New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-18
Moro Of tho Crine in Feliciana.

HTOm leCCer9 received dated the sixteenth
Of May, the accounts given in the REPuB.
LIcAN of the cause of the murders commit
ted, the death of COW killed in Mississippi,
receive confirmation. A colored man living
about three miles beyond Laurel Hill was
suspected of having killed it and was &C.
verely whipped by party of white men,
among whom were said to be Max Aronson,
Tom Stocket and George Howell Tuesday
or Wednesday. Thursday Aronson was
killed. The whites came from both Louisi-
ana and Mississippi, hung Ben King, and
then proceeded to hang and shoot the others,
- hitherto reported.
Another report has it that some of the
negroes positively asserted that Aronson
was killed by the Regulators" and that
they had threatened to do it long ago, be-
cause Of his keeping store in the country;
and also, that they were disguised by
having their faces blaeked. The process
verbal of the inquest, given below, states
the killing was done by unknown colored
men. The coroner, being q Democrat,
would not be likely to pay much attention
to the charges of the negroes against the
Regulators.
Thirty.thrse men left Bayou Sara on the
fifteenth, and camped at Laurel Hill that
night. The next day reiBforcements we're
called for, and six more left.
They, with those from other parts, sur
rounded the plantation of Frank Evens,
where 200 colored people had assembled for
safety, and opened fire on them. One re-
port says they we're repulsed with loes of
one man, but the most reliable statement
is that they killed great many of tho ne
groes. Pickets were posted everywhere on
the fifteenth.
and one-half miles from the Mississippi
line. There are seven ntstions, in .
cluster, cultivated exolpsively by the col
ored people, who number about 400, and
there is only one white man among them.
There is one church with two ministers.
Sunday. according to reliable information
received from persons who have just come
to the city, q party of about sixty men,
armed, entered the church, drove away the
ministers and broke up the congregation.
Not satisfied with this, they seized two
little colored girls, carried them of, and 60
brutally outraged and maltreated them
that their lives are despaired of. 1t is re-
ported that every one of theee invaders of
the church took part in this latter crime.
A more horrible story could hardly be told.
With these statement the proceedings of
the inquest on the body of Aroneon are
presented:
: PARISH OF WEST FELIC1ANA,i
State Of Louisiana. May l3, 1876.
l, L. P. McCrindell, coroner of said
parish, having notice OF the violent death
Of Max Aronson on the plantation of Mr..
H. Perkins. went to the place, summoned
and swore in o, jurors to hold an inquest
the following named persOns:
Thomas A. Wood, E. D. Wood, T. c.
West, E. H. Walker, X. H. Johns.
l then swOre in as witnesses, Fl. s. Per
kins, who being sworn, says: II, with the
DE- ceased. was sitting on my gallery, on the
night of the eleventh of May; heard q
whistling, ss if some one wished admit
tance to the store; we went over, and after
looking ar ,und for sometime, concluded
that all had quieted; went into the store,
and held q social conversation for about
half an hour, when / started for the house.
/ left the deceased in the store with Ran
johnson, a .oiored man, holding a lamp.
Before getting in my house heard the re-
port of about forty or fifty shota; ran back
and found him lying on the floor dead
stepped to the dcor and saw about thirty
or forty armed negroes; called out, what
all this meant, you have killed this man.
They replied, ii you have anything to say,
will kill or shoot you, and fred ct me-"
Ran johnson, sworn-Says he was stand
ing in the store holding lamp for de-
ceased, we having heard noises as above
stated; Mr.. Max ordered me to open the
door; as soon as l opened it saw about fifty
armed men; beokoned to him (deceased) to
stand back; they ssked for George Howell;
replied no, he was not here; they said you
had better get out, then, damned quick; l
then stepped back, and Max stepped in the
doorway and asked what all this meant;
they replied, you are the damn son of
bitch we are looking for, and fired, killing
Max instantly and wounding me in the face.
RAN S'' y JOHNSON.
mark.
L. S. MCCRINDELL, Coroner.
Parish of West Felicians, State of Lou
isians.-At the inquisition held before the
1Oner of said parish, L. s. McCrindell, on
the plantation Of II. s. Perkins, on the body
of Max Aronson, on the thirteenth day Of
May, A. D. 1876. the jury, whose names are
hereunto subscribed, upon their oaths do
say that Max ArOnsOn came to his death by
gnnshot wounds in the head by the hands
Of body of armed negroes unknown.
T. O. WOODS,
E ID. WOODS,
K. H JOHNS.
THOMAS c. WEST,
E. H. WALKER,
l.. S. MCCRINDELL, Coroner.
Filed May II, 1876
CHARLES j. HOWELL, Clerk