The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-06-20
CUTHBERT JONES.
Another Thrilling Chapter EIH
tIle Louisiana Vendetta.

A Washington dispatch of the 7th
inst. says, the attack on Cuthbert
Jones, of Louisiana, who is thought
to be booked for the Callao consul
ship, has drawn out statement in
his behalf. The story is this
Nearly half century ago there
lived in the parish of CatahonIa, two
planters, the first named Jones and the
other LiddelI. They owned nearly
the entire valuable portion of the
parish between them. A difference
of opinion occurred between them that
ended in a pistol-and-knife fight. in
which Mr.. Jones was badly wounded.
The fcud grew until nearly every
planter on the Black and Ouachita
rivers either in sentiment or in person
were on one side or the other.
Early in January, 1870, Gen. st.
John Liddell, who was a welI-known
Confederate brigade and division
commander was killed on board the
steamer St. Mary's, at landing on
Black river, by Mr.. Jones, who at the
time happened to be accompanied by
his two sons, the younger one, Cuth-
bert Jones, being about l6 or II
years of age.
They were all Immediately arrested,
and while at Harrisonburg, the parish
seat, awaiting legal action, party of
Han TfJIoIlIs f,snnJs sooI, A. Io,o,,
father and eldest son-from the
Sheriff who had them in custody, and
shot them to death. AS they had
been disarmed, they could make no
effective resistance.
CuthbeTt Jones escaped as by a
miracle. He was in a room in the
second story of the building, and soon
the avengers came to his hiding place.
To leap from the window he would |
dash to pieces below, and to remain
meant death in moment more Along |
side the lower window-sill there was a |
ledge just wide enough to get fair
finger grip. Having been at a school
IN Germany, Cuthbert Jones was a
fair gymast for his age. The window
was open. While bis hunters were
breaking in the door, he lightly drop
ped out of the window. Swinging |
down at arms length, and moving |
two OF three feet to the right, he was
out of sight, and hanging so feet in
the air.
He heard the door give way, and in
the furious crowd rushed. They i'm
saw the open window and
concluded that he had somehow es-
capped that way. Fortunately the
night was Pitchy dark, of a blaekness
never seen, except in the far South,
and the pine torches only made the
immediate darkness bIacker, and so he
was unseen. How he kept his hold
10 long he hardly knows. But when
ne heard the last of the crowd de-
'cending the stairs he moved back,
md, by an awful effort, got hold of
he window sill and drew himself in
iide and fell on the floor. Twelve
ives were sacrificed before the ven
letta closed. Cnthbert Jones served
IS consul to TriPoli by appointment
rom Gen. Grant.
CONFIRMING THE ABOVE,
n 0. City Item.
A gentleman, former resident of the
,arish Of Catahoula, and now an in
luential citizen and merchant of New
was intimately connected
With the tragic occurrences of the
,ear 1870, the result Of the Liddell
Iones feud, The Item called upon the
who consented to give q
al statement with The reservation
hat bis name should not be mentioned,
,ut be will stand the responsibility Of
he publication.
"The account in yesterdays Ltem,'
aid he, pgiyiDg the romance Of Gntl-
,ert Jones is correct ! was . resi-
lent Of the parish and knew both fam
lies we'll Mr. Jones and bis two sons
yere brought 10 HarrisonbnFg by the
herif, who, fearing that the prisoners
would be taken from jail and lypched,
,laced them in custody of His own
amily, 10 q house belonging 10, end
occupied BY Mrs. sargeapts bis mother
n-law.
At DEAD or EIeHE
I was, remember well, on 3 Sunday, I
be avengers came to the house and