New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-05
ASSASSINATION OF DlNKGRAvE
Testimony Before the Coroner

Testimony Before the Coroner
DESCRIPTION OF THE MASKED MURDERER
MONROE, August 81, 1876.
EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
Doubtless your readers are anxious to
hear from this point at present. l tele-
graphed you pretty fully yesterday relative
to the shooting into two houses down the
river, and have only to add that last night
the house of Captain Chambliss was fred
into by persons unknown. Strange to say
that with all this shooting into houses no
body has yet been hurt.
On yesterday an act occurred which
shocked the finer feelings of the better por.
ton of this community. l refer to the assas-
sination of DR.. Bernard H. Dinkgrave, our
tax collector. propose only to make state
ment of such facts in connection with this
horrible murder as had from the doctors
own lips.
On Monday evening about nine o'clock
DR.. Dinkgrave, WHO was staying at tharesi-
dence of Judge Ludeling, about half mile
above town. noticed man sitting by pile
of shingles by the side of the road, holding
horse by the bride and q gun on his lap
Becoming suspicious, but fearing to turn
back because he was unarmed, he cont :
nued up the road until he met some colored
people who asked him what those armed
men higher up the road meant. just then
the man whom he had first noticed passed
by up the road, mounted. The doctor then
concluded to return to town and procure
assistance. Having done so he again
started for home and reached there safely.
On Tuesday he did not notice any one
when coming down early in the morning.
and when night came he went homo by the
rear of the place. When he reached home
he heard that this stranger had again been
seen there.
On Wednesday the doctor started to
dinner about three O'Clock, and the testi-
mony taken before the coroner, which l
inclose, tells the rest of the story:
Samuel C. Murphy sworn, says-I am Q
physician and surgeon, in practice over
| thirty years; was acquainted with DR.. Dink-
| grave. / was called to see him between
| hall. past three and four O'Clock yesterday
afternoon; found him lying on lounge on
the back gallery of John T. Ludeling's
house. He was in dying conditioning
pulse at the wrist. surface cold, pale and
| weak. l examined his wounds; found he
was shot in the left side, the shot pene-
trating the lower lobe of the left lung, one
shot coming out in the region of the
stomach, on or near the left margin of the
liver His left arm was broken, and the
cloth of the coat shot in several places.
His death was caused by the hemorrhage
from the wound and the shock to the sys-
tenn. He was sound in body and in good
health. Did not probe the wounds for the
reason that knew he was in dying con-
dition. S. T.. MURPHY, NJ. d.
H. G. Dobson sworn. says-Between
three and four o'clock yesterday was in
| the overflow near Mr.. Breard's old house,
overseeing some men about hauling flag
pole. looked mp on the road and saw DR..
Benjamin Dinkgrave ride by MP toward
Mr.. Ludeling's house. In few moments
he rode back again and stepped opposite to
hill toward me, and said: Henry, come
here; wish to see you. There is man up
the road laying down who has been way.
laying the house three or four days and
nights-a suspicious looking character, and
l think he wants to kill me. Come with me
to the house and let US see who he is."
went up the hill, and when got to the top
of it, about ten or twelve feet from me
saw q man on horse with dOuble-bar.
relied shotgun pointed toward me, up to his
face, cooked, and he told me not to come
any nearer toward him. He then
presented his gun down the hill
away from me and toward Dink
grave and fired. Dinkgrave called
to me to assist him; said he was killed.
went to him, raised his head, saw he was
shot in the left side, called for assis tsnce
sent for doctors and the priest Immediately
after taking of his boots. Joe Benoit
Yves, colored man, David Anderson and
William Harris assisted me to convey the
body to Judge Ludeling's. The man who
killed DR.. Dinkgrave was about five fee,
seven or eight inches in height; hair brown
ish, whiskers very dark; think they were
false; saw where they were fastened on
they covered his entire face, and were tOl
erably long; black slouched hat and darh
coat; brownish trowsers. He was riding q
bay horse fourteen or fourteen and one-hall
hands high. A few steps from where the
shooting took place, and Just above, saw
cobs on the ground where he had fed hii
horse, and three or four biscuits or parts o.
biscuits and piece of newspaper, where,
suppose, he had been eating his dinner
After he shot Dinkgrave he stood few
moments, then turning, said, ''Im oil, ," ant
left in the direction Of Pargoud's uppel
place. do not know who the man was;
could not identify him. DIR. Dinkgrav,
had no arms that l know of. Dr. Dink
grave did not say anything to the man, no
H. G. DOBSON.
After committing the deed the strange
rode of, and although followed by tw
posses, he succeeded in making his escape
DR.. Dinkgrave was at the time of hi
death thirty-tw years and five months old
native of this parish and State. He ha
since 1868 taken an active part as one o
the leaders of the Republican party. Ii
1870, after the assassination of Sheriff
Wesner, he was appointed sheriff of thi
parish, and was reelected to that position il
1870 and 1872. In 1874 he declined being
candidate, although sure of nomination
in 1875 he was appointed tax collector Q
this parish which office he held at the tim
of his death.
The reasons for his base assassination ar
unknown, although rumor attempts t.
place it on man named Winberly, nov
residing in Texas, whose brother tho Doc
tor killed in self-defense in 1870, and who
reported to have been in this parish with
the past few days.
Judge Ray will tomorrow make q fu]
investigation into the killing. To-day b