The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-19

There was doubt In my mind as to whether
7lnla was going back on his aff1davlG or not,
He did not offer me money, but told me there
were bales Of money mere. -
The impression Dula gave me was that ne
intended to act just as he did. l think ne In,
tended to catch Weber In trap. QUA talked
~ sweet to Weber that at first had my
doubts. He did not talk sweet 10 me pecauss
Ie aid not expect to make any money out OF
O.-But was not the talk OF giving you
money sweet to your -. l..
A.-Yes, Sir, it was; 1t would be sweet 70
any man. Every man has his price, DuI
thought Of the hereafter.
q but II you had got your pTice-you said
ii was not offered-you would not have
thought of the hereafter?
A man with plenty Of money need not
think of that; he is treated as o gentleman
To Mr.. Cox-There were rumors flying
around that the colored men were
BANDING AGAINST THE WHITES,
but there was no truth In them. The eolored
men had no wrong purpose. Inc Whlte peo-
Dle were all armed.
Witness then gave long statement about
armed men patroing the parish The SAID ne
had seen 200 at O timel, and about the Killing
of Gair.
asked him to explain how 1t w&s that in his
testimony before the Howe committee the
largest number of men in q body he stated
he had seen was twenty. Mr.. Stenger read
from the testimony.
Witness could not tell how 1t was that he
had not then made the number large, but was
positive that what he said now was correct,
The witness was turned over to Mr. Black
Question When was it Weber mentioned
money to you?
Answer1It was Sunday night.
Odd he ever speak about money more
than once2
Citizen how,is it you told me that 1t was
on Tuesday night he spoke about 1t when ne
made his propositions You said 1t was Tues
Witness say Tuesday night?
Mr.. Blackburn-And II you doubt it will
have your testimony read.
The stenographer was then called In to
read his notes, and it was found that witness
had fixed Tuesday night as the time when
money was first mentioned.
Mr.. Blackburn-Well, now you see 1t was
Tuesday,
Ayes, sir; but was mistaken.
Witness then, In reply to questions, said:
am afraid to go back to the parish, because of
my politics. There are many Republicans
living there now. Gair was killed in 1875. He
was charged with poisoning DR.. Saunders
He had heard recently of cOlored men being
whipped In the parish, but declined positively
TO give the names OF the men or OF those per-
sons who had told him.
GEO. A. J. swAZEY.
colored was next sworn. He came forward
with swagger and defiant, yet nervous, air.
He was sworn and then opened scene, the
like of which has probably never been wit
messed in any court of investigation, or court
Of any kind before.
Mr.. Cox opened the examination, and in his
answers to him witness was abrupt but will
ing. He said | am In the Custom House;
am an hour hand. I know u. l.. Weber. /
have known him since 1865. Weber came to
my house before he went to Washington and
asked me II had read Anderson's testimony.
I said had. He asked me what / thought of
1T. said he knew his business; that the Re-
publicans would give him the devil and the
Democrats would say he was right. /
thought he was damn scoundrel. talked
with Weber to find out what he wanted, and
when found out that / could not go as far
as wanted | stopped. Weber made me prop
Ositions.
Mr.. Cox wanted to know what the PROPOSE
lions were, but witness declined positively and
in sullen manner to answer any questions
regarding 1t. He was called on by both Mr..
Stenger and Mr.. Blackburn to reply, but per-
sisted in his refusal.
Mr.. Cox turned witness over to Mr.. Black
burn, but that gentleman, on the witness
again refusing to answer questions regarding
the proposition, declined to interrOgate him.
Witness volunteered the statement that, 81
am prepared to back up my affidavit made in
the Custom House in toto, and was evidently
somewhat
TAKEN ABACK
when Mr.. Stenger quietly said az will
question you on that" and proceeded to do So
The examination had hardly more than
opened before the witness got very excited
and declined to answer any questions until
his affidavit was read to him. He had forgot
ten, he said, what he had put In the affidavit.
Mr.. Stenger pressed his questions, and sue
ceeded by degrees In drawing the witness
out. He had alleged that there existed a state
of affairs which "began In threats, merged
into terrorism, and eliminated in the most
atrocious murders" He had also detailed
from his own knowledge circumstances at
tendant on alleged murders, but was forced
to confess that of his own knowledge he knew
nothing, and the only outrage he knew of
himself was the beating, by drunken white
men, Of some colored men in Bayou Sara ON
Christmas Eve, 1875.
While these contradictions were being
ELECTED witness was continually gestieulating,
frequently belligerent in his manners and
often asking questions. At one time he was
called on for the names OF the men who had
given him the information on which he had
based his remarkable statement about the
way the affairs began, how they progressed
and how eliminated, and he refused to give
them unless he was guaranteed his life and
the lives of the men. Mr. Blackburn volun-
teered to see him down stairs, but said he
would not go any further, as he did not think
he would like his company. Witness in
formed him that that would not satisfy him.
admitted that he had been charged with the
killing of w. d. Winter; that he had beaten a
white man named Joe Town, struck him over
the head fifteen or twenty times with hick-
ory stick as thick as his (witness1 thumb, The
held 1t up for inspection, it was large onel
that he had been charged with melting the
colored men against the whites, but said that
all this had nothing to do with his fears
which he had previously expressed, to &c
back to the parish Of East Felidiana.
Mr.. Blackburn continued questioning him
and elected the following answers:
Winter was assassinated Winter was q
white man, planter and Democrat. I dc
not think that the fact OF my being charged
with the killing of Winter had anything to dc
with the prejudice against me, because was
acquitted. did not even have to call wit.
ness | was not sent out to organize the col
ored men during the Aaronstein difficulty. II
was reported that had arrayed the coloreC
men against the whites. Col. Jones called my
attention to 1t, but said he did not believe it
Now, If you want to know, was up there tc
see woman. / want it understood thai
l..II l.