New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-28
THE MONROE MURDER.
Confession of the Accused.

Inc horrible story OF the execution OF
Toney Nellum and woman named Alcee
Harris, Friday, at Monroe, has already been
told. The Ouachita Telegraph comes to us
containing the confession of the parties of
their crime:
On Tuesday. accompanied by Judge Cald-
well, Sheriff Hamlet, one of his deputies,
Robert Lewis, and the ailOr, we visited the
condemned o receive their final confessions
They were confined in separate rooms up
stairs, but at our request were brought to-
gether in the womans room, where we
found Alcee Harris sitting up in bed in one
corner of the room. The floor was clean
swept, and the very few articles of furnl
ture in the room were well arranged. Toney
Nellum followed US with apparent CON-
posure and took protfered seat. There
was an air of solemuity at once, such as the
presence of death naturally begets. Alcee
Harris was first addressed, and informed
of the purpose of our mission, of the failure
to secure her pardon, and of the obligations
she owed to herself and to her God in tell
ing the truth. Her manner was at first a
little agitated and her voice trembled but
she proceeded readily in the narration OF
her guilt, narration marked by very little
cOntrition, but at times by sudden eX Xhibi-
tions of temper There was scarcely
perceptible emotion of sorrow when we
asked about hers and Henry's child, an in
FAINT not yet twenty months old. We give
her own statement in nearly her own W ords
ALCEE HARRIS CONFESSION.
Saturday night there was party on Mrs.
i Richardson's place; me and Henry got into
| dispute, and Henry said he was gong to
| kill me; there was a crowd of people going
| along the road; took up the baby and ruu
| and caught them to keep Henry fran kill
| ing me; as he passed the crowd he told
| Toney Nellum that he was going to kill me;
| Toney said, No. Henry, don't kill her; be.
fore i'd kill her 1 would quit her" / went
on where we crossed the bayou where Hen
| ry and Uncle Toney were sitting on log l
| left them on this side, and crossed on the
raft with George Nelson. Henry crossed
over home; l was sitting on the steps. He
said, "Alcee, l am going to kill you" He
going to cut my throat lie laid the knife
down, and l slipped it out and threw in
| some brush. This was Sunday morning
just before day. l got up that morning
and got breakfast. About an hour by sun
that evening l went across the bayou to
MeEnery's; when l came back | went to
| William Browns to get some medicine; ii
was dark; Henry and Uncle Tonev were at
our house Toney said to me, "If it had
not been for Inc, Henry would have killed
you last night" Yes" l said 81 know he
would have killed me; l have been afraid
OF him" Toney said to me, I'm the onli
est one can save your life, and l will do it
if you will marry me- [ At this point Toney
dissented by a vigorous shake of his head
and repeated grunts.] said, 81 don't care
what you do with hlm, so you get him out
of my way and keep him from killing me-"
When l came back from Browns house
Toney was sitting by the door with the ak
by him. This was about nine o'clock. +
called Henry, and said get up and pull off
your clothes, and he got up and pulled them
of and laid right down again in the same
place, but had his back to the door. Uncle
Toney says, "I'm going to kill him now
l said, No, Uncle Toney, wait till ! get
i out"
went off and went most up TO Brown 8
house again and sat on log. About the
time got there l heard Uncle Toney hit
time in the Bed with Henry, l heard Toney
hit Henry one lick, and then l heard Henry
grooming. got scared and felt sorry, but
I knew Henry would have killed me.
the floor. Then l heard Uncle Toney hit
him two more licks. then had left the log
and was about twenty-five steps from the
door OF our cabin. Uncle Toney came out and
says, "Alcee, come and help me carry him
off" l said, "No, Toney, don't carry him
anywhere; | will tell William Brown he :. is !,
dead, and let William Brown report it,
Uncle Toney said, "No, I'm going to carry
him of; you ought not to have got me tt
kill him, and you not help carry him off,
There was a light in the house, and could
see Uncle Toney when he dragged Henry
out of the door. Uncle Toney then pulled
of his shirt and pants, and then took Henry
on his shoulder, and carried Henry to some
logs in the bayou and threw him in the
bayou. TOney told me this. l wouldn't 60
in the house until Uncle Toney had cleaned
up the house. The child was in the bed all
the time asleep. Uncle Toney got two
buckets of water and washed up the blood,
and then after a while / went in the house
and Toney made light, and we sat UP
nearly all the balance of the night
After Alcee Harris had concluded her
statement and it was read to her with her
| approval OF its correctness, we turned to
old Toney Nellum, who had, during Alcee's
statement, occupied stool near us and
listened throughout to the woman's story OF
blood. The old man was industriously
chewing his tobacco, but showed deep in
terest in what was passing. He was warned
of the hopelessness of a pardon, and urged
to tell the truth. A few inquiries concern
ing his history were addressed to him, which
he answered very readily, and when re-
minding him again of his near approach to
death and the solemnity of the moment, we
requested him to tell US what he knew of
the murder of Henry Harris. He gave the
story in nearly the following words
ToNEY NELLUM's. CONFESSION.
Saturday night at Mrs. Richardson g
where l went to play the fiddle Alcee was
on the floor dancing and young man came
rp and put his arms around her. Then
Henry came from another house, and saw
it, and ordered Aloee TO come out. As she
came out he struck her with stick on the
side of the head. The party broke right
up, and the young men ran ON and left me
behind going on home 1t was mighty
wet, rainy Saturday night. When l got
down by the big oak tree close TO McEnery' s.,
near the church, Henry Harris overlook
me. His wife was behind at Mrs. Richard
sons. Henry said to me, Uncle Toney,
I'm going to kill Alcee.' / said, mo, he
fore would do that would quit her." We
went on to the bayou and sat down on log
till the congregation came up. Henry told
Alcee to go on home.
Sunday evening after dinner Alcee came
over to where l was living. Henry was
there also. Henry said he wanted me to go
over and cut some wood; declined going,
not feeling we'll. Alcee also wanted me to
go. Finally, consented to go, but said l
didn't care about it, Alcee had been after
me tor two weeks to kill Henry for her. |
told her l did not want to do it, because