The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-22
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
An Interesting Case.

the OuOuIDaQ freClncC SLatlOu ~ the lower
end of Canal street, with the information to
Capt Taylor, Of the mounted police. that as
they were returning from the usual labors Of
the day on the Orleans Canal, near Adams
Avenue. they were startled by loud and
agonizing cries, which apparently came from
the depths of the swamp on the other side,
and as they fastened from the spot with
terror in their hearts, and their blood chilled
and frozen in their veins, the cries were re-
peated, and this time the words, murder
For Gods sake help me-" were distinctly
carried across the water.
It was late in the evening when the in
formation was received, and it was not until
the next day that arrangements were perfected
to find the body of what was naturally sup
posed to be q murdered man.
After long and wearied search of five
hours the police discovered, about half a mile
below Buffers Canal, between the City Park
and the lake. spot which showed distinct
signs of long and fearful scuffle The
ground for yards around had evidently been
disturbed, while the brushwood and weeds
presented strange contrast in their mangled
and down-trodden condition to the taleless
surface of the shiny ooze. On the right Of
the spot of dry ground above described, in a
deep pool of swamp water, the officers dis
covered the body of a man named
Pierre Lacombe.
He was lying in about three feet of water,
with his head down near log His right
hand, with fingers tightly closed in the last
agony, was stretched out across the water,
while in his left. which lay across his breast,
he held a small bundle of clothes. The
officers Immediately raised the dead body in
their arms and conveyed it to the first spot of
dry ground which they happened to come
ACROSS.
They then proceeded to an exami nation,
and found that pistol ball had entered the
right side of his face, and so completely
were the features disfgured from the effects
of the shot and the powder which singed
an6 burnt the flesh, that had it not been for
other signs, as we'll known as Pierre Lacombe
was in that vicinity, it would have been al
most o matter of impossibility to recognize
him. In the right thigh another wound was
discovered, while Just below the left breast,
in the region of the heart, third ball had
evidently been sent home on its deadly
ernnd.
The body about the head, breast and arms
was considerably bruised.
Lacombe was seen Wednesday evening by
some parties living in the vicinity, to go out
the Orleans Canal road towards the lake, in
company with two white men.
Several days afterwards Guillaume Blessy
and jacques Delma were arrested on sus-
picion as the parties who were seen with the
deceased.
Yesterday these two men were tried and
convicted of murder without capital punish
ment The evidence wasi purely circumstan-
tial, and it was one of the most interesting
cases of the kind that has ever been tried in
our courts.
It was shown by the State that the two
accused were seen in company with the de-
ceased, proceeding in the direction of the
Orleans Canal, going out Ursulines street
Blessy aud Delma each carrying an Ak and
Lacombe q rope.
They crossed the Orleans Canal together,
proceeded some distance along the bank in
the direction of the lake, turned into the
swamp, and that was the last time tina, Pierre
Lacombe was seen alive.
The State produced an old man, residing
within short distance of the spot where the
body was found, who testified that about 2
o'clock on the day the murder was committed
he heard dull sounding blows, cries for help,
five pistol shots, more blows, more cries for
help, two more shots, and all was still
At about o'clock of the same day, the &C
cused were seen coming in the direction of
the city and were spoken to. One man asked
| them what had become of their companion
| The reply was that they had not seen him
since the day before
Three days afterwards they were arrested
| by Capt. Carleton, who had untiringly fol-
lowed up the circumstances
Just pre- vious to the arrest the house Of
Delma was searched by the corporal, and
| there was found two blood-stained axes, q
rope covered with blood and mud, bloody
shirt, and lot of pistol cartridges, the balls
| of which were about the sizs OF those found
in the body of Lacombe.
The axes and rope were identified by the
ferryman who took the three across the canal,
as the same that had been in possession OF
the party when they entered and left his skif.
The defense set up previous good character
of the accused and the bad character OF the
deceased, and attempted to establish that the
blood on the axes was the result of their hav-
ing been used to chop up meat for the sixteen
dogs, of which the accused were owners. A
butcher WAS brought in who testified that the
accused had bought meat of him for some
time previous to the commission of the crime
Of which they were charged.
| Witnesses were also introduced to prove
1 that the accused had been in the habit OF cut
ting meat for the dogs with axes. This was
shown, but the witnesses could not identify
the axes in court as the ones they had seen
used.
There is another circumstance of tragic
nature that in this recital of the case must
not be omitted.
When the matter was undergoing investi.
CATION before Judge Staes, some excitable in.
dividual in the crowd outside the bar shouted
sHang them" The wife of Jacques Delma
arose from her seat near her husband, looked
in the direction from whence the cry had
come, made step or two forward, and
dropped dead.
To-day the Carrollton gardens will be en-.
livened and its perfumed air will resound
with music and the happy shouts of enjoy
inc boyhood. Those two well known and
popular organizations of boys. the St Mary's
Brass Band and Home Hook and Ladder
Juniors, will, after marching through the
L = L.