The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-14

O00y.
1EIE ALARM GIVEN.
An old colored woman. whose duty is to
clean up the premises. came at the usual
early hour and knocked repeatedly at the
front door. Receiving no answer, she entered
san adjoining house, and climbing over the
fence, gained admittailce Into Meades yard.
Noticing the back door open, she advanced,
and an entering the bedroom saw the stark,
still and blood-besmeared body OF Meade
prone upon the floor, with the feet toward
the door. Horrihed. the woman fled to the
police station and related what she had seen.
THE INVESTIGATION.
Sergeant Pujol Immediately began an In
veetigati0n Or the body, of the house and Of
the yard, In order to discover some clue to
the mysterious murder Of Meade. The body
was. as already stated, lying upon the back,
with the feet toward the door. A pool q blood
around the head, more copiOus about the right
side Of the skull, showed that the death
wound had been inflicted Immediately behind
the right ear. The tangled mass OF hair and
congealed blood about the gaping fracture
Enthusiastically showed the work OF a sharp,
vide and cutting Instrument, probably a
Ratchet. The body WAS not touched until the
arrival Of the coroner. m.f
APPEARANCE or THE ROOMS.
The room In which Meade was killed was
used BY him IA bedroom. There everything
WAS In disorder; chests, trunks, bureaus
drawers-everything had been upset, ran
placed by the robbers Ia such position over
the window as to completely prevent any ray
Of light from the candles or lamps carried BY
the burglars to be observed from the outside
Every chink Of the door and walls had been
stopped up with old rags and pieces of news
paper, and even the doorsill was overlaid with
newspaper, 20 az to 1T III tight when the door
was closed. In the liquor-room the work OF
the robbers WAS found In the confused and
bottles. They had. In fact, made thorough
search through the house after killing Meade
The enclosure behind the house afforded the
investigators some surmtses as to the way In
which the devilish raiders obtained access to
the room OF the unfortunate Meade. They
Immediately in the rear 81 Meade's house.
for . step-ladder. with mud smeared rungs,
~ II by ascending feet. was observed against
the fence. Footprints were also visible In the
soft mud OF the yard. Two distinct impress
broad and long delineation Of = mans foot,
whilst the other betrayed the imprint either
OF boy or woman.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
Sergeant Pujol having telegraphed the par
tlCulRrs or the murder to Chief BOylan. Aids
Dave and Mike Hennessey were dispatched to
Algiers. The two detectives on their arrival
be0an thorough and searching Inquiry into
the antecedents, habits, disposition and char.
ACter Of Meade. and then made minute sur
vey Of the yard, the house the rooms and
their contents. Their Investigations, so far
posed actions OF the murtierers and burglars,
Tailed with Sergeant Pujol's account Of the
inquiry.
Dave and Mike Hennessey left the house,
and strolled about the streets OF Algiers for
course. was much excited about the murder,
and ct the street corners groups Of men and
women were talking about II. Whilat passing
ct the corner Of Patterson and Olivier, the
aids overheard an old cOlOred woman saying !:
"Uncle Jones was saving wood In his yard
this morning and he was saying all to him.
self, and speaking 90 that heard him, that
Nj. Meade had got his Ratchet and that was
the only Ratchet he would get. MY Ratchet
DID the work, said Uncle Jones, but did not
ON THE TRACK.
ssUncle Jones must be found" said Dave to
Mike. Lets find him." answered Mike.
Sure enough some old negro residing about
four blocks from Meades house was visited.
When he cav the detectives In front Of hts
rate he cried out to them from his porch: Il
know what We want" His wife-that Ia, the
woman who WAS with him, said: Fore de
Lord, gentlemen, husband has been IN bed
from o'clock last night to TO-" Now, the
conduct OF the two negroes, before even any
accusation had been made. or before the de-
,tectlves had stated the object OF their visit,
was to cay the least somewhat extraordinary
Jones was taken to the station by the de-
feCtives, but before incArceratiuR him they
brought him into Meade's yard. There a
Of his soles to the imprints left In
the yard In four or five different places showed
3 perfect concordance. Jones's pantaloons
were specked with small particles Of blood,
and his nervous demeanor when interrOgated
went far against him.
WIKI WAS JONES Arrested
Leaving aside the statement of the negro
woman, leaving aside the blood-besmeared
condition OF Jones's garments; 1t may not be
amiss to inquire why, circumstantially, Jones
seems to be the guilty party. In a few words,
thA reporter will attempt to show the relation
between Jones and Meade, and between Jones
and the murder. On Wednesday last Jones
entered Meades store and partook Of a few
drinks. He mad q Ratchet, which he left near
the water. cooler on the counter. At the hour
of closing Jones came aud asked Meade to
ret his Ratchet. Meade answered that he
would not give himself the trouble to open
the door for anybody. The negro went away
grumbllng, and since then never set his foot
In the saloon. He was heard to say, however,
that he would get even with Meade In some
way.