The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-27
A BOLD ASSASSIN.
Sc Attempts tn Assassinntc ex'Octec''se
Thomas uDevereaux at Midnight.


Friday night. about 10 o'clock. one cf the bold
est and daring attempts ut assassination was
epac,ed nj tho corner Of Erato and Baronne
streets by some unknown party In attempting
to assassjnate ex- Detective Thomas Devereanx.
who lives ut the above corner.
II appears that the assassin concealed himself
in N vacant lot which is opposite to Mr..
Deysraux's dwelling. and there laid in wait for
his prey.
AT "a o'clock Mr.. Devereaux returned to bis
residence and raped at the door for abundance.
when his wife opened 1t. and II was at
that moment the shot was fired. com
ing from the direction Of the lot.
On investigation, 1t was found that two bullets
had lodged in the door. hardly n hairs breadth
from the body Of Mrs Devereaux. Tho vacant
lot next claimed their attention. It being the hid
ing place ~ the assassin and on examination u
was found that the shot had been fred from a
double barreled shotgun. and had exploded in
tho hands Of tho assassin. remnants Of which
were found by Officer Johnson. large piece
Of flesh was also found near the Fragments OF
tho gun. which shows that. as the gun burst
near tho breach the flesh was either from the
left thumb or from tho wrist
There were also traces Of blood found where
tho assassin had retrcated through the lot to-
ward Erato street. A lady residing In the VEIN
v states that she saw n man retreating through
the rear Of the lot and out toward Erato.
wheobarrow. with barrel on II. was also found
IN The lot, which showed that the would-be as
sassin had used It to stand on So ~ to be able TO
fire over tho fence. which would allow him u
better aim on his victim than II he fired through
The openings Of the fence. The fragment Of the
gun was brought b. the Second Precinct Station,
At three O'Clock Saturday morning u man came
TO the Charity Hospital. gave his namc ms John
II. Mcclure, stating that no had been shot by
aomo unknown person ut the corner of Rous-
seau and Religious streets.
The detectives on hearing that such n man
was shot, repaired 10 the Hospital. found the
man that attempted 10 s,ssassinate Thos. Dove
roaux, and the thumb found in the lot fits the
hand Of this man MCGUIRE
Mr. Dcvereaux states that llc does not know
Mr.. Mcclure. never having seon him before.
Our reporter interviewed Mr. Mcclure. who
stated the Same that no told the clerk Of tho Hos
pital that no had been shot ut the corner Of Re-
ligious and Rousseau streets by unknown par
ties. annt
An officer was placed in charge 10 keep Mo
Guiro from escaping. as Devorcaux will make
out m affidavit charging him. from information
received with nm attempt mt assassination.
Since writing the above. II has been learned
through the detectives. that tho man who
attempted to assassnato Detective Devereaux
and who gave his namc to the clerk Of he Hospi-
tai M John II. Mcclure. In the notorious }. w.
Ward, alias Chas. Howard, alas John II.
Mcclure, aud Is tho same party who attempted
TO assassipate J. +. Wilde on the morning Of the
9th Of May. 1875. in the parish of 1T. Bernard II
will DO remembered that ho met Wilde on the
above morning and stabbed him seven times
with dirk knife. For this deed he was arrested
by Special Officer Cain and was kept In the
parish Jail of Carrollton for Ave months. He
was then released on $500 bonds. and by some
hook or crook evaded trial, and il still under
bonds. j. w. Ward. bettor known by his alias
Chas Howard. is an escaped convict from the
Missouri Ponitentiary. and is wanted In that
State. He WINS also connected with counter
feting gang Of the West.
Mr.. Wilde visited the Charity Hospital yestcr-
day for tho purpose of Identifying Mcclure to
the detectives. and on entering one of tho wards
of the Hospital he Immediately recognized Ward
~ tho man who attempted to assassinate him In
May last in the parish of IT. Bernard.