The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-11
GOBBLED TO GLORY.
ISAIAH EVANS PAYS THE PENALTY
OF HIS CRIME by SURRENDER
ING HIS NECK TO THE
HANGMAN.
He Biames Mo One for His Fate Hut Him
self. and says That whisky and Card
Placed Him OH the scaHOld, and
Warns All to Abstain from whisky.


Precisely ut noon yesterday tho grim majesty
Of the law was satisfied In the parish Of Tangi
pahoa by the execution Of Isaiah Evans for tho
murder of Edward Bowen. son Of DIR. J. Bowen,
of Brookhaven. Miss. on the twenty fifth day of
July, 1871 at Mancbae.
The particulars of this tragedy arc as follows.
The accused aud the deceased were on an OK
cursion train which left Crystal Springs on the
morning above described for the purpose of
going to Manehae to participate in picnic
that was to take place there.
The two had some words on tho train. but
they did not amount to much. They both
reached the place of destination, and tho day
passed off pleasantly. But when the two were
about to return to their homes hostilities were
again opened by the accused going no TO the
deceased while he was in conversation with
mulato man and, without saying n word to him.
pushed hi m. aud then, because the young man
protested against being handled so roughly,
DREW OUT PISTOL
and killed him instantly by shooting him
through the brain.
The colored man with whom Bowen had been
in conversation seized the murderer by the
throat and ordered him % give UP the revolver
he held in his hand or he would choke him to
death.
After getting tho pistol from the accused. the
| colored man called to some parties standing
near to get him the bell rope as he intended to
u
the tragedy the white people interfered and the
accused was turned over to the authorities: On
the fourtseuth Of January last he was indicted
| for murder. on the twenty first Of tho same
month he was tried and convicted, and on the
| twenty second he was sentenced to be hanged
q h SeSz sepsd his aeah and
tho twenty fifth Sheriff. Festus z. Mix read 1t TO
| him.
| teriay morning and arrived Mt Amite City. the
scene of the execution, mt l0:3h. Immediately
upon leaving the cars he met the sheriff. who
courteOusly conveyed him to the Jail. whore the
! prisoner was confined.
After passing through grove Of shady pines
the lhil was reaehaa me 6 ,h she a upon enter
swung into eternity, 1t would be the first execu
ton that had ever TAX en- place In the parish.
Here the conversation ended and the reporter
and tho sheriff assembled pair of stairs. then
| through rather spacious room and thence
through ,h nassags W1y here ERE they
| ponderous door, which Immediately
| SWUNG BACK ON ITS HINGES.
and the reporter stood In the presence Of n
human being who. within ninety minutes, was
| to be launched into eternity.
1t was Isaiah Evans, tho accused he was n no.
gro Ms black as the shades of Hades. ~ years of
age. 3 feet II inches high. with countenance
| that bespoke 81 desperate and daring villain.
He was dres$ cd in n pair OF Jeans pants, striped
shirt. He did not seom inclined to speak, but
after some little Coaxing spoke the following in
n surly and In 81 sing song sort OF style:
I was born in Choctaw. county. Ala. ! WIS
owned by a man named Evans In 1867 left
Alabama and went to Mssissi pi where some
times worked farm hand and sometimes
ralroaded, just as it sort of suited me- whom
| got tired OF one went to the other, | have
/ got n family in Copiah county, Miss. There Is
where | married. My family Is wife and child.
They are living now. have had shackes on
don't know what day of tho month they were
put on me, but it was week before last, On the
twenty 18th day of last July. at Manchac. |
had a fuss with me, he did not say half dozen
words to me. | was drunk before got on tho
train at Crystal Springs to Coon the excursion,
AT that time was far ming:
Before leaving Crystal Springs | went into
| then went to the soda house and got some
| soda with
JIM BLACK, A BLACK FELLOW
| then went back to the depot to get q shawl and
some ginger cakes that had left there. After
getting the cakes and shawl went back to the
grocery and took three drinks more, paid for
| paid for the other. l then went back to the
depot and walked up and down watching for
the train to cone ~, along, ! was h then kinder
took a two bit glass OF whisky with another
| fellow.
the boose then began to got NO my nose and
my head before left town Some ono told me
that if drank any more would get into trou,,
| thsre before. and they knew me- for had been
| close around there since 1872: they knew me,
and knew how was when was drunk. have
been In my day sort of II Jackeg gambler
n smart drunkard and an awful fighter, They
knew what l was, and they knew that If | got
tight and got insuled or anything that way.
there would be FUSS
After awhile tho excursion train came along
and got on. At every station we stopped |
took n drink. The last drink took WAS with
Jim Ford. at Magnolia, and that lasted mo until
ARRIVED AT mANCHAc.
When / got to Manchac went to Mrs. Alex,
anders and got tWent y five cent drink Of
1pnty tot 1t rptr HufDf
around the platform awhile and then went to
woman's house who sold fish: she did not have
any. We then went to MIS-, So A. Battes house
riding down In skiff on the lake: two or three
of them exclaimed to mo that | had whisky uD
They came ashore, but we had no row. There
was dancing on the platform and DANCED lit,
tie. Edward Bowen came alongside of me and
spoke to me, but what he said do not recOect.
But what he spoke got insulted at and gave
him short answer, and that's what made MIN
and was auarreing. don't remember what 1t
was he eaid to me. can recollect him saying.
Il don't want to be butfed by YOU; you cant
| bluff mo-" was then mad anyhow at him, and
| cussed him and told him that he could not bluff
The moment told him that he put his hand
| in his pants pocket, as If he was going after his
pistol or something, and when he mOtiOned as
If he was going after his pistol, at the same mo-
got itup fred it ut him: had q black frock
coat on. and shot him from under my coat
tail. | shot him somewhere about the lett eye.
| He died Immediately. After l fired on him he
| fell.
started to run. thought would run, but then
l thought l would not as they could not arrest
me no how. | turned to keep Off from them,
and then turning again walked up to the crowd
that had gathered around the dead man.
Some one in the crowd then remarked, who
was it that shot him; and when, they saw me
standing over the crowd. looking over the
smallest, they pointed to me and said that
Isaiah. that tall man. shot him. then spoke to
| them; says there is none Of
| YOU THAT CAN SAT-
that shot him. l have got no pistol; he shot
himself: he was after his pistol to shoot has
with and be shst himself. like a damn fool
] had done slipped my pistol, a large Smith d
Wesson No. g. to a black man. / don't know who
he was. | had the belt and seabhard on me-. |
could not slip that off; l Just, unbuckled the
my back pocket where | had my pistol.