New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-22
THE DEATH PENALTY.
Execution of Five Murderers In Assum p-
tiOn.

Bayou Lafourche, tour miles below Napo.
leonville, in the parish of Assumption.
Elisha Eastwood, an old man, while ON
board of his boat, with which he had car
ried on trading business for numb er OF
years, was killed by party of five or six
men, whose object was plunder. Hs was
killed with a club, which was left on the
boat The escape of his cook, who gave
the alarm, caused them to flee with such
precipitation that other articles were left,
which afterward proved useful in identi.
fving the assassins. Indictments were sub
seouently found against James Robertson,
a one.legged white man, and five neg roes,
John and William Ross, Anderson Perry,
James Williams and Antoine Maurice.
At the trial, which was conducted by
Attorney General Field in person, it was
discovered that William Ross was less
guilty than his companions. A nole
prosequi was entered, and he was used as
State witness, After two days and two
nights the remaining five were found
guilty of murder and we're sentenced TO
death.
The death warrants were signed by the
Governor August 10, and yesterday, the
twenty-frst, fixed for the day of execution.
Very few from New Orleans went up to
Assump ton to witness the execution, but
at an early hour Friday morning, almost
before daylight, the people began to gather
around the courthouse. A large numb er,
200 or more, came armed with shotg uns
and rifles, with the intention to protect the
parish officers in the exercise of their du-
ties.
The precaution, however, was needless.
All classes of people had but one impression,
and that was that the crime had been fully
proven and the perpetrators would suffer
Justly. Some efforts had been made to
secure pardon for Robertson, but they
were unavailing. The record showed there
was no ground for clemency on his behalf,
but on the contrary, that he had been the
instigator and prime mover of the foul
crime. He was not, indeed, present at the
actual commission of the ofense, but he
was in his boat close by, ready to aid and
abet as much as cripple could.
A scaffOld of sufficient size for all five of
the victims had been erected the previous
day between the Jail and the courthouse,
IN full view of the people and facing toward
Bayou Lafourche.
By nine o'clock over 5000 people had
gathered around most of them coming from
Lafourche, Ascension, Terrebonne, ST.
James and other parishes.
At few minutes past nine the prisoners
made their appearance on the platform, ac-
companied by their confessor, the sheriff,
E. P. Helluin, and DR.. j. c. Ford, parish
physician.
Father Divide, pastor Of the Catholic
church at Napoleonville, has attended the
unhappy men ever since their conviction,
and his efforts to reduce them to tranquil
lity have been great, and their bearing on
the scaffold showed the excellent effect OF
his exhortations. He is esteemed in the
parish as an exemplary, kind and good
man, and is much beloved. A
After the last offices Of the church had
been concluded, Sheriff Helluin read the
sentence and death warrant, and then
asked the condemned if they had anything
to say to the public before the sentence was
executed.
The prisoners stood facing the bayou and
the great part of the people who were
around the scaffOld.
John Ross, who stood on the right, and
was very quiet and self possessed, said he
mad made his peace with God, and that he
had hopes of a future state and would enter
it before long. As he stood, with his arms
and feet pinioned, as were all the rest, his
| manner indicated firm conviction that his
hopes were well founded. He thanked the
sheriff for his uniform kindness and cour-
tesy, and finally warned his hearers to
| beware of similar fate.
James Williams stood next and was more
as Ross, declaring that he should soon ap-
pear before another judge, and finally be-
came SO overwhelmed that he fell fainting
into the arms of Father Ovide. He was
placed IN chair and allowed to sit until
the final act.
James Robertson stood in the middle of
the rest. He made no acknowledgment of
| his guilt. He said he had submitted pro-
position to the Governor, not with view
to obtain pardon or reprieve, but for the
general good, to disclose to him where
there we're mineral mines in the State of
great value. He was quiet, but much ex-
| cited.
Anderson Perry advised all to avoid the
ways which had brought him to his death.
He begged that his child might be taken
care of and brought up right that he might
become a good and God fearing man.
Antoine Maurice was the last. He spoke
about five or ten minutes and vehemently
protested his innocence and was the only
one VINO didso.
After this the executioner, dressed in q
black domino and white mask, came forward
and adjusted the black caps and ropes.
At this moment some one tainted, and
team took fright and ran away. The
| tension on the nerves Of the spectators
was so great that there was instantly
Q general stampede, guards and all, which,
| however, ceased almost instantly, as the
cause was discovered.
The execution proceeded. The guards,
| som 9 300 or 400, surrounded the scaffold,
| formed in hollow square. Tho drop fell,
| and in o few minutes DIR. Ford made his
| official examination. He declared Ross and
| Williams to have died instantly, tho neck
| having been dislocated. Tho other three
struggled little, but soon ceased, Perry
dying the hardest. By ten o'clock all was
over.
The bodies of Ross and Maurice were Civ
L e: DIX An2