New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-01

DEFIcIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
9ffIcIAt JOURNAL Of NEW ORLEANS
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.

Sixth days proceedings in the case of thu
United States against w. J. Cruikshanl
and others. for conspiracy and murder last
April in Grant parish.
Counsel for defense called tie attention
of the court 70 the fact that witnesses fol
defense, now here and to be here, are with
out means of subsistence, as most of them
are very poor. Some of them, unless paid
intend to leave the city. Counsel for de
tense will make the required affidavit and
may, perhaps, obtain the funds.
Martin Johns sworn-Was living in Gram
parish last April, eight miles from COlfax
saw something of the fight; saw armed
white men; saw HadnOt with sixteen armed
nen / was in the same store with them
knew only the three Hadnots; witness here
pointed out one of the Hadnot boys.) Or
Che day of the fight was in the courthouse
fight began at twelve or one o'clock: wac
there all the morning; the armed white
:nen came in from several directions; heard
Shem shooting with cannon; saw plenty
of armed men; they fired the cannon about
six times; they first began to fire when near
Che quarters; heard plenty bullets flying;
they gradually approached the courthouse;
they were not near enough for me to know
any of them; they took their cannon to the
river side, 200 yards nearer to US; nobody
Avas hurt that / know of; can't say how
tnany colOred men had guns in the fort, but
think about sixty; they shot their cannon
ball through window; we had to 20 into
the courthouse when the cannon was placed
On the river bank; can't say how many of
ns there were in the building; knew several
of the men inside we we're scared when we
ran into the courthouse; they all carried
their guns: some cOlOred men ran off down
the road: saw white men shoot them down
rs they ran; when the white men got to-
sether again they attacked the courthouse
and set it on fire; no one inside fred on the
whites then; Shack White, on seeing the
fire, called out to Irwin that we surren-
3ered; they told us to stack our arms; a
white flag was tied to a stick and hung out;
when we went out of the courthouse the
white men began firing down on us:
was shot in my arm; three bullets went
Through and one remains inside; nine
wounds in all for me- white man told me
to stay by him, that l shouldn't be hurt;
afterward a man knocked me down with a
gun; saw Bill Irwin, X. Mathers and the
two Marsh boys; afterward they placed me
on a gallery under guard; don't know the
guards or the man who protected me; at
shutdown they marched about seventy of us
TO the hotel yard and kept US there until
time or ten o'clock; they said, we will take
swo niggers each to the sugarhouse and let
$hem 60 in the morning; they then began
shooting our people; we wounded men then
ran away, and got down the river bank;
Oscar, Gilbert and Gus Lacour, two Had
sots. Nash and Cruikshank were there.
eWitness here pointed out Clement PENN
After escaped went into the woods; my
wounds were not dressed until Marshal De
Klyne arrived; did net notice anything, was
90 confused; don't know who struck me
with the gun; know Alexander Tillman,
whom they killed at night; while was pris-
oner heard white men say that they would
stew us all at night; saw colOred women |
while l was prisoner; they were hunting
for their husbands; they were not permitted |
to 90 near the prisoners; fifteen of us were
wounded; the guard went off when they !
took away the well men, a man said: "Let |
the wounded men stay on the gallery and |
i will attend to them afterward;' the white |
men kept shooting until eleven o'clock at |
night; heard voice say something about |
the wounded men escaping; they looked for |
Us; saw them strike light on the gallery |
where we had been; there were about |
twenty of them; one said that we ought to |
have been ''stewed" at once; when we left |
the courthouse at the surrender we all laid |
down our arms; had nothing when / was |
shot; saw the cannon when | was in the |
courthouse; it was on the river bank: it was
about 80 yards from Shackleford's house;
above the ferry: they shot at the court
house with it; shooting the door and the
window to pieces; one of the slugs dis
embowled lad who was inside Shack
White was wounded; saw no one inside
shooting; we felt mighty bad in there
CrOss-examined-Can say that Mr.. Lewis
was in the fight; l didn't see him there: |
was in Colfax several days before the
fight; Sheriff Shaw summoned me; / have
a brother; | never threatened that and
my crowd would clean out the whites. take
their women, and knock the chill dren in the
head; did not see old man Had not wear a
sash, or rOsette, or sword.
Direct examination resuned-Saw the |
Hadn0ts on the day Of the fight.
jackson Thomas sworn-Was at Colfax |
last April; was there seven days before the
fight; went there tor protection; saw no J
armed white men in COlfax before the fight;
the fight took place on Saturday; no, it |
was on Easter Sunday; the shooting began
at $3.50 AM; l was behind the breastworks; |
think l saw 700 armed white men; shot
passed over my head; there was plenty
| renamed on the ground | t
until the last cannon bali was fired. i
when went into the courthouse: stayed in !
the courthouse an hour; white men were
shooting, and they got pine to fire the +!
courthouse; some of our people ran dow | s
the road; when the fire began we surren- | G
iered, stacking our arms; when we went |
,ut the white men fired on us; was wound.
I'd in my right shoulder; do not know the I 4
nan who took me prisoner; they kept us !
rom the river for his men; there were t
orty-eight prisoners in the yard; William | h
and another man took ont Will | Ii
lam Williams and G.. Nelson to shoot them: | a
aw Denis Lemoine, John Hadnot, John
COMPTON; know them; will know William | o
jruikshank when l see him; see ID. LIE. c
lOine, William Cruikshank and John Had. s
ot at the bar; the shooting ceased at "
leven o'clock; when they took men in the il
ard to shoot them | got under the house. k
ut did not remain long; finally ran to the "
'oOds; vert to ColfaS Tor protection: live o
We miles from COlfaX. n
Cross examinatiOn-I heard W. Cruik- e.
hank tell gentleman that he was going
, take out G. Nelson and William Williams II
twenty-five yards and shoot them; once t.
efore the fight l saw John Hadnot with a
theirs riding near Colfax; his gun was at p
alt cock, and it had cap on the tube: | II
Q was on the right, ] on the left side; had .
gun i'll the courthouse; there was no I,
rlling and no captains or sergeants among | &c
ne colored people.
Woodbury. Gabriel sworn-Was az the | 0,
olfaX night: was~bOrn in that neighbour y,
God; fight begun betw cen six and seven |
clock; was before the courthouse door, in | -
ne breastwork; stayed there until the hot N
on begun to fall too thick; some ran down | =,
ne road and Others into the courthouse; | :,
hack White called to Bill Irwin that we Of
al surrendered; after the surrender ran
the river bank when Mr.. Hopkins shot =
lie; was wounded in my back. and the ball u
ent through to my breast, and my aunt az
NJ 1t out next day; l crawled down the u
ank and was there when the steamboat M
anne; Lacour asked Hopkins who killed q
lat niger tpointing to me as laid on the az
round; Hopkins said he did: went to Col SD
AK Tor safety; Nc never intended to harm al
ie white people. to
rossexamination-I had gun; loaded