The New York herald., 1874-08-22

was the nrst to recover his self possession Rising
rom MS seat with menaelng air he stumped up
"Look at me ID the lace and remember me on
your dying bedp'
silence. Robertson professed to be a native Of
Virginia. but came to Louisiana from Texas. Ross
who was powerful mulatto standing nearly SIX
feet hlgh and who was the only one OF the
up to the time of the murSer, assumed
over, and maintained it nearly to the last. VIII
hams, powerful mulatto, with a pleasant
aee ia mad e% Georgia Grs he S
silence, as also did Antonio Maurice Q
Creole. Grn, born in the parish, OF such evil
desire to assist Ill his execution. Perry. also q
native OF the parish, took things very calmly.
said to be the third murder in which he has been
implicated.
OF course, tie usual process OF trusting up these
cowaydly desperadoes for immediate reception
into heaven was gone through. Two OF them,
Robertson and Maurice, were already Catholics;
the three others were were co,,vrnrvn
by the charitable efforts OF the Rev. Father Orfe.
o
In his attendance on the doomed men, Under his
snSsty ney all made cOnies
duplicating seventh man. not IN custody named
William Gibson, alias liam Fat" as participant
In the murder. Ross wife visited him frequently.
The families OF the other men left them to their
fate with entire indifference.
THE GALLOws
was erected In front OF the jail. 1t was very
heavy structure, about eighteen feet high, the
platform niue feet from the crossbeam; the drop
ea ta2 %as
Levied by the police jury to pay the expenses Of
BOLD ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
On Tuesday night the cOnvicts made desperate
attempt to escape. Procuring nile, tney cut
sases sagh of the the es roa and s Of ss
were confined, ana when discovered by the
TAILOR were IN the act Of cutting through
difficulty, and four OF them, Tor greater security,
kept in the stocks till led their death,
and the fifth was chained by his leg to o staple In
the wall.
THE PLACE OF EXECUTION
was IN the heart & Of the e. town The Ia and court
white citizens arrived with double barrelled shot
guns and Spencer rifles and lined the other two
sides and the gaOws occupied the centre. The
slopin0 evee ol the bayou In the foreground formed
Q natural amDhitheatre upon which were crowded
from four to five thousand men, women and chill
dren white and colored
THE EXECUTIONS.
the culprits were led out at halfpast nine
ministrations never ceased. The reading OF the
death warrants and the dying speeches OF the con-
voice, asked his vile and mother h - to come ONE
to the 'front.'; Tney were dragged forward
and Williams asked the HERALD reporter and
others to see that their wives mad q black gown
X,
speeches, ending each with the assurance that
they would be in heaven in ten minutes. Williams
danced himself into Mysteries and tainted
and had to be .propped up in a chair
till the drop fell. The executloner,
tall. powerful man, wearing carnival mask and
draped from head to footin black domino tied
with crimson cord, performed his work most ef
fciently. Robinson. the only white man OF the
gang, was placed IN the centre OF the drop and
displayed less courage than any OF them. Up to
the last moment ne INDUCED in fearful bias
phemies, expressing hope that he would be at
helps gates 10 meet hts prosecutors. At half past
ten
THE DROP FELL,
and the Shrek that rose simultaneously from the
crowd startled some horses and produced q panic.
The armed guard broke and ran and it was with
difficulty that the Sheriff restored order.
In half an hour DR.. Ford, the parish physician
pronounced all the men dead. Most OF them died
almost without visible struggle. All the best
citizens, white and black, cO-Operated in Orcng
the law in this case.. There being no white league
In the Laf0urche district, but on rce contrary the
most harmonious relations between labor and cap
no mismanagement or disturbance.