The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-01
'RICE, FIVE CENTS.
THE NATCHITOCHESCA
BOLD BLUNT BLURTING BALDERDAsR
'ROUT BULLDOZiNG.

and was rumored that the government had
fully eighty on hand to be heard. 1t was
little after 10 o'clock when the roll OF prison.
ers was called and the jury took their seats.
None OF the witnesses save the one under ex-
animation were allowed In the courtroom.
and only attorneys and members of the press
were permitted to enter, there being a deputy
marshal stationed at the door.
ABRAHAM MICHAELsoN
was first sworn. / reside at Campte, Louisi-
ana. 1 was In the town of Natchitoches on
the twenty-eighth OF December. 1873 was
member OF the Democratic convention
The convention was called to order about 12
o'clock; am not certain, however, about IL.
The confusion that caused the adjournment
came short time after its meeting. A report
came In the convention that the negroes were
forming and were about to break up the con-
vention. The convention broke up In order.
went to Levy Il Phillips store. Some DEL
egates went down town to see whether the.
report about the negroes was true. / saw
some OF the delegates with arms, they were
not many The convention was composed Of
about one hundred members. About twenty
five persons had arms Levy d Phillips
store is about three squares from the court
house. then went. after staying twenty
minutes, to Weipgardt's store. | went and
armed myself after / heard the report that
the negroes would come to take the town.
| armed myself with'a gun and pistol. left
the gun at Mr.. Baths house.
Witness was shown the published list of the
members OF the convention and testified it
was correct to the best of his knowledge, and
they were all present with the exception of
one ward. The witness was then examined as
| nf ho
court house. He could not remember the
names OF the men who were under arms. MIR,
Cunningham was at the head of the armed
party, but could not say whether he was
ally called Rafe Blunt. | saw him on the day
referred to. He was under arrest, and was
brought to the courthouse. Mr. Cunningham
was In the party with others. The Vindicotor
c. LUCKEY
sworn. | reside In Naehitoches and always
voted the Democratic ticket | went into the
town of Nachtoches to pay my taxes. I was
there part of the time that the convention
was In session, and part was not. / think
the first time the convention broke up was
about 3 O'clock, A motion to adjourn was
made but don't know the words it was made
In. The meeting appeared somewhat con-
fused when it broke up. / did not see any
armed men for some hours after that. / went
to restaurant for my dinner when left.
/ saw armed men. / saw Blunt that night
at the courthouse. He was under arrest, but
cannot say who had him in charge. cam
not remember any men who were under arms.
Mr.. Cunningham was in command of the
party who had Blunt In charge.
CrOss-examined by Mr.. Beckwith-I got
into NatchitOches about O'Clock that MORN
ing. was not a candidate for any Office I
visited the convention as locker on. L recol-
lect that there was a motion to adjourn, but
do not remember that there were any
speeches.
1 do not know whether the convention was
in confusion. There were several members
standing on the floor. | heard 1t from several
parties around the courthouse that the ad-
journment was to go and break up q Repub-
lican meeting. l can't say whether there was
any apprehension OF trouble in the court
house. / heard that the negroes were going
to attempt to take the town and the conven-
tiOn broke up to resist this.
heard that evening there was some firing
down at Dirt Bridge. When the report came
in there was a call for men to go down there.
/ heard that there were picketsI placed out. ut
lett early next morning. There was consider
able disturbance during the night. There was
considerable excitement before and after the
firing at Dirt Bridge.
Redirect live thirty miles from Natchi-
tOches. / did not get any arms. / don't
know that / had any apprehen sion of being
killed that day. / did not see any armed
negroes when L went home the thirty miles.
i
in ward two In the parish. | could not say
how many men were around the courthouse.
but there was crowd.
A. Michaelson, who had been called upon to
examine copy OF the Natchitoches Vtadica-
tor, then came In and said its report of the
convention WAS correct.
Testimony resumed. / went home on Sun
day morning with a MIR. Pugh. live ten
miles from the town OF Natchitoches. I did
not see any armed negroes on my way. The
mppttnO n 20 TO fbo
best OF my knowledge, about II or 12 o'clock.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Luzenburg. was
member OF the convention. 1t had been ad-
vertised about two weeks There were about
l25 men around the courthouse that day.
The convention was held to nominate paro-
chial officers. The convention adjourned be-
cause OF the reports in circulation that the
negroes were coming to take the town. Inc
real object OF the convention In breaking up
was to resist, in self-defense, the attack OF the
negroes. | started to go down to the Dirt
Bridge, where the trouble was, but was stop
ped after it was over. There Is very large
negro population below Nachitoches, on Cane
river.
Redirect When the report came that the
negroes were firing the convention adj djOurned.
When the motion to adjourn the convention
was made 1t was to go down town to see
what was going on. l don't know who made
the motion. can't say who put the motion
whether it was Mr.. Joe Cunningham or not
1t did not take long for the convention to get
out did not have my gun when [ started
to posdown to dirt bridge. / turned back to-,
get it, and went to the courthouse.
ISAAC KAHN.
/ live in NatchitOches and have for fifteen
or sixteen years. | have acted with neither
political party. live about 100 yards from
The court house. The store where my son
keeps Is right near the courthouse; It ad-
Joins it. | did not go in the Democratic con-
yention that day. saw no armed men that
day in NatchitocheS | did not SEQ Rlunt and
1id not go TO the courthouse. l stayed at
me store until night. | was very busy that
lay Inc business OF the store went on just
ne same as every day. There was my son
ana myself In the store. People came in and
went out making purchases just as always.
ISAAC JACOBS.
live in the town OF Natchitoches, In the
lower portion Of the town. Ny residence is
about seventy-five feet from my store. am
married and have family The meeting
held was about $50 feet from nay store, more
or less, l cannot say. There must have been
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