The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-04-01

Oh IuO CuScs
FRANK D1NKGRAvE-s TESTIMONY
Frank Dinkgrave sworn on behalf
of the State says:
/ live in this parish 1 was man.
aging the place of Judge Ludeling in
this parish this year. On the morning
of the 18th March, 1881, about 8
o'clock, / sent two wagons over to the
Stubs place with instructions to
move family there-a woman and
boy-coming over to US. 1 further in
structed them that if they met with
any opposition to return with the
wagons Immediately. Between and
10 o'clock, the drivers returned and re-
ported that the wagons had been kept.
I asked the drivers where they had
left the wagons; they said, in the
road. L asked them if they would re.
turn with me to get the wagons one
said he. would, and he secured ano-
Their driver. Fred Ludeling accom-
panied me, and we started over on
our horses. In going through skirt
of woods between our place and
Stubbs's, I heard noise and thought
probably it was our wagons, and we
rode to an opening up the road to
where we could see. From there I
could see our wagons around the
house which contained the hands
which we sent for. We could also see
these men there. We rode up to them,
and as we did so we were on the left
hand side Of the road, aud two men
with guns on the opposite side of the
road came around back of us.
Istopped near the eldest Mr.. Mitch
ner and spoke to him and said, "Good
morning, gentlemen" He replied,
uGood morning. 1 remarked to him
that I had come over to see about my
wagons. He replied that he thought
he had given instructions that when /
wanted to send there again for hands
to let him know.
He then said, BY Cd, there are
your wagons, (pointfng to them,) and
said, we have cut them down. He
then proceeded to say that we had not
acted gentlemanly; and were Cd
id dogs, ETC., and SO on. told him
had not come there for any fuss.
Ludeling remarked, this must stop.
Mitchner was talking all the while
and attempted to say something else,
and he said, / AN not speaking to
you am talking to that smiling s-n
of a b-h, Ludeling. Ludeling then
told him you are another smiling s-n
of b-h, and Immediately after that
the shooting commenced by Mitchner
drawing his pistol and fred at Lude-
ling. That was the first shot. I then
drew mine and fred at Mitchner. I
was then shot through both arms i'm
mediately afterwards. My mule
wheeled around and that placed the
eldest Mitchner, Stubs and Brown be-
hind me. Ludeling's horse had also
turned and he was close enough on my
right for me to touch his horse, and
heard shot and he fell. My mule
was then frightened or shot, and ran
off. 1 was pursued about 100 yards by
one of the parties, kirkpatrick, who
was on foot. The mule carried me up
to Shultz's store where I fell off.
When rode up and spoke to Mitch
ner 1 rode upon one side of tho road,
on a levee, or path, and these two
men, kirkpatrick and the younger
Mitchner walked out on the opposite
side of the road. They We're all in a
space of 20 feet square, guess, when
first rode up; the Oldest Mitchner
was little to the left of me and had
to turn about half round on my horse
to talk to him. At one time crossed
my leg Oh my horse, and after the con-
had proceeded awhile, / put
my foot back in the stirrup. Ludeling
may have been smoking when we
came there I was not.
When first rode up saw five men.
They were not all armed when 1 saw
them at least 1 did not sec the arms
of part of them. 1 know all the men
who were present by sight +; know
some of them personally. The two
Mitchners, Linton Stubs, Brown and
Kirk patricE were the Onlv ones there