Louisiana capitolian., 1879-12-13
A SHOCKING MURDER.

On Saturday night last one Of the
most terrible tragedies itshas ever
been our misfortune to speak Of, oc-
cured on the batture in front Of Fort
Vile, about half q mile from tho Cor
poration limits Of this town.
Patrick Oneal, q white laborer on
the "St. Louis' plantation Of Mr.. Ed
ward J. Gay, left the place on the
evening Of Saturday, after having been
paid of. and started to town In q
wagon with four colored men. On
his way here he stopped at the store
of Mr.. Alcide Landry and there
changed his clothing aud left avalise.
Having had the fever he went to the
drug store after his arrival in town
and purchased medicine. After this,
he crossed tho street and entered the
establishment Of Mr.. G. f. Mark,
where he remained some time and
became slightly intoxicated. Hepur
chased two bottles Of whisky on leav-
inp and started for home accompanied
by one Dan Parker, q colored man.
This was about 10 o'clock, r. NJ. Peo-
pie living in Fortville, composed
mostly Of the colored population, had
not vet gone to bed when distinct
cries of.nurder' were heard coming
frem the batture, and poor Pat
Opeal was meltering in his blood. y
| is even said that the inurderers added
to their desperate work the words
"you aint dead yet'and stabbed again.
The poor man lived throughout the
night, lying Oh the batture, notwith-
standing the fact that he had received
five stabs with a knife, three entering
the shoulder, penetrating from one to
three inches, one back Of tho neck,
penetrating tho cervical vertibrH
and the other dividing the biceps
muscles of the right arm, and . frac-
ture Of the skull over the right ear,
with some blunt instrument, causing
compression Of the brain, which was
tho actual case of his death. The
fracture of the skull, we think, must
have been done with one OF the bot
ties, as one was found shattered ut
the scene of the murder.
In the morning he was discovered
nearly dead and brought to town
about 9 o'clock and taken to Mr.,
Schmidt's hotel where he died shortly
after. sra.
He was a man of splendid physique
and the struggle must have been ter.
rife, Judging from the pools OF blood
we found at the scene Of the murder.
There is scarcely any doubt that
the colored man Dan Parker was I'M
plicated in this assassination, as he
has disappeared. The officers and
others have been attempting to arrest
the murtlerers--for we judge there
must have been more than one-but
at this writing no one has been ar
rested.
II is terrible to contemplate and
reflect over this murder, occurring as
it did on beautiful moonlight night,
and within a "stones throw" of peo-
ple who heard the cries for aid, and
none to a lend helping hand to
him who lay there in the death throes
of agony. Judging opinion, publicly
expressed, from our standpoint,
speedy slrift would meet those who
committed the deed, were they cap
tured. But we counsel otherwise. II
the murderers are arrested let the law
be resorted to.
Since writing the above Joe Scott,
--- Thomas, Scipio Askins and
Dave Askins, have been arrested AZ
accessories to this murder and are
now in Jail. Dan Parker is still at
large. We hope Gov. Nichols will
offer sufficient reward to induce
some one to secure the capture Of the
murdererers. -Phquen'inc South.