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

| Seventh days proceedings IN the case OF
J the United States against w. j. Cruikshank
and others. charged with conspiracy and
murder in Grant parish last April.
Monday morning opened quite fresh, the
| jury looking az if they had been served
pretty we'll since Saturday.
Judge Woods was promptly On his bench
at ten o'clock.
| Prosecution. defense. prisoners. clerks.
marsllals and reporters all in Oh time.
| Examination Of Levin Allen resumed
| Heard a steamboat pass Il quarter OF an
| hour after NasL's men began firing: think
| it was the Maria Lonisa: knew A. Tlllman
| two years; was in Coltax on election day:
can, say whether he voted or not: he was
| candidate for Representative; remained near
| the courthouse from Sunday until Monday.
, i'll the woods: saw people moving about on
| Monday: Mr.. Lewis lives on Petit Sol
! bayou, about six or seven miles from Col.
| tax: saw the courthouse on fire: when left
| Colfax there was plenty Of shooting: there
| was shooting while the courthouse was
| burning: the cannon was firing: an irregular
| discharge of sinai: arms unit! after dark;
| can't say when firing ceased on Sunday
night: heard firing Monday morning; j.
F, Bounce Is dead: knew when he was shot
! down. wounded; he never recovered: at
| cuny's point there are few trees. can't
see the courthouse from there. because Of a
| bend in the road; there were many women
| and children in Colfas when Nash gave
| thirty minutes for them to leave: firing be.
| gan before all the women and children got
| clear off: they passed through Co!fax. going
! toward Cuny's point: can't say what the
men who sho. Jim Bounce said: about 100
| white men chased the refugees who ran
| ward Cuny's point: heard shooting III
| coltax Sunday night: know where most OF
| the prisoners live: can't say as to distance
F., from Coltax: came to New Orleans with
Colonel De klyne and Captain Wright.
| Cross-eXamination- dav before the
| fight saw the Hadnots and others in Col.
| fax: after they left | rode Oft. and in tho
| road saw Judge CaZabat and MIR. Calhoun:
| heard Cazabat say that there could be no
compromise: the IIadnots were 200 or 300
| yards in front of them: can't say how long
| Cazahat and Calhoun had been together:
| they separated soon after the conversation:
Calhoun went 20 a landing: went to Colfax
| on account Of the sXcitement: lett my fam.
| lily at home on the Wells place: we had not
been disturbed up to that time: Mckinney
| had no: been killed then: no one suggested
| nv going to Cpltsy: had a loaded pistol:
! had no gun while in ColfaX: was not
! drilled. and no one else was: was called
I captain, but knew nothing of military mat.
! tiers: about 80 of us had arms. ! think: the
breastworis was formed by Terry. who gave
| the men directions: it was bully Easter Sun.
| day morning; it was two and half feet high:
| il was nog as high as a mans breast; there
was no roll call: there were no sergeants
! or eorpnTals. and no drilling. "a written
| roll was shown witness, who says he had
! never .een il before, An attack was made
| on Coltax before the thirteenth of April: it
was by Nash's crowd: my wife sent Inc
u-hi | i've al I'VE
| Compton. George and Willy Marsh and
| Cazaba: in the crowd: saw Nash hear
| Compton. Cazduat. George ard Willy
! Marsh: during that day the Nash crowd
| made an attack: they were mounted and
! armed: there were only forty or sixty COZ.
ored men in Colfax then: they were not all
! armed: 30 directions were given, and there
! was no line formed: tihe firing was irregular
and the men had dismounted: Cazabat had
! a gun, hut didn't see him shoot. as tie
A; smoke hung around: the firing lasted few
minutes: only a few shots were returned: Is
| snort time before Easter Sunday some OF
our people left Coifax. but can't say VIVA,
for: more than half left, and don't know
I where thev went or when they returned:
don't know why Ward. Flowers or Register
| left C.liax: don't know OF any messengers
| being sent out from ColfaX: did not
! send or tahe q letter 20 Mr.. Hadnot's house:
| provisions were generally furnished by rel.
| :t.ivss OF the men: don. know that white,
! men were ever interrupted a; Colfax:
! VeIry's business was selling pictures: don't
! know that Terry was torcbly detained;
| Shaw. not that I know. :ried - leave,
| and Was kept in Co!;ax against his will by
! the coloIeG people: had nothing 10 do with
! the guard st the postofoe: CuGr spoke TO
! me about guarding the postctfice: never
| warne,: o. J. Butter to leave town: there
; was no guard Or watch that l know of at
| The courthouse or elsewhere: Calhoun said
! chat IidGnot said we mus! L;sperse: aske!
why lIadEo. said suci, a thing; iiadnot
! had told Calhoun that they had dis.
reGsed; | saw Rober: Aaron when
he was Oh the opposite bank speaking
TO the men who had the cannon:
st.ved in the woods that night because |
was Afraid 20 stav at home: wen: home
| daring the night because my horse went
home. and 20 see whethe. my wife was at
loine: | stayed III the woods because |
thought it safer 10 Go 50: my friends were
afra,! to stay on the Sims place: saw BIZ!
Irwin a: the Colfax fight after the trouble
began: at that time l was in the courthouse
yard: saw Judge Ca2abat. DR.. Compton
and Hopkins there: saw Hopkins when he
spoke to Aaron; saw the Uickmans the day
ate. the fight on . Cotax road: Mr.. Lewis
was with tlem; was at Petit Sol bayou
when saw them: it rainel Easter Sunday.
h'iIhtiS bii lIS lLotii NSdhs
don't know where all the coioGed men game
from.
District Attorney Beckwith asked TO sec
the ''rolI" mentioned above. hut defense oh.
.jected. Judge Woods ruled that Mr.. Beck.
with had right to see it.
Direct examination resumei-Mv hand.
writing is no: GA the paper: can't write so
good as that.
Eliza Pearson. sworn-fiave lived at Col.
IA ~ 3hg,lt tIrct. ~ ('pitlay say U
OK fight. sitting ia my door: saw the people
running: saw Denis Lemoine. Hopkins and
William Burch: they were on the ground:
Captain Hoa was on a horse. guarding the
river: the sun was two hours high when the
'o!ored people broke and ran: the white
men were shooting them down: at night
started to 20 10 a friends house. but was
scared. because stumbled over some dead
men: looked tor Alex Tllman and found
him lying On the field dead: his throat was
cut and his clothing was down: there were
wounds al: over ms body: could almos. run
your list in his !hroa. wound: saw Lang.
field. Dr.. Marsh and Mr. I.aathers: they
were looking at the ,eopie: left Iillman's
body there: :.c laid there two days before
i. was buried; dead bodies al, around, TIL.
mans body was a lon. VIZ from the cour,.
h"us': "a" no gUns "a the ground. knew
the bodies vi .ichil" Smith. ii core. Eli Ran.
doip!. Shack White. Brown and Marti,
Jones: then wen: back home and remained
there mt! people buried the dead:
known liilman since he was a lad: BE- was
:. slay. oi D.oa: lis body had been iabbetl
all through. a. j.. with bayonet,: there was
plenty o: blood on the ground near him.
also near Harris body: my husband and
son were at.ea: AZ the woods .!U.in. tie
fight.
Cross .sxa,iIiaal:0n-Did not see Levin
Allen pass: when stumbled over the dead
bodies j. was dark: :ha; Sunday night j.
cained.