The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-07-26
A FOUL MURDER.

One of the most foul and premedi-
tated murders on record in Louisi-
ana, has been perpetrated in our Par
ish, within ten miles Of this Town,
and sometime in the month of June.
Fer the present we shall not 60 into
minute details about it as its various
phases reach our ears from reliable
sources, but will rest contented TO
merely record it, feeling certain that
our efficient District Attorney will
work up the case and act in it. The
murdered man was Mark Pettway, a
native of this Town, aged about %
years, and harmless individual,
from whom no one ever dreaded dan
ger or harm. He had been living
with his mother in the Pinewoods, a
few miles from here, and up to the
day of the suddenly discovered grave
where he was rather to US, SUSPECT
ciously found buried, he had been
missing some FIVE or six weeks
When he last left home he was armed
with double barrelled gun and three
revolvers and left on horseback, and
in the company of man, whose
name we have not, and who too is
missing. The mother of the de.
ceased, who is a widow and a good
woman, had made frequent searches
and inquiries for her son but with
no success, till the awful and crush
ing tidings reached her, which we
are yet to relate.
Now commences the first suspi-
cious step or move in this drama.
Two men, known to the Coroner,
came to him one day last week and
informed him that they found PETIT
ways horse dead and pile of bones,
with head and neck gone, and that
they also found the grave where he
was buried, wanted the Coroner to
come out unbury him and hold the
proper inquest. The Coroner on
such a proposition did not 60, but
gave them authority to disinter the
remains, and then come after him.
The two men readily assented and
departed. Returning next day, they
informed the Coroner Of the compile
ton of their mission, and then with
them, and a juryman from Town, the
Coroner proceeded to the scene of
the grave. The body of the missing
Pettway had been found in the grave
without coffin, in state Of perfect
decomposition and had been buried
in the same newly made grave with
his gun and pistols and had his coat
on wrong side out. The proper in
quest was held, and it was found
that Pettway had several rifle shots
in the head, which the Jury believed
caused his death. The grave had
been we'll made and with q sharp
spade or shovel, and had all the signs
of premeditated fixing about it, in
which more than one man was con-
cerned. The poor murdered mans
remains we're properly cared for, cof-
fined and buried beside those of his
father and grandmother.
There are now, Of course, many
rumors afioat concerning this murder,
and some of them properly taken
bold of can but lead to the detection
of the murderers. Poor frail woman
as ever has finger in it, but we be-
leive she is now only used as a screen
for the real perpetrators of the MUIR
der, and the poor cuckold husband
too, who it is said is gone, is not in
our belief the guilty one. Both he
and poor Pettway had been ordered
away by some regulators, and from
this mob fact springs all the mis-
chief and right with it must a start
ing point be had to unmask the MUIR
der and detect the murderers. We
believe it can be done, will be done,
and for the present will dismiss the
foul deed from further comments.
--~~~~~-~>-O~..~>-~N
HERE is reform for you and
practical reform at that, and by the
Democratic House Of Representatives
of Congress. Mr.. Springer, of II.
linois, Democrat, has prepared the
official report, giving the estimates
for each appropriation bill, the
amounts appropriated by the House
for the fiscal year ending June 80,
1877, the reductions made in each
bill below the estimates, and the