The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-07
ARREST OF SEELYE AND LIEUT.. HoDGso!

MONROE, La, Nov. 6.-The Deputy Sheriff
of Lincoln parish came in this afternoon witt
warrants from Judge Trimble, District Judge
for the arrest of Marshal Seelye and Lieut.
Hodgson, for contempt of court in refusing
to obey the writ of habeas corpus issued by
Judge Trimble in the case of the prisoners
from Claiborne parish, last week. Lieut..
Hodgson was arrested at the Ouachita House.
Marshal Seelye, who was in the hotel, made
his escape. The Sheriff's posse divided and
went in different directions. One squad went
to the house of J. T. Labelling, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court OF the State.
One Of the posse states "Chief Justice
Ludeing met the posse on the piazza. He
said See1ye was not in the house. He had
been there half an hour before; but had gone
of, he did not know where" Judge Ludeing
said Seelye came to ask for legal advice and
he had advised him to surrender, and that
owing to his position in the State he did not
want anything to do with it.
The posse insisted on searching the house.
Judge Ludeling showed them around down
stairs. The door leading up stairs was found
locked. The posse insisted on going up
stairs. After considerable delay, Mrs.
Ludeling produced the key. The searchers
searched up stairs and found nothing they
then obtained candle, and in the garnet,
dark as midnight, they found Seelye, his
clothes being badly soiled with plaster.
Seelye surrendered, was disarmed, and
marched down stairs almost fainting, where
Judge L. refreshed him witha glass OF brandy.
The prisoner begged for protection, and when
told by young Sholans. the son of old DR..
Sholans, arrested by Seelye last week, ''You
treated my old father like dog sir" Seelye
said "It was not me, it was Lieut.. Hodg.
son." The posse assured Seelye that not .
hair of his head should be hurt.
Marshal Seelye and Lieut. Hodgson are en-
route to Vienna to answer before Judge Trim
BILE. It is probable that indictments will be
found against both for cutting the telegraph
wires.
Concerning the arrest Of citizens in Lin
coin parish before the election and the cut
ting Of the telegraph wires at the same time,
the following affidavit was made:
STATE OF LOUISIANA, !
Parish of Lincoln.
Before the undersigned legal authority, ap-
peared Jas. Mentally, private soldier in COM
pany B, Sd U. S. Infantry, who, after being
by me sworn, declared upon oath that on
Sunday, the 25th of October, at about
o'clock in the afternoon, he was on sentry
guarding six prisoners for Lieut.. Hodgson up
stairs in the court house in the parish and
State aforesaid, when Lieut.. Hodgson and Mr.
Selye came up stairs.
The Lieutenant said to Nh. Seelye: "Let
us handcuff this man (referring to one of the
prisoners) Immediately; We have some other
business to attend to which you have ordered
me to do" Hodgson then addressed cor
poral, saying: Corporal, get two Of your men
and repore to me Immediately. Mr.. Seelye, I
will move three troops of infantry and put
them down at the Jail, and from there we viii
go down to the creek and do what is neces-
sary."
In about half an hour after this converse
ton, the Lieutenant, Mr.. Edgar Seelye, a cor
poral and two privates, went out in the direc-
ton of the place where the telegraph wires
were cut, and in about half an hour saw
them coming back from that direction.
When Lieut.. Hodgson gave him instruc-
tons in regard to guarding the prisoners, he
told him if any of them offered money to get
away to take the money and knock him down.
Hodgson told him to take all he could get
and he would uphold him in so doing.
JAMES MCNAILY.
Sworn to and subscribed before me on this,
The 9th day Of October, A. D. 1874.
L. M GOHAGAN J. p