New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-11-14
NEW ORLEANS II 1875
The Killing of NIunson Alexander.

The Killing of Munson Alexander,
Yesterday morning, Judge Adams began
taking evidence in the caee of Thomas
Devereaux, charged with having killed
Munson Alexander, on Freret street. on the
twenty fourth day of May, 1874.
Messrs. Whitaker and Caste llsnos an
peared for accused, and Messrs. McPhelin
Luzenburg for the State. Thirty witnesses
were called.
The frat witness called was
Corporal Ward - Was not acquainted
with Munson Alexander; know nothing OF
| the case myself; made the affidavit from in
formation received; was not instructed to
make the affidavit; have been on the police
since 1862; made the affidavit on a statement
made to me by j. l.. Smith; knew that no
proceedings had been had before a re-
| corder. Smith told me that Alexander had
| been killed after ne surrendered; that was
told me on the thirtieth of October last
| when l determined TO make the charge;
Smith tod me that he (Smith) had also
| hred shot to bring Alexander to halt;
| Alexander halted and surrendered; then it
| was that Devereaux fired shot and killed
| the man.
DR.. Folwell-Held the autopsy on Alex
| ander; death was caused by charge of
| buckshot; great many shots were Q tie
toward the back; that was the cause OF
death; the wounds were necessarily atal
| oss-examination-There we're from ten
| to fifteen buckshot in the body.
By the court-The shot were all of one
]. L. Smith-was a member of the police
| in May, 1874; at that date Officer Devereaux
| called on me 10 assist him to arrest Alex.
| ander; we tried to arrest him on Seventh
street, but failed; on entering heard shots
fired; parties in the back yard were
shooting at Devereaux; | ran in and
fired also; Devereaux managed to get
out; several days after We learned
street; we had a warrant for his arrest; we
laid in wait for accused on Freret street t.;
we had shotguns both loaded with shot; oa
the morning of the twenty fourth of May,
| 1874, saw Alexander on the street; then
called Devereaux, who knew him; went
out OF our room and fired a high shot to
| halt Alexander; then Devereaux fired two
shots, killing the man; before Devereaux
fired Alexander threw up his hands and
/ said he surrendered; before we had hunted
for Alexander the second time Devereaux
declared that he would kill him; when the
dead body was picked up pistol fell out of
a pocket; the body was sent to the sixth
precinct stationhouse, and l made report
of the affair to Superintendent Badger.
| Cross examination-On reaching the sta
| tionhouse, the gun / h, Id had no load in it,;
when Alexander fell Devereaux liked me
for my gun, saying that it mad load left in
ii. and l handed it to him; we we're sent out
| TO find Alexander; on the first time we went
| for Alexander it was understood that he
was fugitive from justice.
| After Mr.. Smith had completed his testi
mony MIR. Castellanos introduced some
documentary evidence, and among the
papers was the report which Mr.. Smith had
sent from the sixth precinct station, by
| telegraph to Superintendent Badger and
Captain Schreiber, at palice headquarters,
on the day. that Alexan Ter was killed. In
| that report Smith states that I'VE (Smith
and Devereaux) fred three shots at Alex
ander." His evidence yesterday is to the
effect that he first fired his gun high in to the
| air to make Alexander halt, aud that Deve.
reaux afterwsrd fired twice.
Officer Gillen-Was on duty in Keller
Market when Alexander was Killed; saw a
| large crowd and a dead man on the bau-
| quette; Special Officers Smith and Deve-
| reaux were there; saw the body placed in a
| wagon; saw the specials lift the body, and
| in raising it pistol was about to fall out of
pocket; handed the pistol to Officer Smith
Cross-examination-No explanation was
| given me by any body about the affair.
Mre. A. Alexander-Munson Alexander
was my brother-in law; had a conversation
with Devereaux few days before Munson
was killed; he asked me where Munson was;
he to told me he was going to take Munson,
and that that tpOinting to a shotgun) would
fetch him; the conversation was in the CEN
tral station; my husband had been arrested
only short time before the killing.
CrOse 0xamin AtiOn-DO nnt rampmhar ar
that Devereaux told me to tell Munson that
| If he would surrender the charge of shoot
ing with intent to kill would be given up;
that onYy the case of his being a fugitive
from justice would be used.
For the defense:
Captain Sohreiber-Was chief of detec-
tives in May, 1871; made an attempt to ar
rest Alexander as an escaped convict; Ben
Alexander had been arrested in conseq uence
of the trouble on Seventh street; his wife
said that it would be difficult thing to ar
rest MunsOn; that was said in central head
quarters; did not hear Dsvereaux make any
threat; do not know anything about the
guns, only that each gun was loaded with
fifteen buckshot; when Smith and Dever-
eanx took the guns they started to arrest
thief and escaped convict; Smith did not
Immediately after the killing tell me that
Alexander had surrendered before receiving
his death wound; Smith cid not tell me
that he killed Alexander.
By the court-I wish to obtain all the
evidence possible for see that there are
other persons implicated; for my part
would prosecute all concerned in this
murder and begin at the head; there are
three or four men implicated before and
after the fact
j. w. Fairfax-Heard Smith say some
thing about the killing soon after the affair,
and the impression on my mind was that
Smith said that he and Deyereaux fired.
j. j. Pearson-Mlght have been present
when conversation between Smith and
Fairfax took place; have heard both Smith
and Devereaux say that they shot Alex
ander; they said deceased resisted them
when they had . warrant for his arrest;
Alexander had said he would kill ANYBODY
who put hands on him.
The examination was then continued until
Saturday morning at eleven O'Clock.
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