New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-13
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS
TRIAL IN THE UNITED STATES CIRCUIT
COURT.
Closing Arguments i'm the Case

The sixteenth days proceedings in the
| case of w. j. Cruikshank and others.
charged with conspiracy and murder in
Grant parish last April, was opened by Mr..
Whitaker, counsel for defense, whose
speech was en- excellent effort, and we in
tended to produce it in to-day's issue, but
the shorthand writer's were unable to fur
nish US the copy in time.
Judge Ryan followed MI. Whitaker, and
| made q fair address. Ar. Ellis followed,
and when he closed it was understood that
District Attorney Beckvith would close for
the prosecution.
At half past ten o'clock last night Mr..
Beckwith finished his argument, and there
after the court adjourned until eleven
O'Clock to-day. when Judge Woods will
deliver his charge to the jury. and then
comes the crisis.
The following is q synopsis OF the areu.
men: made by Mr.. Beckwith' last night. He
was listened to attentively by large
audience, every available seat being occu.
pied, mostly by citizens who take an interest
in the history of Louisiana:
May it please the court. and gentlemen
of the jury, in the regular order of the trial
it now becomes my painful duty to address
you again on this subject. 1t is one that s
unpleasant in every detail, and had hoped
that the arguments Of the counsel who pre-
ceded me could have brought the case to
such an issue, that it would not have been
necessary for me to review every detail to
such an extent. They have been able to
look upon the crimes detailed with lenient
| eye, and to apologize for their commission.
As q minister of the law / have no such
privilege. Ny duty Is 60 tesr from these
crimes the fiimsy veil that the ingenuity Of
counsel has thrown around them, and to
present them to you in their hideousness
and defOrmity in detail.
In order to bring again to your minds the
evidence which, in my opinion. sustains
every count in the indictment, it will be
necessary again to allude to it by q brief
recapitulation of tho facts. In order to do
that it is necessary to refer to only brief
portion OF time, from the early part Of
March to about the fourteenth Of April last.
The first incident that is properly con-
nected and to be- considered, is o meeting
organized as and termed a mass meeting in
the office of q man named Hyams, men
toned in this indictment, and who was a
lawyer in Grant parish. This meeting was
caused, as testified by Mr.. Richardson, by
feeling of insecurity, and, as he says, re.
suited in the appointment of committee.
consisting of himself and Rutland, to wait
On the Governor and demand tho appoint
ment of Nash and Cszabat as sheriff and
judge of the parish of Grant.
Whether the intentions Of those who
composed the meeting we're good or evil
their action throws a food Of light over all
the events that followed it. Of this delega
ton. appointed by q small humber of peo-
pie in a lawyers Office, We have evidence
of character. if Richardson discloses cor.
rectly. Its only effect was to show sope-
thing of the motives of these men, for it's
efforts to secure the appointments resulted
in failure. On the part OF Rutland it re-
suited In anger and threats of future vic.
lence. The interview was an angry one,
and there was no intention to disguise the
threats. They were made in the presence
of Ward, Flowers and others who were
about to depart for Grant. and went there
nearly the same time as Rutland and Rich
ardson. These threats are significant as
explaining the violence that followed.
Then followed the event of the demand
of Rutland and Nash, when they proceeded
to do what had been threatened. II it was
not in itself a crime, when considered in
relation to the threats. it was ill advised
and irregular. If they had the right to the
offices, there was simple, legal and cheap
way to obtain possession OF them.
They proceeded to attempt to take pos
session Of the courthouse. No one can saw
that either Shaw or Nash was sheriff but If
either OF them was, he was as much so
without as with the courthouse. Whether
the building was properly occupied Of uI.
occupied is not our province to inquire. |
If they had the right to occupy it, neither 1
the going away OF staying affected that |
yight. The custody Of that public building
belonged to the officers who were put in
charge of it. The bare possession by any
individual gave him no title to office l
The next event was meeting at Wards
house, and there was reported these threats,
and then was reported that Hadnot was
coming with band Of men and would hang |
them all.
In the state Of society that, from the eyi- |
dence in this case. appears to be the normal i
condition on Red river. such contingency |
in their minds seemed not unnatural nor an /
illegitimate result from the threats they had |
heard. Shaw, by the advice OF Register, |
took what he deemed to be proper precau.
tions by swearing in deputy sheriffs. A |
posse was not resorted to that night. only |
ten, some say fifteen OF twenty, being |
sworn in, conformity with Shaw, as conserys.
tors of the peace of that locality. !
Moreover, on the first day of April, in I
exact compliance with what had been sup
posed, HadnOt with . gang OF nine, fifteen
or twenty men, did appear in Colfax under
that added to the terrOrs OF
the night before at the house of Ward.
Under these circumstances there are two
men whose conduct had made them re-
sponsible for what followed, who have thus
far escaped. These men, who had organ.
lied that first mass meeting, resolved that
there should be another, and the same on !
ho hot ha |
held at the courthouse. The internal in
1ustry that they exercised in order to get
up this meeting, in the absence of news
papers, was euch as would have been
Messengers were dis .
patched to Rutland and to others, but
The time was too short; there was
lot enough to gather together more than
and went to Montgomery and there organ }
zed a meeting Of men to 60 to Colfax; and
call attention to the peculiarities of that
Meeting. Thsy deliberated whether they
hOuld go aohed or not, and finally con-
luded to take only side arms. leaving their
hOtguns at home. i
1t suffces to say the meeting was not
uccess, 1t failed to accomplish what Rich
rdson is pleased to call the moral power"
esired. But We find Richardson and Rut-
and wholly cognizant of the stotU that
vas brewing. Rutland leaves, snd Rich
rdson goes soon after. In view Of all the
this is peculiarly noticeable. I
he tornado was coming, and they saw fit |
0 escape. But Richardson was not content
18th what he had done. Rutland was not =,
ontent. He was exceedingly active. If We {
re to believe Richardson and he testiies to
he opinion of Rutland, it was deemed i
heir duty to install Nash and Cazabat. &
The next we hear of Rutland, in spite of {
is carefully detailed departure, in spite of 9
le assertion that he never crossed the /
ver. in furtherance of the same plan, is
etore Justice of the peace of the parish | 9