The New York herald., 1878-08-15
ALL ASSERT INNOCENCE.
History Of the Brutal Crime for Which They
Justly Suffered.
SICkENING GALLONS SCENES.
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE HrnA1p.l


Narcisse Arrieux. At twenty minutes aitor
ten O'Clock the men were conducted to the
seafold All except Lauve were firm, and
gazsd curiousy on tho crowd Of 5000 persons
who occupied every available space In view Of the gal
Iowa Carter and Childrsss were accompanied by a
coisred minister and Banks and Lauve by Catholic
priest just outside OF the jail yard substantial but
rude and primitive scaoId was erected Thirteen feet
from the ground heavy cross beam fourteen feet
long rested on two uprights. shorsd up on
the sides and ends. The platform rested
cross pieces extending backward from the scaffold
The drop attached to the platform by hinges and
held in place BY . rope fastened to
the GROSS pieces supporting the platform.
4 rope stretched around the scanold separated
the spectators from the Sheriff aud mis- posse Of forty
deputies, and the Donaldsonville Cannoneers under
Captain J. Prosper Landry.
on TIE ROAD TO HEAVEN.
After the reading of the death warrant the con-
lemnsd men werc asked II they had anything say.
Childress thersupon, In loud, clear voico,
said:-"Good morning; welcome all; come
70 tell you ALL to-day, that God
has Done freed my SOUL III soon be up yonde
OF hell l stand before you now: In little
while will be sitting in my Father's
sa,' you Ts e1 III al 10
70 the land Of COLO, where there's no sickness,
no trials no s !, Last = odo nSo Sos wnsn
raht behind them 900 600 more Of all coors and
eli nations. not guilty lam not guilty! Before
my God, know nothing about that for which I'm TO
suffer. ain't got time to talk about IT, must talk
about Jesus l thank you all-evsrybody; Weep
and pray, all OF you, and meet me In hoavep."
ANOTHER INNOCENT hound FOR GLORY.
Carter next arose and said:-"Good morning all. l
:;od n:s, 10 q. S; and
what what my father has done Tor me. No, my friends i
~hat a1l IN haas ma ali
You you ali % now .ha. God freed my soul.
b.sEni.:rs, @ ia i:rswsn sv.TvSody. never expect
to SEQ you more | know what you all want
YoS got car. sxsa ios s0s' IT,
On; 2! yes. I'm innocent Pm prepared to 60; I'm GLAD
Banks vas the next and spoke as follOxs:-
secs no'sas as III s'a never &. ,s,s'''z yoa ri
Any more. The There 80; is MA. e." great many
sSsaS you. % WISH ~ you ali luck Take care Of your.
=. ,.,y ana sss
"I'm not guilty of what I'm accused. was
sssssp in my bed. No I'm NO. guilty. "
Sssis home cat my supper on ths step. and aud can
tell you what dat woman cooked for me. Is
cent aud i say 10 all das hears do sound
oi my voice dat I'm innocent got three children,
my iiie" ChiIdress hero Interrupted him by telling
him 70 make haste IL never kilt white man; white
AFRAID, BUT NOT GUILTY. "-e
Octave Lauvs, after some delay, slowly arose after
Two attempts. and after gazing wildly around said
SEQ everybody come mere to me hung
to-dsy." Here he staggered and would have fallen
tears and choked. glass OF wine was
given him, when he again arose crying. but had
ri Ito ha A or
r% iss .ss ''' y oS.,d1sss hs1: $ .aa,s % s':s =.
sst down and tainted fne,r feei were then tied. and
during the operation on Lauve he cried out IL got
sent man. am an honest man. I'm going 10 die for
nothing"
ss staggered and would have fallen from the scafoId
but for tho sheriff. When tho caps were put on,
Lauvs exclaimed. "Oh, Lordl people, didn't
70 % m... me 10 heaven. Children, I'm soins to isil
you all they are taking my life for nothing. blanc
two men for H.. put all my trust in Cod He will
A. twenty minutes past eleven A. NJ. the drop foil,
breaking their necks and causing death without q
struggle. The condemned mon spoke incoherently
10 she last moment Al nali-past eleven the bodies
were cut down and given to their families.
TEB MEN.
Fountain Banks was a short, stout. round-iaoed,
70 nave served Two years and a haif during
the war as private In the Ninety-second
men
was a rsw-bonsd. hsh-sheoked muiatto, wkh
. savage ana vianous esuntonancc, thirty
years Old aaron Carter vas. vas a ,,. t.lI. slim,
natives OF Louisiana, and have always lived in the
ssishborhood where the crime was committed
The murder for which tnese four men paid
os penalty pooaS,onr,o sossy ~. p.rsn
81 Ascension. La, about forty miles abovo
New Orleans on the night OF December 26 1876 Mar
Avrte a An do bvin lo0a
and dong business IN small, three-room
house, si,uased on the banks Of the mississippi
largest facing The river was used Dy Arrieux
. storo and sslesroom, the second or mddlc room
ss ms sleeping apartment On tho morning
Of December 27 the residents OF the village we're
s Tbs. aS.s ,n
room. near the stove, on an overturned
from me store to the street. which was locked, all
the doors Of tho house were open. pool OF blood
covered the noor behind .he counter, while
hands were plainly visible throughout tho
won.y drawers and other furniture. Several iour
pound weights, covered with blood and mat
jed with the gray hairs OF the murdered old
man, werc the floor, showing them TO have
been the instruments OF death. Arrieuxs head was
literally beaten into jelly, having no less than ton
confused wounds and fractures
FOLLOWING MICROSCOPIC cLEw.
Nothing whatever was found about the premises
BY which the sssassns could be traced. Large
rewards were offered Tor any clew that
would lead 10 the detection OF tho guilty parties
but Tor a time tho affair remained an un-
solved mystery. one day Wilson Cnildrcss,
. buriy negro, with an unsavory reputation,
wss sauntsring along tho principal street OF Don
sdsonvillc, whom the Sheriff OF Ascension observed
cotnss Of the negro certain peculiar red spo,s
Accusing Ch'Idrsss tho Sheriff, while in con-
vsrsAtton, casually alluded to the spots on
bis clothes Chtdress replied. with equal noncha-
in~ce, That the Spots made by red pant
which hsd got on his clothes wnilc heading
up barfoi Tor certain shopkeepcr. The
Sbern traced up tho barrel and found IL TO
be painted blue On this Childrcss arrested. This
was The hrst ciew TO the cruel murder, and led TO
remarkable trial, wherein an analysis oil piece OF
bloody clothing and piece OF bloody wood played an
important part
CONFESSION
Chidrcss was greatly alarmed at his arrest,
and confessed that he, with Fountain Banks,
Octave Lauvc and Aaron Carter, all colorsd, COM
mttsd the murder. Each Of the implicated
men were In turn arrested and incas ceratcd with
Chldrsss IN the parish taiL Al prel minary trial,