New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-03

peace; was surrounded one night by about
twenty white men; they demanded my
ofhoisl bOokR; they said the citizens wanted
them; took them TO town next day, and
talked with the State officers in regard to
it; they said they had no right to the books,
and rather than that should be hurt had
better give them up; Mr.. Cunningham
came and got them; was afraid they would
kill me, because they had killed others in
the neighbOrhOod Witness testified to
the interruption of Republican meetings,
corrobOrating other witnesses. Was elect
ed vice president of Democratic club; did
not consent, but they said l would have to
stick or get out; went to Baton Rouge and
voted the Republican ticket; knew Jerry
and Sam Meyers; they were honest, indus
trious men.
To Senator McDnald-Can not read or
write; my constable wrote my warrants
for me, and signed them; decided three or
Jour cases; there were no appeals to the
parish court; went home after the election,
and have not been molested.
Harriet Bertain, oolored, sworn-To Sen
ator Wadleigh-In February, 1876, my hus-
band received letter. which said: Orchard
Burden, you get out Of this house as soon
as Sod will let you, or we will hang you by
the neck" afterward they set the house on
FIRE, pouring oil on it; it was wet and rainy,
and the oil soon burned off; they said,
Knock him up, and l will shoot the d-n
son of = when he runs out; my hus-
band fired and they fred at him; after ward,
when we we're sitting in the room, they
fred in where my husband and / were sit
ting; came near hitting me; my husband is
q Republican.
Adjourned till half-past seven o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The committee met at about eight O'Clock
Senator Mcdonald continued his CROSS
| examination of Mrs Harriet Bertaip, with
| out eliciting anything startling
Ernest Nrff, colOred, swOrH-Am q resi-
dent of East Baton Rouge, near the East
| Feicians line; on the thirteenth of October,
1875, was inBatOn Rouge; heard of the ar
rest of John G air and of the fact that he
| was being taken by band of armed men
to Clinton; followed the party at some
distance behiad; when they arrived at the
Redwood bridge they stopped; said they
had not yet reached the parish lines; I
stopped at Allen Chatmsn's store; at place
| tWenty-One miles from Baton Rouge the
party was met by crowd from Clinton,
| aud John Gair was then killed; l had ridden
| up to the side, and was hidden in a thicket;
they dismounted and formed on each side;
| GAir was given a few moments to cay his
| prayers, al d he kneeled down and prayed;
his prayer would have raised the dead; he
said, ooh, God, remember me this day !
Thou knOwest / shall die innocent of the
charge laid against mC;" DIR. Hooper was
the first to fire at him; his shot missed him;
he raised up, and as he did 30 Mr.. Norwood
shot him, and a whole vOlley wac then fred
into him; saw Deputy Sheriff Wood ward
shoot also; recognized in the party X A.
Cross; the next day / went to Olive Branch
to get some medicine; my horse was scared
aC something by the road, and saw it was
JOhu's body; on the breast was q note
which read, you that bury This body shall
follow it," after | got back home 1 sent for
the coroner; put pen Ground him, and
with some others made a 0Offin out OF planks
of my floor and buried him; Paul johnson,
Jake Franklin, Isaac Squire and Thos. Hall
helped bury hl Paul johnson has since
been killed, as detailed by his wife on this
stand to-day; a week before Christmss,
1875, party came 10 nv house 10 the night
time and asked for M; they h id a rope
with which to hang mt; heard them, and
ran to my brother.in-law's; my wife told
them had gone TO the city; they went
into my cotton room and took u look; they
made my wife and children go out, and set
the house on fire, burning it up with eleven
bales Of cotton, the result of my years
labor; these parties were not disguised;
their names are Joe Miliigan, n. B B sck,
LOudOn Black, Sam Kelly, Louis Kelly,
Tom Carpenter, Giles Kent, jimmy Kent,
Allen Chatham, EdridRe Atkinson, Hines
Hunt, jim kearney, George Forbes, Will
burn Young, Sid B arrow, Jim Forbes,
and William Caldwell, white, and Frank
Dillon and two other oolOred men whom
40 not know; they we're Democrats, and
were mad because l would not raise q
Democratic club; Gair YVES a cOlored Re
publican; he was charged with poisoning
! | DR.. Saunders family; his sister-in law
! ! Babe Matthews, was hung the same night
! one man reius ID to shoot at Gair.
: Witness exhibited to the committee
sketch of the place where Gair was buried
| by q large pine tree, on which is marked
simply "JJhn Gairn He exhibited some
pictures and other memeutOes Of th(
tragedy.
| To Senator McDOuald-TE NO weeks aftel
? the killing of Gair DR.. Saunders VAS VIZ /
l enough t. administer medicine to me wheI
: l went to his house; do not know that b,
was too unWeil to transact business tol
: nearly two years; think G4ir could have
kept out of the way of the sheriff if he haC
wished; was at the eide of the party whie(
killed GAir; could hear what he said; wler
. | D.. Saunders fired ths ii st shot, john ga d
, "Oh, G I'd, remember me this day." hear
. his whole prs yer; was about 200 yards off
hidden 10 a t.'oke'; the deputy sher fl wal
) at ihe head of the party; the Clinton mel
met them ct the parish linz; it was abOu
two miles from my house; believed theI
8 and believe now that the story of the pois
Z oning of DR.. Saunders and bis family Wa
! q trumped up charge, but never gave ex
3 preston to that belief before to.night
was twenty one miles from Baton Rouge t
{, where John Gsir was shot; never knew hin
to have difficulty with any one; he was
i temperate man; the man who fired the frs
shot came from Clinton, and alsO the mai
: who fired the second shot-Mr. Norwood.
To Senator Wadleigh-SuppOsed til
deputy sheriff was a Republican from tn
fact that he was deputy to Republican
/ was not aware that he is Democrat.
Phoebe Ann Wade (eOlOred), swOrn-Th
i bulldOzers came to my house in September
q looking for my husband; my husband wa
i not there; they broke his gun; they aske
: where Monroe Beeohum was | would nc
tell them where he lived; they asked if b
2 was q small or a large man; they sail the
y were going to get the son of - tia
u night; they went to his house, about qua
y ter Of II u,iis distant, and took him ont
10 his drawers and tied him with a rope, an
y he has never been seen sincs; when the
70 were at my house they threatened to han
" me up; they put the rope on the neck of Is
70 Williams, who worked Tor my husband, bl
d. they did not hurt him; be left; Mr. Be
q Young, on whose place my husband wOI
o ed, said he guessed it was because
~ wouldn't join the Democratic party; tht
y had masks and moss n their faces; thiI
IA they were white men; didn't know them.
e To Senator McDOnald-They said tht
ia were hunting for fresh beef.
" b, V, BarancO, swoTn--Lives in Bait
" Rouge; testified to a general condition
70 intimidation; coTTObOrAted evidence of 9th
~ witnesses.
e; The committee adjourned till ten O'clo
~ this morning.