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


and half unaccounted for, which,
when urged, he said he could not ac-
count for. By Mr.. and Mrs. Morgan's
statement, which was the most favor
able to him, but not so accurate or 80
positive as the time fixed by Miss Pend
ergast, he failed utterly to account for
II hours. At what hour was the
child first missedf Miss Pendergast
says at seven, or before and that pos
siLly she had been gone since six
o'clock. Mr. Morgan and his wife fixed
the hour she was was MISSED by them
from a half, tn a quarter past seven.
They could not say how long she had
been gone when first missed. The
preponderance of testimony deternin-
ed the. time as seven o'clock, or earl
err; in other words, as nearly as it will
ever be ascertained, abont the same
time that Champe himself left home.
The road he took lay for some dis
lance along the bank of Bayou Rigo-
lette, and the body Of the murdered
child was found within two hundred
yards of the road, on the opposite
side, Immediately across it, and near a
ford which he could have passed on
foot without getting his feet wet, the
only one at which it could be done
anywhere above Mr.. Morgan's place.
1t is not improbable that he had calcu-
lated against search on his track, and
thought that this lake, in that uafre-
quented place, beyond the bayou, of
fered the safest place of deposit for
the mangled remains of his victim
In reply to question l put to him he
said that lie did not think a dead body
would rise under nine days, and,
doubtless, he did not fear discovery
80 soon.
His conduct throughout the two
days search, and his failure to assist in
bringing the body to the house when
found, and the further fact that he did
not by his own statement, even look
at the body after it was brought home,
until the Jury of Inquest went into to
view it, and then only from outside
the door of the room in which it lay;
bis conflicting statements upon many
points, for one of his natural acute
ness, to say the least, were calculated
to arouse suspicion. There were no
men at the place on the night preced-
ing the murder except himself and Mr..
Morgan, and he alone left on that day.
The isolation of the place and the
early hour of the morning rendered it
extremely improbable that any one
from q distance could have been in the
neighborhood. Besides, it was shown
that the child never left the house to
visit any neighbors, as there were none
near. Without recurring to the mass
of facts and circumstances that were
considered in the deliberations of the
Jury, covering a considerable part OF
two days, the importance of account
ing for the balance of time against
him on that morning, was clearly and
forcibly pointed out to him, and which
he admitted was from one and half,
to two and half hours, he was only
able to say that he did not know how
it could be done even when. informed
that probably his life depended upon it.
A post mortem examination Of the
body was made by DR.. D. Du Pre-, in
the presence of the Jury, and after the
autopsy was completed, and his report
received, full aud impartial examina-
ton and investigation having been
made, the following verdict was rem.
dered, in accordance with the evidence
considered
VERDICT.
An inquisition taken for the State Of
Louisiana, near the Town of P:ueville
in the Parish of Rapides, on the sixth
day of October, in the year 1880, be.
fore James R. Waters, a Justice of the
Peace, and acting Coroner in and fol
the Parish of Rapides, upon view Of
the body Of Frances Rendon, there ly.
ing dead; the jurors whose names are
hereunto subscribed, having been duly
sworn to inquire, on behalf of the
State, wien, how, and by what means
the said Frances Rendon came to hel
death. upon their oaths do say that the
said Frapcis Rendon has come to he'
death from wounds inflicted about the
head by bludgeon or some heavy in,
strument. The said jurors further say
that. the said Frances Rendon has sus
tanned rape at the hands of her muir
derer, and from the evidence received
by said Jury of Inquest, to the best oil
their knowledge and belief, she wa
outraged and murdered by Champ,
Rendon, of this Parish, in the name
aforesaid, against the peace aud digni
ty of the State.
In testimony whereof the said Coro
ner and Jurors of this Inquest hav'
bereunto subscribed their names, tin
day and year aforesaid.
j. w. MOSELEY,
| STEHHEN VENESSE
JOSEPH PEOPLES,
JOHN GRAHAM,
JOSEPH SPOTTEN.
j. R. WATERS, .
Justice of the Peace and Acting Coro
ner of the Parish of Rapides.
DIR. Du PRES CERTIFICATE.
To James r. Waters, ESQ.,, Actin
Coroner ard Jury of Inquest :-TIl
post mortem examination of the bod
ofFrances Rendon on the 9th inst, re
vealed the following: Six 10y pune
tured wounds; three (3) on the right re
gion of the neck, posterior to the sur
gical line of the carotid artery and jug
ular vein; three (3) on the tempora
region-all superficial, wounding q
important vessel; and a contuse
wound of the same side where the TEN
poral bone unites with the frontal. T
have produced the latter, force mus
have been expended, either to hav
rendered the victim insensible or t
have destroyed life by conclusion {
the brain. If death was not immedi
ate it was rendered inevitable b
drowning. The examination of tn
genital organ developed recent lacera
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