The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-21
The Grant Parish Prisoners.
Second Trial-Third Day.


yesterday morning, and every one interested
in the proceedings, from the prisoners down
to his honor" Judge Woods came up look
ing fresh
United States District Attorney Beckwith
opened and laid the case on behalf Of the
prosecution. He waded through the indict
ment, taking it up by counts reading and
explaining them as far as he was capable;
gave the law, as he understood il, bearing
on each; got the jury considerably mud
died as to which was the law and which the
counts; finally got Ineligible; said that
up, amounted to a charge of conspiracy
against, and the murder of, Alexander Til
man.
He then went on to show what he con-
sidered a conspiracy under the law and
what under the law he considered murder.
His expression of his ideas was clear and
the jury seemed to understand and appre-
ciate.
He then told the jury what he expected to
prove. The facts, he said, were Of such q
shocking nature that he shrank from their
recital. Circumstances growing out of the
election led to the events that had brought
the accused before them.
He related these circumstances as being
difference of opinion between Nash and
Shaw, as to who was sheriff, and Cazabat
and Register, as to who was judge. This
was all prior to March 26. and at that time
there was no indication of the terrible
storm that was to pass over the parish.
Some time between the Goth of March and
April l, there was some kind of meeting; he
did not know what to term it; he believedit
was called mass meeting, composed Of five
persons, among whom were Nash, Judge
Richardson and CaZabat, and they deter
mined to call mass meeting, at the Court
House, for the LIST of April, to be composed
of one class of men-white men-whose
credentials were to be firearms, principally
shOt-guns.
The acting officers of the parish knew
nothing of this, although number Of run
ners had been sent out to summon the men,
but on the night prior to the 1st Of April
the rumOr got abroad that there was a large
gathering at the house of Mr.. Hadnot, since
deceased, of armed men, whose intention it
was to hang the acting officers.
Sheriff Shaw swOre in posse of some ~
men, and took possession Ofthe Court House
The next day body of armed men appeared
in Colfax, under the leadership of Mr.. Had
not, the deceased, but finding that such eff
fective preparations had been made, they
did nothing.
There was no disturbance until the Sd
of April, when Jessie Mckinney vas shot
while mending his fence by crowd Of
men, among whom was some OF the pris-
oners, apparently without cause Or pro-
vocation"
This matter getting abroad and the ne
groes getting frightened and excited went
into COlfax.
He then gave long chapter of events
which occurred up to Easter Sunday.
He then made a statement Of events of
hot do 1a1 anna hjSfO
inimical to the prisoners.
The real facts are too well known and re-
membered to need any further relation OF
them.
As to the question of motive, he said that
the facts werc the strongest proofs that
could be adduced; no avowed motive or in
tention could set them aside.
At the conclusion of his remarks the Court
took recess for half an hour.
On The court reassembling, Judge $50
ealled) Register, white man, was
Placed on the Stand.
His direct examination in effect sustained
the statement of the affair. as laid down by
Beckwith, up to several days prior to the
fight. at which time, anticipating the coming
storm, which he had been principally instru-
mental in brewing, he had left the place and
taken a boat for the city. He said he had
never seen any of the accused in the squads
Of armed men that moved around ColfaX,
but stated positively that he did recog-
nize Mr.. Hadnot at the head of the men
that entered Colfax on the 1st OF April.
On the cross examination by MIR. Whlta-
ker, he stated that he had never studied
law There's judge for You that ne was
not a candidate for Judge, but that Kellogg
had appointed him to he position. He had
heard that Judge Cazabat held court in
March. and that Mr.. Wash acted in his Off
cial caps city as Sheriff, but did not know
it personally. He got in possession OF the
court room by assisting a boy in through
the window, which was first broken, who
opened the door.
He gave a graphic sketch Of his life, in
response to severe and close questioning by
Mr.. Whitaker 1t was interesting only in
showing that he was great traveller; had
never lived in any place long, and had mys-
teriously departed from Shreveport after a
short residence, at midnight, in an open
boat. to save his life.
When he opened his court there We're no
lawyers attended. He had it guarded by a
posse Of from thirty to fifty men, armed
with shotgun under the command of the
so-called DEPUTY Sheriff Harvey.
The rest Of his testimony was in substance
the same as given at the previous trial.
So skillfuily did Mr.. Whitaker question
L.
swer evasively. his testimony showed con-
clusively that the negroes held possession OF
Colfax; were drilled daily, fed in regular
camp style, and acted generally like captors
Of the place; aud all before the white PEG
pie had made any demonstration.
), United States Deputy Marshal Deklyne
was the next on the stand. He portrayed
wildly in ul-harrowing language, and
sepulchral voice, the horrors he had wit
messed on his arrival at Colfax.
Calhoun was then trotted forward. He
knew nothing of the fght like Register he
had slid; he however plaintively told of his
capture by some of the white detatchments
who had seacrhed him, and finally let him go,
none the worse except for the fright.
VIM. Ward took rne stand and was telling
his old story, when Beckwith announced >
o'clock and the court incontinently adj
journed, after instructing the representative
L. La, n hi 4 lnnl-