The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-20
ARRAY in ST. JAMES
PARISH.
Negro ViOlatOrs and Resisters of
the Law.
One Man Killed and Several
Wounded.
Full Particulars.

from gentleman VINO arrived IN the CT ty
yesterday we have obtained the following PSF.
ticulaIs of the recent ARRAY in St. James
. parish, between the Deputy Sheriff and a
posse and band Of riotous negroes, which
resulted in the killing of one man and the
wounding of four others:
At the opening of the season Mr.. VIM. H.
Arma, who is working the Buena Vista planta-
ton, entered into an agreement with his
hands to work on shares. The crop proved a
failure i. not turning out enough to pay for
advances made to raise it, and it was found
necessary to make some arrangement to
secure the payment of the creditors.
For further advances Of provisions the me-
groes made a written transfer of all their
right, title and interest in the crop, to Mr..
Anna, who in turn transferred it to Mr..
Jules Chiquet, who hadipromised the supplies.
Last Monday, six of the negroes armed
with guns, proceeded to the sugar-house, and
overawing the keeper, rolled out number of
barrels of sugar and molasses, which they
leisurely transferred to their quarters
Mi. Chiquet proceeded to the courthouse,
about eight miles below the plantation, and
on the opposite bank (the left OF the river),
and filed an affidavit against the six men
charging them with larceny. The District
Attorney flied informations and bench war
rants were issued for the arrest Of the men
and search warrants for the recovery of the
property.
| The Sheriff Of the parish, VIM. H. Hagins,
has been for some time past confined to his
bed, and the execution of the warrants was
| entrusted to his deputy, also a colored man,
Adam Travis. Travis proceeded to the plan
| tation and
Was Met
at the quarters of crowd Of negroes, some
twenty-five or thirty in number, who prevent
ed the performance of his duty and threat
eningly advised him to go back, at the same
time telling him that he could make no
arrests; that they would see that he did
not.
Travis returned and reported, and was
instructed by the Sheriff to summon posse
comitdtus and execute the warrants.
The leaders of the negroes who had stopped
him, named VIM. Reilly and Harry Rose,
were men of some influence among those of
their own color in the parish, and great diff
Guilty was experienced in getting the posse.
However, Mr.. Chiquet and his three clerks |
volunteered and were joined by six colored |
men, and with this force of ten, |
Travis, at about o'clock on Tuesday |
night proceeded to the Buena Vista Planta-
ton and went Immediately to the quarters.
He found that the negroes had taken pos
session and barricaded one ct the cabins, and |
on this cabin he with his men advanced. He
commanded those within to turn over to him
the six accused, and by way of answer his I
party was y
Obeying the instructions of Travis the
posse returned the fire, and another
discharge followed, and one of the posse, a
colored man, Eugene Joseph alias Gamer,
(the name Of his former owner,) dropped
dead; while three of the other colored men
fell, seriously wounded
Two of the party Immediately fled, and left
the Sheriff with only four men, three white,
one being Mr.. ,Chicquet and one colored man.
The rioters made sally and the posse was
surrounded and
Forced to Surrender.
As soon as the negroes had secured them
they fell upon the colored man Edward
Jones, knocked him down, beat him with
the stocks of their guns and kicked and
trampled him, inficting injuries that will
prove fatal.
The rioters took them to another cabin, in
one room of which they confined them, and
in the adjoining room they organizeda drum
head courtmartial and, after what they con-
sldered due and necessary proceedings, con-
demned the prisoners to be executed the fol-
lowing day.
These proceedings took place within the
hearing of the five men, and believing, as :
they did, that the negroes would carry out the :
sentence, their feelings can be better
imagined than described.
There were many who clamored for their
immediate execution, and among the num-
Der were the women of the place, who acted c
like she devils, and would themselves have r
made away with the prisoners had it not been t
for the determination of one of the rioters, |
John Robinson, who had gone as far as he {
cared to go, and who stood guard over the +
door, and prevented any one, man or woman, i
from entering the room in which the prison f
ers were confined. t.
Early on Wednesday information of the $
hen existing state of afflirs was brought to b
he courthouse, and Sheriff Higgins was mott
led. He consulted Judge F. P. Poche, i!
attorney Of the parish, as to what d
course he should next take. S
Judge Poche Immediately advised him to
organize another posse and 60 to the rescue o
If his deputy and assistants. a
Hagins accepted the advice and solicited u
Judge Poche to take command and that gen. 6
leman agreed to do it. e
Hagins then gave him the following as 81
warrant for whatever action the Judge might 9
consider necessary. -, -iI
STATE OF LOUISIANA. u EW
Parish Court Parish Of st. James, e I
State of Louisiana VS.. Reuben Pierre ct ais 81
J. P. Poche, of the parish of st. James, is II
ereby appointed commander of the posse Fl
amitatus to execute the warrants in the a
bove cases and to summon all persons he II
nay think proper. u
W. II. HAG1Ns, Sheriff. W
herifFs Office, parish of st. James, February
II, 1875.
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