The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-10-13

ing near the middle of the lake which
was about sixty yards in breadth. 1t
was difficult to determine what it was,
but climbing into tree one of the par
ty could plainly discern the body below
the surface of the water, one ofthe arms
only being above it,. By ,wa.ling some
distance out the body wassreached. with
a long pole, and pulled ashore. 1t was.
taken to the house of Mr.. Morgan, and
as there Is no Coroner for the Parish
Mr.. j. r. Waters, the nearest magis-
trate, was called upon to hold an in
quest. Mr.. Waters received the sum-
mons abou. SHUTDOWN ON Tuesday, and
he proceeded at once to the residence of
Mr.. Morgan, reaching. there about S
o'clock pm.
Having obtained irons Mr. Morgansa
full statement of, all that had transpired
at his house on Sunday, Jury Of In
uuest was summoned from a number Of
citizens who were. present, and having
been duly impanefIed, they at once en-
tered upon their duties. All examina-
ton of the body disclosed the fact that
serious and perhaps fatal wounds had
been inflicted about the head and neck.
The discolorati0n of the face made it
clear that great violence had been used,
and a.number Of .stabs in the neck and
face, and other wounds inflicted by a
club or some heavy instrument, estab-
lished the fact that death had probably
resulted therefrom, or if not, that it
had been precipitated by drowning
The certificate of the physician who
made the post mortem examination, es-
tablishes the fact that outrage was add
ed to murder. ys So ..se
: The gravity and atrociousness Of such
a crime, rather combination of crimes,
in a civilized community, can never
find adequate punishment, and it can
not be too speedy. r.
Pending the action of the Jury of In
quest, a large number of citizens from
this Parish and Grant numbering fully
one hundred and twenty-five men, had
assembled at the residence Of Mr.. Nor
gan. AS soon as the investigation was
concluded and an affidavit made against
him, the accused was placed by the act
ing Coroner in the custody of a special
officer to be lodged in the Parish Jail,
at Alexandria. L.. :
Excitement which ran very high
against him, was so strongly developed
after Pineville was reached about night
fall, that he was taken by the citizens
from the custody of the officer who had
charge of him, and sometime after dark,
all being satisfied of his guilt, he was
lynched.
The outrage and murder doubtless
occurred at an early hour on Sunday
vuorn;or nrOhOh1v hotwoon oovnn on1
eight o'clock. All the circumstances
considered in the inquiry render it
almost certain that some inducement
had been offered by Champe to tile
child to meet him out of view from
the house, and that she had been taken
on the horse with him to what he con-
sidereda safe distance, whore he con.
eliminated his devilish designs, and
then sought to destroy the chances of
detection ba murder and secretion of
the body The feet and lower extrem-
tiles bore no marks or scratches what.
ever, such asmust have been made by
the briers and dense underbrush which
covered the ground, if she had gone on
foot for any distance. It is reasonably
certain that she was carried beyond the
Bayou, across the ford which lay with
in few feet of the road he had chosen,
and Immediately opposite to which the
body was found, and near the lake into
which it was thrown; the inumer-
GUS ravines, or the cover Of. the dense
thickets which shut in that lonely and
secluded recess in the woods, afforded,
as he thought, a safe theatre for such a
tragedy as he had prepared. x "a
| In order tllahthe mind of the public
may be disabused of any false state
ments as to the guilt of the wretch who
has paid with slife the penalty of his
terrible crime, we publish synopsis OF
the most important testimony .elicited
before the Jury of Inquest. This state
ment was prepared by the acting Coro.
ner, and is signed by the members oi
the Jury. -..i..g...
i