Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-11-06
A WOMAN KILLED WITH AN AXE
AND HER BODY STRIPPED
AND THROWN INTO
THE RIVER.
RECOVERY or THE BODY or THE VICTIM,
ARREST OF A. YOUNG MAN CHARGED
WITH HAVING COMMITTED
HE DEED. /

oihall tIaupiS pVao allo uel poof oh'o"h
into the river Z f.af
We proceeded to the Jail and were led
to the cell, where we found the accused,
q young man, lying down, wrapped in
some blankets, Upon being awakened
by the Deputy Sheriff, Mr.. Harvey Col
Inns, he replied to our inquiries, substan-
TALLY as follows, r-rs.r-.rr.
'My name is Alonzo Wells; l have
two brothers living in Bayou Sara,
where | have been residing for about
ten years. Have been working in the
swamps and at the coal yard at times. /
am % years of age and was born in Vir-
GINA. l took part in disturbance OF
the peace at Bayou Sara, the other day,
and afterwards embarked on the trad
ing boat, below the town. ! was in
liquor last evening, and made'ny way
aboard, where laid down and slept till
between - and / o'clock this morning,
when the Sheriff came and opened the
door for him, when he and others ar
rested me. l don't know anything about
what took place while | was asleep"
He accounted for several bruises as hav-
ing stumbled while drunk and his swol-
len hand by the tightness Of the hand
cuffs"
We proceeded with our investigation,
and gathered the following particulars:
On Friday evening, the owner of the,
trading boat, q man who gives his name
as w. +. Rounds, was drinking around
town and was finally reported to
the police as being drunk and disorderly
and as having tlourished revolver;
upon which information he was arrested
by Chief Hllllen and lodged i'll jail,
where q small revolver and some sixty
dollars in money were found upon his
person.
After Rounds had sobered up some,
in view of his representations that he
had his wife on board the boat, and that
he wanted to get back to her and make
preparations to sell some fish at market,
the next morning, after which he would
report to the Mayors office to answer to
the charge against him, Chief Hillen
concluded to release him at about the
hour of 7:30 o'clock p. II.
1t appears that Rounds went down to
the place where he had left his boat
moored, and found that it had 0isap-
peared. Suspectiug foul play he looked
mp the police and reported the circum-
stances. Thereupon Rounds made an
affidavit against Alonzo Wells, and o
warrant of arrest was placed in the hands
of Sheriff Bates, who with his accustom-
ed promptness and zeal, accompanied
by Administrator Of improvements, John
T. Powers and Chief Hillen, proceeded
to the river front where they soon dis
covered the boat lying against the bank,
united, at some little distance below the
place where Rounds had left it in the
evening. Sheriff Bates and his compan-
ions reaching the boat in skiff, knock
ed ct the cabin door, when after an in
terval of time, Alonzo Wells appeared
dressed in underelothes and was there
upon taken in custody. They found
q pair of boots, pair of trousers, a
pair of drawers, afterwards identified
as the property Of Wells, lying soak
ing wet, on the floor, showing stains OF
blood, in places. A shirt was found also,
covered with blood. The trunk and
other receptaCles had been broken open
indicating that an active search had
been made for some 5000 which were said
to have been on board. Though the
floors had evidently been washed, pools
of blood were discernible here and there;
astern of the boat where Annie Rounds,
the victim, had been dragged before
she was thrown intOthe river, there " az
great pool Of blood An axe stained
with blood was also found.
On Saturday morning, some young
men dragged the river and at last the
body Of the murdered woman was found
when Justice G. l.. Way acting Coroner,
was called to the spot.
A jury was summoned and the body
was then placed on the bank. 1t was
found to have been stripped of every.
thing save q leathern satehel containing
some $40 in silver, which was tied around
the victims waist. There were two
deep gashes across her forehead ant
another on the back of the head.
Iu addition to the above evidence be
fore the Coroner's jury, colored mar
! by the name of Lee testified that al
about o'clock, p. H., on the previou
evening, the accused passed him
on his way to the boat and tool