St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1880-01-03

lail. l told them very well, To bring
their prisoner up, that WAS ready to re
ccive him. 4 man then rode mp with
prisoner behind him on horseback, tied
around TIE neck with a rope. l told
them 10 dismOunt the prisoner and turn
him over 70 me. and would receive him.
They then said that they wanted to see
the man locked up i'll Jail, and wished to
20 10 the jai! with NE. l told them that
1t WAS unnecessary; that l mad handled
q good many men, and that | could take
that man 10 Jail by myself and lock
him up.
The mob then commenced to talk, and
said that they had been to a great deal
OF trouble to catch the man, and that
they did not intend TO leave him until
they saw him locked up in Jail. They
then became hoisterous and used threats,
and at the same time, III defiant man
ner, cooked their pistols and shot guns
and leyeled them on me. L told them
tnat it was not necessary to use force !;
that was willing to do my duty, and
, that il they had prisoner l was per-
fectiy willing 10 receive him. Taay were
not satisfied with this, and, owing 10
their overwhelming numbers, forced me
TO so with them to the Jail.
Alter arriving ut the Jail, 1 unlocked
the front door leading into the ante
J room. went in and got a pair of
sLuckles, and again toll them 10 deliver
me the prisoner. By this time some tif-
teen or twenty of the mob hal dismount-
Ell, and one OF them walked up 70 me
with pistol in his hand, and layeling it
ut me, said: 'sWe want the keys of the
Jail, " as they wanted 20 take some men
ont Of jail. told him not to shoot me,
and for the third time informed him
that i would take charge OF his prisoner
and lock him mp.
i then informed him that : had no
keys with me except the keys to the up
per portion of the Jail, that the lower
portion Of the jail Was dungeon. that l
did not carry the keys with me, and even
if | had the keys | would not deliver
them to them. That ii they wanted any
body out OF tn. Jail they would have to
break it open. l told them that was
the sheriff Of the parish, and if I'd have
had amy idea that there was going to be
such an occurrence, they would have
certainly have had trouble could have
obtained the men. If | now had fifteen
men some of You would be killed before
you should take Il prisoner out OF that
Jail.
One Of the lynchers then spoke up
and said that they intended TO enter
that prison and get the prisoners out if
they had to set lire to the Jail.
About this time another of the crowd
came up and seized me by the arm and
remarked, I'VE mean business" and at
the same time called on his companions,
and rs they obeyed his orders and ep-
preached, they cooked their double bar
rel shot guns and presented at such
short range ut me that their barrels were
resting on me. AS some OF them were
very drunk. l was afraid they would
shoot me any way. This assault they
backed with threat to take my life I'M
less | surrendered them the keys OF the
dungeon.
Seeing no other alternative told them
that the keys were ut my house, and that
they would have to go and get them as
positively would not. They then forced
Mr.. Strader into service as a guide, and
driven along by six men armed with
double barrel shot guns, conveyed him
to my house. On arriving Mt my gate
Strader told them to stay outside and
that he would try and get the keys. Not
being satisfied with this, they entered
the house, and, with drawn pistols and
with cooked shotguns, levele1 them up
on the wife of the sheriff and demanded
the keys, with the threat that if she did
not comply with their request and give
up the keys they would fire the house.
The lady, under protest, surrendered
the KEYS During all this the mob had
me ut the prison under guard. On the
return Of the men with the keys. they
asked me to take the keys and unlock
the prison, watch I positively refused
70 do. They then forced Mr.. Strader to
try and open the jail He not being ac-
quainted with the locks, got the wrong
Key in the iirst lock. One of the crowd
kicked him and told him, by --, TO
hurry up and unlock that Jail.
They finally opened the doors of the
dungeon and took out six men. As soon
us the doors were open, they cried for
cords and rope, and shortly thereafter
the six prisoners were led out with their
hands bound.
They then locked the Jail, leaving the
one man III the dungeon.
Twenty men then rode up AMI took
charge Of the prisoners, going i'll the di-
ryction Of Duncan avenue. The balance
then followed IS they marched of.
As they were going OF, l asked them
what they were goins to do with the
prisoners. They said they were going
to take them u TGngipahoa TO try them,
where they had killed young Phillips.
l then said. "Remenber, two Of these
men are innocent" | then returned