel DeKlyne sworn-I was in Colfa1
| in April, 1873, day or SO after the massa
ere; saw sixty dead colored men unburied
in the town; twelve wounded men; the
courthouse was burned and the general ap
| pearance was that of battlefield; some OF
| the dead were wounded about the heads
and upper portions of their bodies; one was
| on his knees, as if in the act of supplicat
! ing for mercy; his face was badly battered
| and there were several wounds n his head
| saw no sign of an effort to bury the dead;
| saw Nash near Colfax; DR.. March, Boyce
| Thomas Hickman, Thompson and Others
| were with me at or near COlfax; Nash had
| sent word that he desired to see me if
| would not arrest him. l saw him, in the
| presence of those named, at Smithheld
| Quarters; once saw 7. Hickman with Nash
| at or near COlfaX; at the conference all the
pei sons could have heard all that
was said, if blessed with ordinary
| hearing; Nash said that he had met
Levin Allen, a representative OF the colored
people, before the fight asked him what he
and those in the courthouse intended to do
the answer not suiting Nash he then told
Allen that be would give him fifteen min
ntes to send away the women and children
saw some earthwork near the courthouse
and two pieces of ordinary gas pipe lashee
to timbers, one of which had been used al
cannon; we buried the dead in tht
| trenches; found no arms on the battlefield
1 saw some gun barrels in the courthouse anC
one human body partly burned; found al
iron slug, the one now in court; it coult
not have been fred from the pipe gun.
w. s. Calhoun sworn-Live in Grant par
ish; on the first of April went across th'
river for safety, as had heard from col
ored man that there was danger; mex
morning l returned to COlfax, where l saw
! Cazabat and others; l carried message
from Cazabat to Register that he would no
|.give up his position; Register sent bacl
word that if Cazabat would show commits
sion from Governor Kellogg he would re
/ sign; tried to prevent bloodshed: after
ward took letter from Captain Ward t,
Governor Kellogg asking for troops; tool
the first steamboat for New Orleans, bu
was stopped opposite Alexandria b.
force: Paul, Gordon and Texadi
searched me, taking all my papers; the.
then put me on horse and started towar'
Colfax; Hadnot and another of the prison
ers were among my captors. Witness re
lated particulars of how he was treated
while a prisoner, already published by US.
When got back to Coltax | asked tn
colored men to disband, but they refused
saying that Nash had 100 armed men in tn
woods.
Captain Ward sworn-The testimony o
this witness was about the same as tha
given at the first trial.