St. Landry democrat., 1881-09-03
Riot i'm POinte COupee.
THE KILLING OF l.. I. CHENNERT
AND SERIOUS WOUNDING
OF JOSEPH GARON.
[Pointe Coupee Banner, Aug. GOTH

| O'CLOCK saturday night, MI. IL. L. Cutu-
vert had been killed, Joseph Garon
seriously wounded, and several other
whites fired on by crowd of desperate
negroes, After eagerly searching for
the particulars, we ascertained the fol-
lowing facts:
On Saturday evening, the 18th inst,
party Of young ladies and gentlemen
| had gathered at the residence of Mrs.
j. B. Garon, on False River, where they
were to have a night gumbo and where
they spent the evening in pleasant
| amusement and it seems that the ne
groes of upper False River had chosen
the same night to have a ball in the
building formerly used as negro
school house which is about one hundred
feet from the residence of Mrs. Garon
and situated on premises at present oc-
cupied by Mr.. David johnson (white,)
Mr.. JohnsOn's residence being about
forty feet from the school house and
on the opposite side from Mrs. Garons.
Mr.. Chenvert and two other gentlemen
| to Mr.. Johnson's during the night, be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock, when
the party at Mrs. Garon's was about to
break up some of the negroes at the
ball began a fuss and loud cursing
whereupon Mr.. Johnson, Mr.. Chenvert
aud the other two or three who were
with them walked over, and Mr.. John
son said to the negroes that he had only
consented for them to have their ball
there on condition that everything was
to be conducted IN an orderly and quiet
manner, and that if they could not be-
have themselves they would have to
quit the premises. After this there
was apparent quiet for moment, the
few whites remaining standing on the
opposite side of the road from the
school house, and crowd of negroes
Just in front of the building on the
narrow plot of ground between it and
the road, the negroes being in cOnsulta-
ton among themselves in a subdued
tone, when suddenly one of the negroes
fred his pistol in the air, and voice
was heard crying come quick boys
let's crowd them and give them hell
when the crowd of negroes opened a
terrific and indiscriminate fire on the
whites. Mr.. johnson being the only
pistol, which Mr.. Chenvert grabbed
from him and returned the fire of the
negroes by one shot, which he had no
sooner done than he fell dead, he being
shot through the heart by large sized
bullet. As Chenvert fell, one of the
gentlemen present cried out for God
sake, johnson, get your gun, and Mr..
johnson ran for his house, as he did so
the whole fire of the negroes was
turned upon him, but fortunately he
escaped without injury, although the
fence near his gate was badly splintered
by the flying and murderous balls.
About the time Mr.. johnson ran for
his gun, young Joseph Garon, a youth,
about Is years Of age, who was at his
mothers, hearing what was going on,
picked up his pistol and ran out to the
rescue but as soon as he came in sight
the fire of the negroes was turned upon
him and he fell from ball through the
thigh, he rose, however, and returned
the fire of the negroes, and then seeing
the disadvantage under which he was
placed, tried to get over the fence on
the roadside so as to fight under cover.
but as he got on to the fence he received
another ball under the shoulder blade
which completely disabled him, he fall
ing on the field side, and as soon as he
did so johnson came out with his
with No. Z shot, and fired first one bar
rel and then the other into the crowd
of negroes, when they scattered and
dispersed in every direction.
Several of the negroes were slightly
wounded by bird shot, and one was
wounded by ball in the flesh covering
of the abdomen. AS the news spread
on Sunday a large crowd gathered in
New Road by Sunday afternoon, every
one being anxious to take the necessary
steps to catch and punish the assassins;
but it was with great difficulty that in
formation could be obtained as to who
were the negroes that participated in
the affair, it being evident that there
were at least fifteen or twenty of them,
as they had fired between fifty and
hundred shots. AS soon as sufficient
information was obtained, squads
started in every direction in search of
the guilty, and up to the present writ
ing sixteen negroes have been brought
to jail as implicated in the affair, and
there are some four Or five of the most
guilty still at large, several Of them
supposed to have escaped from the
parish. OF those arrested some were
bitches and other out-of- the-way places.
At this hour of writing, o'clock P. NJ,
Friday, a. preliminary examination of
those arrested is being neld before
Judge Yoist at the court house, and
what will be the result we cannot pre-
dict; but it is certain that there is a
fixed determination on the part of the
white population that the guilty shall
not escape full measure of punishment.
The stores are all closed and business
suspended.
Since writing the above Judge Yoist
has, at 3 o'clock P. NJ, ordered all those
who were arrested to be discharged
from custody with the exception of
Val Dorval and Leopold Polite, who
are ordered to answer the charge of
murder.
Is TT PossIBLE.-That a remedy made |
of such common, simple plants as Hops,
Buchu, Mandrake, Dandelion, &C.,