New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-28

On Monday of last week Edward Pagan
Pagan was a prisoner, and was trying to
escape from the lookup when he met his
death. To 60 back to the beginning, it ap-
pears that Pagan had been arrested for un-
mercifully beating policeman by the name
of Bowles, who was in the discharge of his
duty. Pagan is represented as having been
a very powerful man and at times . bad man.
The policeman was called By the wife of Pa
gan. who feared that he might injure their
child. The result was the assault on Bowles
and his confinement. When it was feared
Bowles would die the chief of police at
tempted to handcuf Pagan, as the cell in
which he was confined was deemed inse-
cure. The chief and three other men en-
tered the cell, and succeeded in putting irons
on one of Pagan's wrists, when the prisoner
pushed the men aside and rushed into tho
street, and was trying to make his escape
when he was shot by the police and sooa
died. This is the substance Of tho facts
as they appear in the Shreveport papers.
The coroners jury did not agree in their
view of the case, . majority of the jury
finding that Pagan "came to his death by
firearms in the hands of policemen of the
city Of Shreveport in the discharge OF their
duty. while he, the deceased. was attempt
ing to escape from the city lookup" while
the dissenting juror. Captain James Phelps,
certified that "the deceased came to his
death in attempting to escape The being un-
armed) from the city lookup, by arms in
the hands of the police Of said city" This
was distinction without much difference,
but it was construed to throw blame upon
the police, and Captain Phelps paid for
daring to express An individual opinion by
being knocked down by one Jake Rigdon.
man connected with the police force. i'm
mediatelv after the adjournment of the
jury. Rigdon used brass knuckles to sup
press the minority and bruised and cut
Captain Phelps badly.
Bowles, it is thought, will recover. He is
severely bruised, has fractured jaw and
broken finger. The Telegram reports that
during the investigation the coroner, from
some cause or other became beastly intoxi-
Gated, and was in every way unfit to attend
to the important duties which devolved
upon him." The coroner has since rendered
his resignation to the Governor. Drunken
ness, "from some cause or othor," is not
good. There is no doubt but that he had
been drinking intoxicating liquor.
The killing of Pagan has since been in
vestigated by Judge Looney, of the district
court, and the whole affair is 'deeply re-
,retted by all good citizens" The Shreye-
port Times Gays:
We are sorry to record such blots upon |
,he moral escutcheon of our city, and trust |
hat this terrible affair will be warning to !
zach and all Of US to restrain our brute
nature.
The ..moral escutcheon' of Shreveport
las never been particularly bright; it has
,ever dazzled Christian eyesight. The Red
liver country has witnessed many bloody
leeds since the war; human life has been
leld too cheaply there. Winds have been
own and whrlwinds reaped. It is sign
f improvement when the Times urges the
,eople to restrain their brute natures, and
epeats the warnings which have 90 often
een given by the Republican press. The
illing of Pagan il not particularly bad
ase; it was probably justidable under tho