The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-15
WHOLESALE HEMP.
-FOUR NEGROES EXECUTED FOR THE
wURDER OF ONE pEAN.

gatsryfews with the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ag the GaIRGws-DyIng Talk of the
psurMerers -Four Thousand People
witness the Execution. ...a
The law-abiding citizens Of the parish OF
Ascension were yesterday treated to sight
that they had not witnessed for seventeen
wears. and that was the hanging Of the
four negroes, Wilson Childress, Fountain
Banks Aaron Carter and Octave Lauve, alias
s,haulier. for entering house In the night
and there committing the crime OF murder
and robbery.
These four men were executed for having,
on the night OF the twenty seventh OF Deem
her, 1876 murdered and robbed a man named
Narcisse Arriel1x In his store, situated on the
bank OF the Mississippi, near the southwest
arm border Of the town of Donaldsonyille, in
the parish Of Ascension.
On the night above mentioned, which was q
dark and stormy one, between the hours of 8
and IL O'clock these four men, for the purpose
of robbery, entered the store of Arrieux, and
would have put their murderous intention into
operation sooner, but for the presence Of q
white woman who happened to be In the store
making some purchases, After the woman
human eyes rested upon them and the bloody
deed that they intended to perpetrate, started
Id put their murderous designs into execution.
They told their victim to give them some
whisky, and as the old man turned his back
ON them for the purpose Of drawing the
whisky, one OF the four negroes struck him on
the back Of the head with four pound iron
weight. This not killing him Immediately,
the balance of the weights that remained on
the counter were hurled ct his head In rapid
succession.
The leader of this terrible doed, Wilson
Ghildress, sprang oyera counter, behind which
HE was, and dealt Arrieux several blows on
The head with short hickory. cudgel, having
n lump of lead on the end which he carried in
his sleeve. Considering their murderous
work well done and their victim dead, they
Immediately went to work to rob the store, In
which they were most successful.
@ The four assassins, with hearts Of flint, car
ing not for the diabolicaI crime they had just
committed, but chuckling all over between
themselves Of how much they had made by
their operation, and SO satisfied that no eye
had witnessed their crime, went off glee-
fully, carrying with them their booty. But
in this they were mistaken. The woman,
who happened to be In the store when
they entered, watched their every move
ment from an unseen position. and when
AllGlT EtbDbuE6 WIS GllGGGGu anu EQGlr uaF OF
trial came, although she had kept the truth
OF the whole affair to herself, came forward
revealed the story that she had kept so long
secreted In her breast, and placed Chldress
and his three companions upon the scaffold
from which they were swung into eternity
yesterday.
now THE MURDER WAS DISCOVERED.
On the morning following the murder, as
Airieux did not open his store as usual, some
Df his friends went to see II anything allied
him, and upon forcing open one of the DOORS
o terrible sight met their gaze. The old man
was found dead, with his face head, beard
and clothes covered with clothed blood
From an extensive compound cOmminuted
fracture Of the Uranium extending on the
right side from the occiput across the right
parietal bone and frontal bone to the internal |
canthus OF the left eye, and from several other |
confused wounds on the head, it was evident
that death had been caused by blows inflicted |
by heavy blunt instruments.
DESCRIPTION OF ARR1EUxs HOUSE BEFORE
THE MURDER.
The small house occupied by Narcisse Ar
Tieux as a store and dwelling contained three
apartments. The largest apartment which |
laced the Mississippi river, and opened by a |
door upon the common road or highway lead
ing up and down the road behind the broad |
levee, which protects this region from over
How, was used as store for the sale and bar
ter Of various kinds of merchandise. food and
spirits. This store was divided into two IN
equal portions by a counter running directly
across in front Of the door; the space behind
Che counter was much less in area than that |
IN front Back of the counter and commune
eating with the main room or store were two
smaller rooms, one of which was used as q
sleeping apartment, and the other as an
office and sittng-room.
Line inside OF the house, after the tragedy,
presented quite different appearance. A
pool ri blood lay on the floor behind the
Traces OF blood were also found on the floor of
the store and marks ofbloody hands were also
upon the walls and upon the front door, and
upon the floor of the office and sIeeDing-room.
Marks Of bloody hands were found upon the
walls and door posts, and upon the bed.
5he drawers In which the deceased kept his
money and books, Several four-pound iron
weights, containing blood and the gray hairs
u the deceased were found behind the counter,
Il the office and sleeping apartment. One Ct
hese heavy iron weights thrown at the head
low In the back part OF the sleeping room and
was picked UP In the yard.
iii appears from the condition Of the pre-
misses that Notwithstanding the extensive
fracture OF Narcisse's skull he became con-
scious after his murderers had left and re-
sni,in,s the use Of his limbs, closed the door
n lid store, examined his money drawer and
ATTEMPTED to light q fire ia stove, He then
staggered around the room, steadying, him
self BY his bloody hands until he reached a
chair, where he sat down. In this chair he
died, The weight Of the dead body over-
eurned the chair, and the me morning he was
found he was lying upon the floor with his |
legs bent under him.
now uHILDREss AND HIS PALS WERE CAUGHT.
b AS stated above, the woman who was ac-
nuainted with the facts of this murder did not
come forward and tell what she knew OF the
affair until the men were on trial in the courts.
and as the sheriff did not know that there
were any witnesses present save those that
had a hand In the deed, he was forced to work
on circumstantial evidence. The first thing
that he did was to get the Governor to offer q
reward Of $500 for the arrest Of the murdersrs
of Arrieux.
AS the sheriff had been informed that Will
son Childress had been seen going in the di-
rection Of the dead mans store on the even
ing OF the murder. he looked him up, and the
first thing that met his gaze was something
red on Childress' coat, which had very much
the appearance OF blood, Childress denied
Yaint that had rubbed off & barrel that he had