New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-07
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.
Trial in the United stntes Circuit Court


Eleventh days proceedings in the case OF
tho United States against W.. j. Cruikshank
and Others. charged with conspiracy and
murder ia Grant parish last April:
Charles B. Smith. for defense, was cross
examined bv District Attorney Beckwith-
Entered on the discharge of duties as re-
corder of Grant parish after the thirteenth
of April last: had my commission some time
before that; Governor Kellogg gave the ap-
pOntment; got possession of the office room
on the first of April but cid not have books
or seal; about the first day of April at
tempted to get possession of them from Mr.
Lizard, WHO refused to give them up; Lizard
said his friends advised him not to .surren-
der them; he did not tell lie that they IN
tended to hang the people OF Coliax; went
to CoIfax on the fifth; saw Shaw, Brant!ey,
Shack White. Flowers, Ward and others;
did not tell Register and others that had
been told at Lizards that the white men
were to kill them: might have had conver-
sation with Register; did not go to
the courthouse: made second visit to
Lizard: after the fight had conversation
with Lizard he sent me message 10 resign
INV office; | got the records, and Lizard
desired 10 be appointed deputy recorder;
be had the records and acted as my deputy;
the party who asked me to go into ColtaA
anu tFV TO eUcct n WSAc dS AO
and Strong; after the conference | went to
Rocky Ford, where | met them and party
of thirty mounted and armed men IN the
road: knew some Of them-Payne, Strong,
n. Mckane, Stevens and others; did not
know of the existence of these armed men
before met them at Rocky Ford; heard OF
them: Strong and Payne had called at my
house early in the day, aud they were armed;
they said the mounted men were from Mont
Al
were charged with robbing Rutland's
house; they did not say what they would do
with them; saw the warrant; l and my
friends at that time did not recognize any
one as parish judge; Payne had the
warrant: the names in it were Flowers,
Ward, Wilkins, Register and two others;
a part of the message was to tell the col
ored people to 60 home and work; did not
tell them who the warrant called for; think
the people in Colfax knew Of the armed
force lowering outside the town; there were
rumors that the white folk would retake
the courthouse; after leaving Payne and
Strong went home and remained there all
day and night; on the sixth saw but one
white man, and was at home all day and
night: on the seventh went away about ten
miles; moved my family away to Dartigo,
expecting trouble because l saw SO many
armed men; Denis LemOine assisted ne to
move my family on the fifth: Oscar Givens
properly Austin Gibbons) assisted me to
Kill a hog at Sylvester Dubois house on
Easter Sunday; John Lemoine was there;
did not see Denis LemOine at dinner.
To question of Judge Woods-I moved
my family the day that Jesse Mckinney
was killed.
Svlvestre Dubois sworn-Live in Grant
parish, twelve miles north of Colfax; Oscar
Givens and Denis Lemolne and their fami-
lies were at nv house Easter Sunday; John
Lemoine and Recorder Smith were there
also on that day; Denis LemoiDe and Civ.
ems were at my house all Easter Sunday.
Cross-examin ation-Did not know that
Givens was arrested until after the fact.
Matthew Charboneau sworn-Live twelve
or thirteen miles from Colfax; was at home
Easter Sunday; saw Givens and Denis
Lemoine Easter Sunday at Dubois house;
saw Denis all day, more or less; Julian
Lemoine accompanied me from my house
to Dubois.
Cross ssexamination-Did not hear of The
fight until the fourteenth; can't remember
who told me; did not hear that any one was
killed; on the fifteenth did hear that some
body had been killed; first knew that
Giyens and LemOine were to be tried when
got a summons: Denis Lemoine was with
>Se Easter Sunday, be1we. .aI.lae ard two
0 clock; heard there was to be tight IN
Colfax.
John +. Lemoine sworn-Live four
miles from Colfax, in the pine woods; re-
member Easter Sunday last year; was at
NJ. Charboneau's that day, ten or twelve
miles from home; went there on the fifth OF
April: Denis Lemoine, Charley Smith, Nine.
Dubois and others were there: left home
because l thought the colored people would
do something; was at Charbonaus Easter
Sunday; Denis Lemoine and Oscar Givens
were there Easter Sunday; we killed a hog
and broke eggs; saw Denis and Oscar every
day from the fifth to the thirteenth of
April, and neither Denis, Oscar nor myself
went to Colfax Easter Sunday.
Cross oss-examination-know it was the fifth
of April when l left home; first learned
that Givens and Lemoine were to be tried
about three weeks ago; knew when they
were arrested and did not know what they
were arrested for; Denis Lemoine is my
uncle he ard that there was to be fight at
Colfax: Recorder Smith told me there was
to be ight; first heard on Monday even
ing that there had been fight at Colfax;
cav plenty armed white men Monday; the
men were going toward the pine woods.
Julian Lemoine sworn-Live in Grant
parish, about nine or twelve miles from
Colfax; Easter Sunday l was at home at
Dubois house and went hunting; saw
Denis Lemoine in the evening; also saw
Oscar Givens.
Cross s-examination-Can't read or write;
has no diary; first heard OF the Coliax fight
three or four days after the occurrence.
+. +. Lazard sworn-Live seven miles
below Colfax, and lived there IN March and
April last; claimed to have the office OF
recorder at that date in 1873; the Office was
kept in the courthouse was in Colfax when
Captain Ward, Shaw, Calhoun and colored
men took possession; was in Rapides par
ish Easter Sunday; before the first of April
there was much excitement in and about
Colfax; residents moved away because they
feared disturbance; there were colored
men in arms and rumOrs were numerous.
ross-examinatlon-Had the records of
nv office at Mr. Richardson's house in
trunk: when he moved into another parish
he took them with him; did not tell Smith
that nv friends advised me not to give him
the records did not tell him that Hadnot
intended to make trouble; l left the parish
then because there were SO many armed
men about.
Thomas Allison sworn-Live SIX or
seven miles northeast of Colfax: was at
Colfax ON the first day of April; saw
Cazabat, Nash. Richardson and Register,
and a crowd of people there; Register told
me he had possession of the courthouse: he
told me that if the opposition desired TO
GUST him they had recourse in the courts;
saw the elder Hadnot, Scarboro, Burk's
sons ana otners. armeu, on lne ROAD, lnlnk
they intended to participate in any fight
that might take place; white men foraged
on my corn, greatly to nv annoyance; am a
magistrate. but took no official steps TO stop
the rioting, for l thought that nothing
would prevent battle.
Sidney Harris sworn-I live in Rapides |
parish: on the second of last April was at |
old man Hadnot's house; saw G. and Luke |
Hadnot, Cazabat and Nash there; seven |
teen armed and mounted negroes came |
there before / left; Hadnot's place is six |
teen or eighteen miles from Colfax: Louis
Meckin walked into the house; Meckin |