St. Landry democrat., 1880-04-10
Important Arrest.
Lake Charles Echo, April sd. |


In 1871 John Sonnier was indicted in
st. Landry parish for the murder of an
old man named Prud'homme, and in
Calcasleu parish for the murder here
shortly afterwards, OF an old man named
Runnion. Both the victims were about
sixty years old. Soon afterwards
Sonnier disappeared, but visited st.
Landry in 1876, and narrowly escaping
arrest 10y Sheriff Duson, went to Texas,
with the avoweu Intention OF not
returning to Louisiana. Prud'homme
was Killed tor ciastlslns d little nephew
OF ounnler, WHO was living with
Pruu uumnIe. Runnlun was killed for
His money, his empty pocket book
uelns found near his body, blood
stained, Win two bullet holes through
1t. Soon after Runnlun's murder
oounler spent some money at a store,
incluuing suule bills, blood stained, and
Win notes IN tiittii. These bllls We're
afterwards told III and placed III Run
| niun 5 pocket uuok, and the lIults
,IIuuSU tnt: latter tAdtLiy curreopUuutu
Ai,n tue iiulcs III Inc bills.
Last Week =. Z. DusJll, sheriff OF
81. Aand,y parish, passed through Lake
tii,iies, going West. tie Is NOW rtturu-
ing 10 81. Ltuury with Joan Suuuler.
lie houston Telegram OF last Tues
| day gives all Interesting account Oh
| .obllnlti 5 arrest, Witch We cUliutiISt DIS
! loliuWS. Du>ou nrst Went 10 Houston,
! ANA Informing sneilH T.. Nj. NUUIe, OF
ildIris county, that lie Was alter Son
nlcr, and mat the latter was IN Brazorla
county, TEXTS, sheriff Noble ana one OF
MS deputies, named Faud, iiccOmpa-
| nltd sheriff DuSUu To the utiguDurnuUu
Nncre ounuier was employed under the
assumed name OF Jonu Miller, DIS d
| guard over some COnElctS Working on d
| plantation. Knowing that SOnnler, it
ne recognized Dusun, would reslt unto
death any attempt by the latter to
arrest him, it Was decided that the
arrest should be made by sheriff Noble
and his deputy, who were strangers to
Sonnler, and that III the meantime
DuSon should remain out OF sight.
| Finding Sonnier at a sugar house,
! Noble and FAINT levelled their pistols at
him aud demanded his surrender
Sonnier looked them straight in the
face, and replying quietly Don't kill
me gentlemen" attempted to draw
his pistol, which was snatched
from his belt by bystander
before he could reach it. knowing
nothing of Duson's presence in the
vicinity, Sonnier strenuously denied
being the man the Texas officers said
he was, and on being asked if he knew
Duson he said he did not. On being
confronted with, and recognized by,
| Duson, Sonnier at first denied knowing
him, but after awhile he acknowledged
that he did, and then begged Duson,
while conveying him to Jail in St. Lam
dry to protect him from lynch law.
The Houston Telegram describes
Sonnier as ga tall, dark complexioned
Frenchman, about six feet and one inch
high, square shouldered, fine form and
face, heavy moustache and thin chin
whiskers."
1t says also, "All the officers connec-
| ted with the arrest deserve the greatest
praise for their GOODNESS and judgement
Sonnier is desperate character, as was
shown by his movement to draw a
pistol when told to surrender, and when
all the odds were against him, and such
cases generally end in a killing"
A few years ago a reward Of five
hundred dollars was offered by the
Governor of Louisiana for Sonnier's
arrest for one of the above homcides.