The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-08
Investigation Before COro-
ner Chastant.
The Dying Declaration Of Mr.. w. d. Har.
deman.

| VtUbUUs
The Coroner this morning ut clever
o'clock held the inquest on the body o
W. ID. Hardeman, who was shot ant
killed by Mr.. James S. Prestidge on Sat
urday last. at the corner Of Carondele
and Perdido streets.
The following is the evidence and Mr.
Hardeman's dying declaration, taker
before Judge Houston. The first evi
dence taken was the declaration:
Be it known that on this fifth day o.
March, A. d. 1876, Sunday, ut the houl
of 10 o'clock and d quarter, I, W. +
Houston, First Justice OF the Peace FOL
parish of Orleans, duly elected, commits
stoned and sworn, proceeded to take the
dying declaration of w. ID. Hardeman
Of this city, now lying at No. 267 jose
phine street, who being in conscious
condition, though sinking rapidly
and aware of his approaching death, did
depose and say as follows. That his
name Is w. ID. Hardeman that he is
forty-two years of age the 5th of No
| that the doctor has told him so, and
that he feels that some vital organ has
been struck; that he does not know
whether he will be able to finish this
statement that James s. Prestidge had
been acting badly about collecting
money. We were discussing that point
in the cotton room, back Of the office,
63 Carondelet street, about 7 80 O'Clock
last evening. Prestidge said to me that
he had done the best he could, and was
not going to be kicked out Of the firm.
Chas. Il. Black, another partner, was
present. remarked to Prestidge that
III. lot,
could not go on. and that l would
announce the dissolution Of the
firm. It now remains to be seen what
you will do with this. He, Prestidge,
put his hand behind his back to his
right side; he used his right hand. ]
remarked to him that / was not afraid
none. He fired at me on the
left side, just on the edge Of the ribs. !
started toward him, he drew another
pistol; then / turned and ran toward
the door dividing the Office from the
salesroom, when he fired the second
time, hitting my clothing but not me, to
my knowledge. | then gathered g
l approached him with it, when
he threw both Of his pistols at
me I assailed him with the ruler, strik-
ing him several times on the head, when
the ruler broke; 1 continued the strug-
gle with him with my hands until sep
arated by the police and other parties.
] was brouget to this point, at Mr.. II. II.
Marr's residence, on Josephine, be
tween Camp and Chestnut, by one po-
liceman and some friends, in q hack.
When Prestidge threw the pistols at
me, 1 threw the tumblers at him from
the water cooler and hit him with them.
4 20, %t<, ,for
member OF the firm. the man who has
the capital in It, that Prestidge was
cross with me and was carrying pistols
there for me, / believed. /, therefore,
determined to carry no pistols there to
the meeting with him last evening.
That is all.
After having had this declaration read
over to me, I desire to add that the
meeting last evening with Prestidge
was by my appointment, to discuss
money matters. I am unable to sign
from weakness; desire to make Il
cross.
w. D. HARDEMAN.
mark.
Witnesses to mark:
r. II. MARR.
PERRY NUGENT.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
on the Holy Evangelists, this 5th day Of
March, A. D., 1876, .at II o'clock 10
minutes. w. i. Houston.
I further certify that this statement
was made in my presence and that OF
the two witnesses who have signed to
the mark, that afflant made his state
ment to me without suggestion or ques-
tion, and that reduced them to writing
without alteration or change.
w. T. Houston,
First Justice Of the Peace for the Parish
OF Orleans, State OF Louisiana.
The first witness put upon the stand
was Judge W. T. Houston, who being
duly sworn, deposes and says: / am
First Justice Of the Peace for the parish
OF Orleans reside at ga st. Charles
street l was called on Sunday morning,
as Justice OF the Peace, to No. 267 Jo
sephine street, to take the dying decla
ration of Mr.. Hardeman, then lying
there, to see il he had any statement to
make as to the cause Of the wound he
received; reached his residence about
10 10 o'clock Sunday, the 5th of March {;
found him lying in bed, conscious Of his
condition and knowing the object of my
visit. l found him covered with blood
and evidently in a dying condition. l
asked him il he knew what his condition
WAS ue LOlu UiG Hc ulu tIAdt uO Woo Wy -
ing. He told me that he did not know
that he would live long enough
to make his statement, but
that he would attempt to make
his statement. 1 then proceeded to
take his statement at a quarter after. 10
o'clock. He understood perfectly, his
mind was perfectly clear, with a COM
plete control Of his mental faculties, rs
completely so as any man could pos
sibly have. The dylngs statement OF
w.. d. Hardeman, as taken by
Judge W. F. Houston, was
duly read to the jury, and
certified to by Judge w. L. Hous-
ton as being the one taken by him on
Sunday, March 5, at the bedside OF the
deceased, at the residence Of X. Fl. Marr,
No. 267 Josephine street. In giving his
testimony the deceased would give me a
sentence; while / was writing it he
would close his eyes as overcome by pain.
He would open his eyes about the time
1 had finished the sentence. L would
then read it to him, when he would die
tate another sentence. Once or twice
he asked me to read the sentence to
him, at the beginning. In consequence
OF that I read every sentence to him
as I finished writing. | then read
the whole Of the declaration to
him, when he stated that he
desired to add that the meeting
with Prestidge was by his (Hardeman's)
The certificate on the
back OF the declaration l wrote after