The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-08-17
FOUR LIVES FOR ONE.
Hanging Of the Murderers OF
Narcisse Arrieux.
Last Words of Wilson Ohildress, Aaron
Garter, Fountain Banks and Octave
LauVe---All Die Protesting
Their Innocence.

On Wednesday last, the llth inst, the
Sheriff of this parish executed the sentence
of death passed upon Wilson Childress,
| Aaron Carter, Fountain Banks and Octave
Lauve, the convicted murderers of Narcisse
Arreux. The dread spectacle of the hang
ing was witnessed by at least 1900 people,
who fioeked to town from all directions in q
stream that flowed continually from an
early hour of the morning until the time
fixed for the execution.
VISIT TO THE CONDEMNED.
Tuesday afternoon, in company with
Deputy Sheriff Israel, Parish Judge Maher
and Mr.. A. L. DOnnaud, representative of
the New Orleans Times, We visited the cells
of the condemned men to ascertain such
particulars relative to their ages, appear
ance, etc, as might be of sufficient interest
to publish, and to obtain such statements as
the men could be induced to make in con-
ncction with the crime for which they were
soon to suffer the death penalty. Deputy
Sheriff St Martin admitted the party to the
prison.
In cell No. 2, which was the first entered,
we discovered Fountain Banks and Octave
Lauve lying side by side, secured to an iron
bar running through the cell few inches
above the floor the manner of fastening the
prisoners being by means of shackle at
tached to the bar combining the left leg Just
above the ankle. A sitting or standing
posture could be readily assumed, but other
wise the prisoners scope of motion was very
| limited. Childress, Carter and Banks had
been kept in irons since their attempt to es-
cape, last April, but Lauve's confinement in
this manner only dated from the time of his
| conviction, i'll June.
FOUNTAIN BANKS
was small, black man, about 81 years of
age and 81 feet i'll height, weight $50 pounds !;
WAS bUgn in % the 'Merican country prob
ably Eirginia-came to Louisiana when
very young and belonged to Mr.. Charles
k0ck before the war served two years and
six months as u private in the 92nd reei-
nent U. 5. colOrod volunteers, Colonel Fris-
bee was legally married in the jail on Sat
urday last to the woman he had been living
with for II humber of years; leaves three
| children of his own, y boy and two girls
besides &. boy he had adopted. Being ques-
toned rs to his participation in the murder,
he earnestly declared his innocence. His
| statement is that he visited the store before
shutdown, in company with Aaron Carter !;
took a drink, bought Some sweet crackers
for his children. then went home again,
leaving Jack Taylor and his wife and sew
erssi white persons in the store ; ate his sup
per of rice aud fried meat on the steps and
went to bed before dark; learned of Mr..
Arrieux's death for the first time next morn
ing. This is the story ho has persistently
held to ever since the day of his arrest.
a. OCTAVE LAUvE
WAS next interviewed. He was q griffe of
powerful frame and broad features, with
high check bones and a large, peculiar eye
that glarcd wickedly when its owner fell
under the influence of excitement; height 5
feet 10 inches; weight, about 200 pounds ;
age 81 or "a years; was born on the Lazarre
Dugas place and had been in the parish all
his life leaves II mother, wife and two chill
dren, both boys. Lauve's story was that he
was ill the day of the murder with chilIs and
fever; that, feeling better, he visited the
store IN the AFTERNOON, bought some tobacco
returned home, got his wife to pull his boots
OF and make him some tea, threw himself
upon the bed only partially addressed and
fell asleep, remaining in that condition un-
| til morning. Tie declared that Mr.. Chyerie
had offered Childress SIS in the Jail to saw
| that the four men under arrest had commit
ted the murder; and lie vehemcnty reitera-
ted this statement, refusing to believe the
fact that Childress had voluntarily con-
fessed the day after the crime, during the
progress of the inquest, naming Lauve as
one OF the parties to the conspiracy to kill
Mr.. Arrieux and rob the store and that the
$25 had been rendered to Childress as an in
ducement to reveal the hiding place of the
f.Ea FRI tI,. T "a
| that while ON his way home from the store
he SAW Mrs. Marcel lying in u ditch OF
water, drunk, and that he informed he,
husband, whom he met soon after. He COLI
Guided by saying that Mr.. Arrieux was a
good man; that he was sorry the old man
had been killed and that he was to be hung
for it. 81.
Passing into cell No. we found Childress
and Carter in the same relative position rs
the other two prisoners.
AARON CARTER
was first accosted He was q tall, slim.
black young man, about 5 feet or l0inches
in height, 20 years of age and had face
pitted from the effects of smallpox; was
unmarried; leaves IL mother, two brothers
and halt-sister; was born on the Teller
place, where he lived with his mother at the
time of the murder. Garter seemed to be
very despondcnt and moody; said he didn't
Jesus and tomorrow. He concluded to say.
however, that he had been we'll treated by
the officers and by Rev. John Ashby, and
that he knew nothing about che killing of
Mr.. Arricux and had nothing to do with
it.
WILSON CHILDRESs
lay upon his back with his hands folded
across his breast, smiling Us if he really felt
happy. He WAS also tall and black, like
Carter, hut was stout built; height feet 10
inches born on Mr.. Jim Pugh's plantation.
in Assumption parish, the night Of the Last
Island storm, which was, We believe, in
1855. He anticipated our questioning by
saying that he had made his peace with
God and was busy thinking about saliva
ton; that he had Jesus in him and did not
want to talk of anything else, and that all
he had to say he would say upon the gal
lows With the help of God
THE GALLONS
had not been erected directly in front of the
Court House, us ut first proposed, but stood
IL few feet below the eastern line of the
building, opposite the gate i'll the jail fence
and about twenty feet from the fence. The
frame NJ the structure resembled nothing
more than Il large trestle, thirteen feet high