The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-10
THE LAKE PROVIDENCE AFFAIR.
statemenss Of the Captain and Pilot OF the
Towboat How the Difficulty Hega N.
EVicksbnre Commercial

Capt. Thomas Tobin, I'm command a the
coth boat from which the crew we're reeA ntly
taken by armed ellzans q Lake Provids aces
City Marshal MCGUIRE Of that town. md
were set upOn and shot while In euatxs fy.
affair:
On last Sunday evening arrived at Lss re-
Proyidence In charge OF a coalboat. Short y
afterwards q tfstboat, loaded with potatoea 4
belonging To Kltterhouse il PiereoD, eara 8
down the river aud landed about eN !
yards below my boat. Some hours after
wards six Of the crew OF my boat went down
TO the potato boat, and the crew of the two
boats proceeded UP into the town. Whilss
there, am informed. some Of them drank
considerably, and one man became loud nrYN
Doasting on the street. After remaining till
about 3 o'clock In the evening, they started
TO return To the boats. The man who was
boosting , SO loudly pulled Of his coat and hat,
and remarked: Boys, let's take the town.S
As they proceeded In the direction or
the. river. John Brashier. one Of my crew.
and Jim Brown, the boaster, and who ID said
70 have done the shooting, were at some dis
tance behind the rest, when the city marshai
stepped up to lay bis hand on Brown Brash-
ler started to run. While running he heard
Two pistol shots. He did not SEQ who die
charged them. But turning bis head back
ward as he fed he saw the marshal on HIS
knees still cllngiDg to Brown, and heard him
exclaim. 20 Loruyi" or words very similar
AZ that the remainder OF the party seems to-
OF Brown and knew nothing OF the shooting
at the time 1t occurred.
citizen OF Luke Providence informed me-
that the marshal fired once, but this do not
personally know.
When the members OF my boats crew come.
on board myself and man named HazelI
were there. About fifteen minutes after this
BODY armed men came down to the boat and
called for the captain. told them: Here q
am" They ordered me to come ashore, and
Wnen complied some OF them said YOU'RE
not the man" They then ordered me to bring
out the whole crew. called for the leader.
and my men. and told him surrendered 10
The civil law.
We were marched up town and putin prison.
4 iew minutes after our being locked up,
gan walking up and down the room, when a.
% an, whom | was afterwards Informed was
inc sheriff, levelled his gun on me and ordered
me TO SIT down. Nothing more happened to
20 @, and at IL O'Clock that night was re-
eased. told the man who relsased me that
here was man on the boat with me who had
1ot gone up town at all, and that desired that
20 should be turned loose. 10 accompany me
iazeil out Anteeedent to the shooting or
ny men, was warned that trouble was an
icipated. Did not witness the shooting, be-
ng on the boat ut the time 1t occurred.
Mr. y. Il. Cnrne5, the pilot OF the coal boat.
ays that after he was taken to the mayors
,tlice under arrest, and had testified the crowd
'egan to gather. They came In, ordered us
o take seats on benches Ia the back part OF
he room and asked our names. AS soon as
70 told our names the brother Of the marshal
rev his pistol and commenced firing. /
umped up and asked what was meant. and
attempted to escape. when ! was struck by
hree men, and the firing became general. L
umped down the stairway and escaped, and
,ot into boat on the levee used as q tin-sh0p.
nd then my. friends. citizens OF the town,
anne and took me out, and was afterward
protected by them. NV friends advised ms
o leave and | showed off with my boat, with
crew OF four men, aud arrived here this
norning. Three OF our men were wounded.,
ne died yesterday, one is expected to die to-
ay and the condition OF the other Is unknown.