The daily gazette., 1878-07-01
From the y. Y. Saturday Herald.
ELIZA PINKSTON
The Truth Regacdinga a
tory hal . artled
the Country.
HOW THE NORTHERN HEART
WAS FIRED.
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A FALSE
OATH AND LITTLE DRAMA.
Secretary Sllernlan-s Hilarious
Secretary Shernlan-s Hilarious
lllugh.

Secretary Sherman,s Hilarious
Laugh.
During the counting of the Presiden-
tial vote of Louisiana, in New Orleans,
before the Returning Board and the visit
ing statesmen, in November, 1876, the
country was startled and shocked by the
introduction, as the victim of and witness
to savage democratic bull-doZing, of a
colored woman named Eliza Pinkston.-
She had been severely wounded, was ap-
parently dying, was brought in to give tes-
timony lying on sofa or settee and gave
remarkably succinct and dramatic
statement to the effect that her husband
Henry Pinkston, had been dragged out of
his cabin by gang of democrats and
murdered before her eyes because he was
prominent republican, and that the same
gang then brutally beat, cut and shot her.
She seemed sllll grealely debilitated
when testifying, and her story and her
appearance produced "A profound impress
sion in New Orleans and throughout
the county. Her appearance was a
complete surprise to the democrats of
the State and of the county (Ouachita) }
in which she lived and where the brutal
outrage was said TO have been commit
ted. they appear 10 have at first accept
ed her tale, but as soon as they could
reach the county and look into tie
story its truth was positively denied, and
later it was charged that Eliza Pinkston,
having, with her husband, been the
victim of quarrel with some of her
colored neighbors, had been picked up
by republicans, brought to New Orleans,
tutored carefully in the part she was to
play aud the evidence she should give
and was then suddenly and in the
dramatic manner which will be remem.
b.red, brought before the Returning
Board as sample of democratic bru.
tality. The denials came too late, how.
ever, EliZa's testimony had gone ovel
the country. 1t was given out that the
poor creature could not recover fiom hel
wounds. She dropped out of pubic
sight and attention as other events camt
up, and until larely it was not ever
known In New Orleans whether she
| was dead or alive. She had disappeared
from OuachiLa parish, ,and no one though
of her.
ELIAS STATEMENT.
a correspondent of the Herald chance(
to learn few weeks ago that Eliza wa,
still alive that she had recovered from
her wounds; had married again, ant
had removed o Madison county, Miss
where she and her new husband, Way
mond Pritcard, respectable coloret
man, were living ON the land of Mr.. w
j. Mosby, as tenants. The Herald Col
respondent had the curiosity to visi
Eliza and talk with her, and finally pro
cured from her and from her presen
husband the sworn statements whicl
follow. 1t will be seen that Eliza her
states under oath -
First-That she was induced to appea
before the Returning Board and maxi
the s. atement given by two republican.
0. ii. Brewster and Dinkgrave.
| S, cond-That she received for her tes
timony and the part she acted on tha
occasion $500, very large sum of none
to woman in her conditions; and sh
now swears that of this money she too
$50 III hand and allowed the remaind.
to lie In the hands of Brewster, from
whom she says she has never been abb
to get 1t back.
Third-She denies that her husban,
ever took any part as republican Il
D 1litics, and asserts that he was engage
in quarrel with colored man, haviD
no relation to politics; and thai, whil
she does know who killed her husban
and wounded herself, she believes it wa
this colored man; also that, contrary t
to the testimony she gave before the Re
turning Board, she never knew who com
mitted the outrage.
Fourih-That she was brought by re
pubicans from her home in New Orlean
and instructed by them to pretend tina
she was more seriously hurt than sh
was, and also instructed 10 lay the blan
of the killing and assault on the demo
Gratis.
Fifth-Tha, SO far from being unabl
to walk, she had walked. Oh the day be
fore giving her testimony, considerabl
distances, as wei! as up and down til
Custom House stairs i'll New Orlean!
that on the day of her appearance befor
the Returning Board she walked u
, stairs, but was induced to lie down on
sofa and allow herself TO be carried in!
the room to produce the greater impre'
sion.
1t will be noticed that her present hu
band, Waymond Prtchard, in an afiid'
Wit, confirms Eiza's story as being thi
which she has always told him since L
married her.