The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-04
THE KILLING AT KEACHI.

Editor DemoTat-The New Orleans
Republican recently republished from
the Shreveport Telegram q letter pur-
porting to have been written by tho wife
OF Moore, who was killed in Keachi,
DeSoto parish, by the friends OF John
Fisher. This letter was gotten up by
some one (probably the editor OF the
Ielegrdn0 who wished to make political
capital of the affair, as the lady Is wholly
illiterate. The reader Of average in
telligence would of course take the
statements made in the letter with
many grains of allowance. Upon the
publication of that letter the people Of
Keachi held meeting and entered an
indignant protest against the SANDER
GUS statements made In that letter.
The true history Of the affair Is this /:
Moore had been sued In the magistrate 8
court and judgment rendered against
him. He went to Keachi on the day OF
the difficulty heavily armed, and while
there got under the influence Of liquor.
Some words passed between him and
Mr.. Fisher, and finally the latter called
him a liar or thief, whereupon he
drew six-shooter and commenced
firing. upon Fisher, who was
not anticipating difficulty with
any one. He fired one, Ii not two. shots
before Fisher drew his pistol. The lat
ter fred after he was shot in the arm,
and his ball went wide of its mark
Moore continued to fire upon him until
he had exhausted his six-shooter,
Fisher meantime falling to the floor.
Moore then ran out Of the store toward
his horse, but, before mounting him,
was stopped by a merchant who occupied
@ store near by, who had heard the
firing, but did not know who had done
the shooting. Seeing Moore run
out, he suspected thath had shot some
one, and so intercepted his fight. He
(Moore) was then turned over to an
officer who left him while he went to
procure the key Of the jail or lookup.
Meantime relative OF Fisher ran up
and discharged his gun, loaded with
small shot, at Moore, inficting wound
which would not have proved fatal, and
then left him.
Moore made q break and got in an
old field where he was pursued ~ a
party, one Of whom shot him In the
mouth and he was left for dead. He
was not dead, however, but succc eded
in reaching his horse and getting home.
He died from the effects Of the W. und
In the mouth, this and d wound from
the small shot being the only ones he
received.
This is a plain statement of the case
as have heard it from parties who
were in Keachi at the time. Politics
had nothing to do with it. Moore had
| been candidate for Recorder of De
Soto parish on the Radical ticket, it is
true. but had mingled freely with the
people of the parish and of Keachi
from the day of the election to that Of the
difficulty. He was incensed because the
judgment had been rendered against
him, and he was violent and insulting
in his demonstrations. There is no
doubt but he came to Keachi prepared
to provoke a difficulty. When be was
fired upon by the friends OF Fisher il
was thought that the latter was NOR
tally wounded, though we are gratified
to learn that his wounds. though very
serious, will not prove fatal.
The citizens Of Keachi are peaceable
and aw-abiding, and are naturally In.
dignant that such false representations
should have been given 10 J1e world
through the medium OF the Shreveport
Telegram, a vile partisan paper that lets
no opportunity slip to malign the re.
spectacle people Of North Louisiana.
JUSTICE.
New Orleans, March 8, 1877.