New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-03
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.

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Hickman Indicted as Thomas Hickman),
William D. Irwin indicted as w. b. Irwin,
Austin p. Gibbons Indicted as Oscar
Givens), Clement Penn, Denis Lemoine and
PrudhOmme Lemoine, on trial for con-
spiracy and murder in Colfax, Grant parish,
in April, 1873, when Alexander Tillman
and others were killed.
TESTIMONY FOR DEFENSE.
On the court opening Judge Woods an
nounced that he had concluded to let Rev.
Mr.. johnson, District Attorney Beckwith
and counsel for defense retire from the
courtroom to read letter spoken of in the
! thirteenth days proceedings, to ascertain
if it was the same that witness (JohnsOD)
had received signed with Wards name and
to see if the contents were the same as that
formerly read to witness near COtile Land
ing. johnson declared that it read the
same, but the letter does not go to the jury,
as it has not been shown that Ward wrote
it.
The next witness was 3. F. Stewart, who
said he accompanied Cruikshank from
Alexandria up to q point near Colfax on
Easter Sunday. The following is the cross
examination:
Did not leave Pineville with squad Of
armed men; Cruikshank and myself were
alone; knew some of the men who rode
was armed with double-barreled shotgun;
we stopped at Kemp's house at night; did
not see q squad of men stay there that
night; Cruikshank and l left for Bayou
DarrOw next morning, alone: the DarrOw
where we crossed the bridge was about four
miles from Colfax; the DArrow is 100 to $50
feet wide; heard the cannon before we
reached the bridge, at six o'clock; when We
got about mile beyond the bridge, Cruik-
1ofx OF nov
bridge; one of them was Judge Cazabat,
and another was Mr.. Tore; did not go into
Colfax because did not wish to have any
thing to do with the affair; had heard
there was to be trouble; did not stop to
look at Cruikshank's tim ber, either going
or coming; Cruikshank remained in COlfax
about half an hour; when he returned the
sun was an hour and a half high; we got
back to Pineville at ten o'clock Monday
sailed under the name of Stewart; have,
dealt in live stock in Kentucky, and timber
in Louisiana; first knew Cazabat in Car:
rolltOn in 1871; met him at Alexandria, and
then at the Darrow; understood that he
was at a camp by the Darrow: Cruikshank
brought Pinkney Chambers out of Coltax.
Mary Denison-Lived in Colfax at the
time Of the fight; lived in Richardson's
family; heard that Rutland's house was
TODU6u, COlOEcu Lucu WHO pd6ocu NY uUus6
at that time said they had played the devil
with Rutland's house; l visited the house
and saw that everything was broken; Ward,
Allen, Flowers and White drilled the col
ored men in Colfax every morning at nine
o'clock.
CrOss-eXaminatiOn-Ne secreted Nash
in my house; Nash ate breakfast at my
house the day the Metropolitans arrived;
Fanny Gibbs has one of the dresses stolen
from Mrs. Rutland; Maria Carroll also.
Enelne Morse-I was left in charge of
Mr.. Rutland's house; his furniture was all
broke up at the time Of the fight; Flowers
robbed the house one night; fifteen men
were with him; Baptiste Elsie and Caleb
Sadler were with him.
Cross-examination-Th robbery was at
ten o'clock on the night of the day Rutland
left; am certain of the men l named.
James Smith-Three or four weeks before
the Colfax fight was summoned to appear
there by Dan Shaw; l went there to pre-
serve property; there were good many
cOlOred men there; one-half of them were
armed; Captains Allen, Thomas and Ward
drilled the men; Dan Shaw deputized me
to 60 and gather in the men; one night
when l vas sleeping in Achille Smiths
house, men brought in a lot ofchickens and
wine; heard Ward said to Flowers that the
IUUDcTy buOuiu Aot AdbO UCCu CoHWltICu'
jesse Mckinney was a very good man; saw
Louis Meekin when he brought the news of
Jesse's death: he had no gun with him then,
but he had pistols; there was scrimmage
before the big fight; Allen, Flowers and
Ward had command of three squads, and
when we fred at the white men, they 1.-THE
whites) turned and ran; when l saw q great
lot of white men approaching Colfax,
said that was too mucn for me, SO l cen
r I,f& aAn
to ride Oft on.
Cross-examination-Flowers told me he
had been at Rutland's house when it was
robbed; we were at Achille Smiths house
when he told me tnat; the house was
robbed about eleven or twelve o'clock at
night, and Flowers told me about it that
same night; the fight at Ferenzi place was
before the scrimmage at Smithfield Quar-
ters; l was in the fight, and Ward was
there; we had forty op fifty mounted men,
and run off the whites: say the scrimmage
at Smithtield Quarters was before the
Ferenzi affair; do not know when Ward
went away; do not know anything about
the manual of arms; We were drilled every
day for three or four weeks by Ward;
can't say precisely about how the cattle
were killed for ratiOns.
A. P. Lazard-In March and April, 1873,
l claimed to be recorder of Grant parish;
had commissions from WarmOth and Nc
Emery; was in Colfax when Register took
possession of the courthouse; Nash acted
as sheriff prior to the seizure, and he claimed
to be sheriff, and some people SO looked on
him; saw the colOred men fOraging. that is,
saw them going out and in with bags OF
provisions; saw them driving live stock; it
was generally reported that the parish was
in disturbed condition.
l;o<i rn,vioh
colored man from white man 600 yards u
without glasses; saw colored men driving of
my fathers cattle and some stock belong
ing to colored people; they were 600 yards
distant; l did not start any OF the rumors
that were in circulation; did not know any
one except Nash who was in the fight.
Jourdan Garrett was in Colfax several
days before the fight; did not find any
body there but whole lot of people; saw
no drilling; my brother was there with his
gun; l went there of my own accord.
Adam Scott-Was in COlfax before the
fight; Jim Bueh and others told me to 60 to
Colfax to fight; did not go willingly; saw
Levin Allin and Charley Thomas try to
drill the men; stayed there only one day.
Cross-examination-Th men who came
after me said the sheriff had sent them.
G.. s. JOhnson-He only knows that he
had seen John Hadnot at Alexandria the
day after the fight.
Nancy White-I lived in Judge Registers
bouse up to within week before the fight:
never saw the colored people drilling; 1
lett because the men were kicking up go;
heard Register say he could get enough
colored men to kill all the whites; heard
negroes make threats; Mrs. Register said
her husband was going to leave.
Mrs. Jane White-I forget the name Of
the parish live in; the feelings of the peo-
pie in my neighborhood were greatly
alarmed in Anril. 1873; colored people