The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-19

His Trial and Conviction.
He Makes a Full Confession.

The foul murder of James W. Clinton in
the parish of st. Helena last December,
caused the utmost CONSERVATION throughout
that peaceful and quiet community, and adds
q sickening page to the criminal history of
the State.
The author Of the crime was sought found,
and, as has been announced, arraigned at the
bar Of justice, duly convicted, and sentenced
to suffer the extreme penalty ofthe law. The
death warrant has been signed and ere the
lapse of many days, he will swing from the
scatfold into eternity, his soul burdened with
the sin Of having taken the life of a fellow
being.
The facts attending this most lamentable
circumstance have never been published at
length, and as the evidence, traced persist
emily link by link, until the crime was finally
fixed undeniably upon the negro Isham
Brown, is interesting, we herewith give the
details as near as could be cleaned
James w. CIintoa
was promising young lawyer who several
years ago located in the parish of Tensas,
where he associated himself in the prac-
tice Of his profession with H. M. Steele,
Esq, the present Assistant Attorney Cen
eral. About the middle of last Decem-
Der he left his home to visit the parish OF
st. Helena, where his parents resided, and
to that end took passage on the steamer Par
goud, arriving in the city on or about the
16;h Of December. Leaving the city on the
18th, he proceeded to Amite City, ON the
Jackson Railroad, and there took the stage
for his fathers place, distant about twenty
five miles.
Arriving about noon, he remained several
hours-until after dinner-when determining
to visit a friend who resided eight or ten
miles from his fathers home, he mounted a
horse and rode of. He informed his father
that the party whom lie intended visiting may
have left f5r New Orleans, and in that event
event he Clinton would follow, hence could
not possibly have returned fer several days
This was about half-past 3 O'Clock on the
afternoon of Friday, Dscember1Sth. Nothing
was seen of him until Monday morning,
when his dead body and that of his ho.se was
found lying in a wood, just off the main road,
and not over three miles distant from his
fathers house.
The fact of his not returning caused no
surprise until about Sunday evening, for the
reason that he had spoken of possible visit
to New Orleans before returning. On Sunday,
however as nothing whatever had been heard
IF him soma nm paSIpecS WAC rneoifacta5 NV
his friends but not sufficient to cause extended
inquiry concerning or search for him. On
Sunday evening near dark a negro boy, while
gathering wood, discovered Clintons horse
Lying De d,
which fact the boy communicated to his
father, who repaired to the spot and recog-
nized the horse as that owned by Mr.. James
Clinton.
The animal still had the saddle and bride
on, and, as the negro observed, had its throat
cut He Immediately informed an old gen
tleraan who resided in the nejghborhood of
the discovery, and the two visited the wood
where the dead animal lay
Both knew the horse, but were not aware
that James Clinton had arrived in the neigh
borhood, or even in the parish. They real
owing to the lateness Of the hour no nvesti-
cation could be made.
Quite early on the following morning
Monday the old gentleman returned to the
wood, and When about two hundred yards
from the road, found the body of the untor-
tunate Clinton lying hardly hundred yards
from where the horse had been found.
An examination of the body disclosed that
the deceased had been shot in the back with
q pistol or rifle, and that two
Horrible Wounds
had been made in the throat
The horses throat had also been cut
The finding Of the body was Immediately
made known, and the fact that foul assas-
sination had been committed created the
most intense excitement. The news spread
rapidly, and parties were organized who
secured the country in an endeavor to obtain
a clue to the identity of the author of 50 foul
q deed.
negro boy related that he had seen two
negroes pick up hat IN the road near where
the body of Clinton was found. The cabin of
the negroes was visited, and there. hanging
over the mantelpiece, was found hat which
was straightway identified as that worn by
the
Murdered Man.
Immediately a conviction settled in the
minds of nearly all that the two negroes We're
either guilty of the murder or were in some
manner concerned in it, and there ensued a |
desire to lynch them. Daring the, Coroner
investigation the excitement ran high and
several demonstrations were made to mob the
prisoners and parties laid in wait armed, |
having sworn that if ever opportunity offered, |
they would shoot the two negroes on sight, |
even though they should be under the escort |
of the law officers The fact of the hat being
found in their possession was not so dana
ging case of circumstantial evidence as that
the two men were upon Mr.. Clin.on's place |
on the 18th of December, visiting their col |
ored friends, and left an hour, probably, |