The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-18
MORE BLOOD.
Wash Rockwell, the Gambler,
Killed at the Lake.
Robert Desposito Charged With
the Crime.
Scene Of the Tragedy.

Scene Of the Tragedy.
Crime, like disease and disaster. apparently
seems to follow some Unknown law, and to
visit Us epidemically. For the past month
one homicide has followed another so closely
that the mind has had hardly time to realize
the full measure of horror of one, before
another spectacle Of blood is presented. The
pistol and knife have been most fatally at
work. and now We are again called upon to
chronicle another chapter ia the bloody
annals. Quick to resent imagined insults,
powder-like in ignition, it would seem tho
man OF the crowd to-day almost seeks. under
some morbid desire for notoriety, to slay even
without provocation his fellow-being.
The Lake End has known of many deeds
like that which occurred last night. and the
wavelets murmuring shoreward ON its bank
has been the requiem of many o noted char.
acter of our city.
Last evening, at z O'Clock, the report
reached the Central Police Station that there
shad been desperate encounter ct the end
Of the New Canal, between two well-known
individuals, and that Wash Rockwell, sport
ing man of St. Charles street, had been shot
and killed. At first, little credence was given
the rumor, but bsing corroborated, q repre-
sentative of the BULLETIN took Q cab and
hurried down the shell road to the Lake, to
CLEAN he full particulars of the tragedy.
He proceeded to
THE SCENE OF THE HOMICIDE,
Tony House.
Tony's House is situated about three hun
dred yards from the main road, and is an old,
one.story building, looking rather the worse
for wear.
The approach to it is over road sadly out
of repair. and muddy and slushy from the
waters Of the lake, which at high tide wash
over it.
Driving over the road, the cab-horse strain
ing and the driver on the alert, 5oth for the
sake of his horse and his cab. a bend in the
road was reached and turned and the lights
of Tony's House were visible. Passing to
and fro in front of the lights were the dim y
defined figures Of men, and borne on the
breeze came the waiing and moaning Of
woman.
The sound nerved the cabman, and no
longer cautious he whipped up the horse, and
in moment the house was reached.
On the broad gallery which surrounds
Tony's House. near the corner, which faces
the lake, was lying the figure of man, about
which there was group gazing with pity on
q woman, who bent above the form moaning
and wailing. The wind came in from off the
lake signing, mingling with the sorrowing of
the woman, making the lights flicker. and chill
ing all but that form which, chilled by death,
minded it not.
The form was what remained of Wash
Rockwell, and the woman above him, it was
whispered, was his wife.
Some one said, "The reporters" and the
woman ceased her moaning and wailipg. Our
reporter approached, and recognized the
woman as notorious courtezan, we'll known
at the police station, and one who some time
before had stabbed and very nearly killed the
man dead at her feet She moaned and walled
raj, had it not been for . black mark on his
right cheek, in the center of which was an
ugly hole.
He was lying with his two feet pointing 70
the lake, one arm on his breast and the other,
covered with blood, ct his side. HIS head
was slightly turned to the left
After viewing the body, our reporter pro-
ceeded to CLEAN the particulars Of the affair.
Rockwell and the accused, Desposito,
LEFT THE CITY ro0ETHER,
and together entered Tony's House and Or
dered dinner, and were seated at the table, in
their shirt sleeves, when the shooting was
done.
Tony, the keeper of the restaurant. states
that he was behind the bar mixing drinks,
when he heard the report Of Q pistol-three
shots in rapid succession. He walked out to
the door leading to the large gallery,
and saw the accused (Desposito) walking
away from Rockwell, who was sitting down in
q chair. Desposito walked of, with his
hand behind his back. He jumped. into his
cart and drove away rapidly.
Rockwell, the deco ased, and Desposito came
out to the lake together in Desposito's wagon
about S o'clock, and we're eating dinner on
the front gallery, where Rockwell was killed.
After ordering their dinner both parties
took off their coats and hats and seemed very
oASooO6A SAOy W0A0 OVtA nOm0Wubt
under the influence of liquor. The moment
that Tony discovergd that Rockwell was
shot, he started over TO Hoyt's saloon and in
formed Mr.. Leon Lamothe and Major A. V.
Ryan. who happened to be there, that Rock
well had been shot by Bob Dssposito. They
went back to the place and found Rockwell
sitting in the same position bleeding pro-
fusely from the mouth and head. He was
still breathing. but could not speak, and in
another minute he expired.
Several other parties hsd by this time gath.
cred around, and he was taken out of the
chair end stretched out on the gallery with
his feet toward the lake.
An examination Of the corpse disclosed the
fact that every one OF the, shots fred took
effect One of the bullets took effect in the
right cheek bone, it is supposed penetrating
the brain, and presented CHASTITY appearance.
The revolver must have been placed close
up to his head, as the face was badly burnt