The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-26
The Grant Parish Prisoners.

SCCOb0 Nkho1-SeVenu0 nay.
The trial of the Grant parish prisoners
was resumed yesterday, with the counsel
and reporters crowded around the one soli-
tary little table which the grace of the dep
uties allow.
Pinckney Chambers,
a negro of hugh proportions and new wit
ness, was placed on the stand. He was the
man that carried the mop that burned the
Courthouse in Grant parish. He related
that he was captured after the stampede
from the breast works.
He was running through the field when
some man who he did not know ran up and
commanded him to halt, which he did. The
man came mp and said he had good notion
to blow his brains out, that he (witness)
begged for life, and said that he had been
forced into the difficulty, and the man had
said that, if he told the truth, he would
spare him, but if he had lied he would kill
him. His captor then took MIN back to the
warehouse, near the courthouse and from
thence he was sent to fire the building. He
succeeded, and was taken to Mr.. VIM. Cruik-
shank by the man who had captured MIN.
Mr.. Cruikshank said that he had heard
that witness WIS forced into the fight that
Pink was good niger, and he was going
to see that lie was not hurt, and he was not.
After the fgh. was over, the party moved,
taking him with them, and just before sun
down they stopped to eat.
The man who had captured him told him
to help the cook, eat as much as he wanted
and fill his pockets, which he did. The
next morning Mr. Cruikshank took wit
ness and placed him on the road home.
Witness lived on Mr.. Cruikshank's place.
and got home all snfe.
Did not have gun during the fight did
not participate in it at all.
The crossexamination failed to elicit any
thing new.
Al. White,
another new witness, made his bow to the
jury, and proceeded to tell a tale imprOba-
BILE in almost every essential feature, and a
rather thin plot. He was a very observant
individual. aYtg
He failed not once to see anything that
Beckwith thought, as a good witness, he
shOulc have seen. He took particular notice
of all the prisoners. He saw them all during
the day most of them he observed in the
fight; some Of them he did not see until he
was taken prisoner. He succeeded in max
ing his escape by creeping into the bushes.
Cross examined by Mr.. Ellis--He said that
those he saw during the fight were in a body
a quarter of a mile from the courthouse.
He saw all the prisoners in this body land
yet his eyes are nothing extra.
be understood every time he got into a
tight place he was always an injured man,
whose truthful assertions were miscOnstrued
and misunderstood.
Witness saw Mr.. Hadnot when he was
shot. The gentleman, he stated, was within
forty yards Of the courthouse at the time.
Witness escaped by running into the bushes,
to reach which he had to get over 800 yards,
q portion of which be was chased.
He was fired at by DR.. Compton. [Of
course he stopped to look He said fur
John Hadn0t guarded him. The steamboat
Southwestern came to the landing, he knew;
laid there awhile and went Off
: + He saw Johnnie Hadnot, and in fact all
the Hadneis, after the departure Of the boat.
lit is well known that they all left on the
boat He said that he knew the man
called Munich Hadnot well; that he was
a white man. The individual is the color
of tar.
The witness was dismissed and the Court
took recess for half an hour.
Court again met at 1890.
't1~v sam Davis
was placed On the stand.
Sam told the Id story about the rally, but,
whites) In camp had tents spread, audi in fact
deported themselves as II they were going into a
regular old war" He knew cause he had been in
the camp. Among others he saw there was Hickman.
He (witness) in the mp aft the death of JsSe
Mckinney He was called In by some Of the sInen.
he was not BILLY t6e sh one q snt
some corn, ana paid m for it. 4w
He knew nothing about the fight; he did not go to
Colfax at all There was no cross examination
Lindsey Smith
was put on the stand. He in Colfax on the day
Of the fight; taken rlsoner. and escaped with Al.
White; ran into the busles Ma g substa italy the
same statement as did White in his direct examina
ton.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Ellis--He said the negroes
did not fire, from the Cour Ho at all he saw Mr.
Hadnot when he killed; he was within ten
'front.' Tire preceding witness t"hite) said that
Mr.. Hadnot at least forty yards away, near
Shaklefords house,. When he made his escape re
had to run not more than 10 yards White said 300
he fired At 1t was very dark aud yet White
raw the men VIII shot at himl He was captu ed
witness The ether rrisouers, anu ed himser 10y
shooting the wounded men. He retir+d. and an anti
quat-d sp of humanity. that bore the nam OF
william KimbaI,
shuffled in.
He lived on the sugar rm. Went to "olfix about
two week before the night; had gun, but wen there
for protection. When the men lett thu breastFork5
witness ran down The ba k OF the river aud hid HIM
self in hole and remai ed there Until alb cut O'Clock
when he came out out. and went TO his
house. The IA 1t evening Nash, with party of men,
Nash called HIM 10 the gate and stld, Mr.. imbill,
these are horrible times Witness S. cred by lay
ing. Mr.. Nash wtats the meaning of this not"
and Nash sad, it cam most OF d-m foolishness.'
Nash then told wi ness 10 60 to Coltax and bring the
bodies and witne S went, but Capt Bush would not
let him ard sent him back.
Cross-exam ned by Mr. Whitaker-He stated that
= man was gong to Shoot hm-had put his gun up to
his shoulder-when Nash threw it up. and said " BY
. YOU are doing too G--n much kilIng. You ave
got to OPP; this sort OF business will get us into
trouble"
Caleb Sadler
was called to the front. He got fr ghfened at the
death Mckinney: went 20 q lax; stald there for
week, and there the day OF the fight: was rot
In the tire ches; behind the C 'uIt ,nuse. and
when the left tue fort he ran and made his es-
cspe. He did Lot seem to have done Al ything ut
ran.
On being crosse xamined by Mr.. Ellis he sal that
he was moving around the quarters on the Me edith
place. each but always went into the cane brake at
night and hid.
That Wa all the defense could get out of him.
greater know-nothing niger never was.
ThOs. Mills,
bold yellow boy, was stood up. He was frightened
II the death Of Mckinney, doubt. but he did not