New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-29
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.

Trial in the United States Circuit Court.
Judge Woods presiding. District Attor-
ney Beckwith for prosecution; w. r.
Whitaker and others for defense. Tenth
days proceedings William j. Cruikshank,
John p Hadnot, Thomas j. Hickman
indicted as Thomas Hickman, William y:
Irwin indicted as w. B. Irwin, Austin T..
Gibbons Indicted as Oscar Givensl, Gle
ment Penn, Denis Lemoine and Prud-
homme LemOine, on trial for conspiracy
and murder in Calfax, Grant parish, in
April, 1873, when Alexander TIlman and
others were killed.
The first witness called yesterday was
Charles Register, the sixty-eighth for the
prosecution. He but corroborated the evil
dence of his mother.
Virginia Davis and Meekin Jones sim
ply verified statements made by former
witnesses. Jones was prisoner, but es-
capped.
Dicey Wilkins-White men came to nv
home at Smithtield Quarters and asked for
my husband and brothers; they said they
hoped l never would see them again. one
of the men was Willie Ward; went to Col
fax to get my husband, but was stopped BY
men, who said they were Texas rangers;
saw D. and p. Lemoine. Hopkins, Bill r.
win, Scarbor0; went off after the court
house was burned; when l returned l found
my husbands mutilated body under the
warehouse; his coat pocket was inside out;
l hauled the body out and found many bad
wounds on it; strange white man told me
if my husband had kept away from Colfax
he would not have been killed.
Fanny Gibbs-Was at Slnitbfeld Quar-
tiers when Nash and others came; Column
bus Nash's brother was there; we were told
to leave; afterward a man told US to go
home and that we would not be hurt; these
men were strangers to US; on my return l
saw Denis LemOine; l saw him on horse
back, plain; also saw many mounted white
men.
Thomas Johnson-Was at Colfax at the
fight; was taken prisoner, but jim Rutland
saved me, and l went away; saw Oscar
Gibbons, Lecour, Cruikshank and Irwin
there; when / was in the courthouse Shack
White tore off his shirt sleeve, put it out Of
the window and cried 1--WE surrender he
called to Bill Irwin to save him; Irwin told
him he owed him one and would pay it;
melody outside told US to Law down
our arms and surrender and that
we would not be hurt; tEis was
when the courthouse was burning; saw
Denis Lemoine, j. Hickman and others;
the white men got Ben Brim to tell US to
leave the courthouse, and that we would
not be harmed; we had nothing but bird
shot and shOtguns, except four army guns
that the men had brought back from the
army; l went to Colfax to save myself; VIZ l
badly disposed after Jesse Mckinney was
killed.
lack White-Was in the Colfax fight;
saw Bill Irwin, Bill Cruikshank and Denis
Lemoine there; am very sure OF them; went
to Colfax after Mckinney was killed; these
men were armed.
sexamination-Wben escaped from
the courthouse l ran to the river and swan
down to landing above Cuny's Point; left
my gun in the earthwork; kept most Of my
clothing on; am sure that l cav Denis Lee
moine; am good swimmer; can't say how
far l swan; had my shot pouch and horn
on me.
Louisa Boyd-Was in Colfax in the eve
ming of the day of the fight saw and knew
Johnny Hadnot, d. Lemoine and Alfred
Lewis, armed know them well; when l
got into Colfax the courthouse was burned.
Moses Hunt and Harriet Gray gave their
ey idence, not of any material weight, after
which District Attorney Beckwith an
nounced that he would rest his case, reserv-
ing the right to call an absent witness.
Mr.. Whitaker, for defense, ado ressed the
jury at considerable length. paying parti-
cuiar attention to the indictments, after
which he began to take testimony for his
side of the case.
Messrs. T. Wharto Collens, Jr., and o.
NJ. Tenayson, active shorthand reporters,
are employed writing testimony for the
prosecution, having taken 1900 pages. This
includes interrogatOries, responses, etc.