The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-03-24

vile. that was very sorry 10 hear y,
and had been sent down to Investigate
the matter. The old lady put an oar IN
the lock at this moment, and begged
her to allow me to finish, She closed her
mouth with . snap and folded her
hands across her lap in a gentle spirit
of resignation. impressed upon Lat,d
that he was dealing with the United
States government, that he had an in
tcresting family and farm wortl,
thirty Thousand dollars; that he could
not afford to resist the government. /
the deputy marshal with me. but that
II he intended to resist would return
and secure a force that would execute
the law. ] explained that Capt. Nor
vile had been very clever. He had a,,-
thoritv to hare arrested his two sons
worth all of six hu ndrcG dollars.
The old man said: esquire, you're a
slick one. Do your do. ] reckon wo
can't help ourselves. but II yon had
ave come will, a crowd ~Se had made
up our mind to clean you up off the
face of the earth"
He sent his son wit h me and we made
an invoice Of his stock, machinery. etc
! locked the door, and, accompanied by
tho two officers. returned to the house.
The entire party scowietl at Norville,
but never said word. The guns had
been depo sitcd In the parior on a six
hundred dollar piano, as subsequently
ascertaincd.
I asked If he would act as custodian
of the property. This surprised him. l
asked il lac could make 4 bond in double
the value of tho property I had seized,
conditioned upon its being forthcom-
ing upon the order OF the United States
court.
''Vhat:" he said, leave my own
property with lnc?''
I explained that the property seized
belonged to Latld & Sons, and that
would leave it with Ladd. s'r. knew
enough about the business to know
TALLY worked up that must be finished.
I gave hiEa authority to do this. This
arrange mcnt virtually left things as
they were. only he could make no sales
lie s1gncd the papers aud v.as evident
]y in Il fine humur. then notified him
that the marshal had search arrant,
and he and Mr. Norvil.e would have to
search the house for nns,ampc,l to-
bacco. He jumped ny, started 10 Nor
Vile. who was sitting on the opposite
side Of the fire r lace. and said he would
die before the scountlrcl should make
search. Ncrville had his fort y-four III
his grip sack in his lap. with his hand
on it ready to use. The marshal was
SO indiscrect as to clrn w his, while tho
boys started toward the parlor. I
knew there was DANGER of the
officers shooting the old man. fol-
lo"c;! them in in time to sec then, get
their guns from the top OF tho piano.
Hastily closing the door and putting
my back against it, I asked them if
they were fools.
Suppose said ], you kill thes.
two mcn aud myself as to- that. can
you kill all tho men in the natirn?''
''Fut." said the oldest. I've " i'll not
haze our father insultct!."
J ordered them to pnt their guns back
and pledged them that their father
should not be insulted.
"Isut they shall not search tn S house"
Then You arc gong to resist he
law. You arc going to force TO
summon posse, arrest you all, search
the house, tear up your factory and
ruin your father. That's your game. is
it? Put your guns down, quit acting
the fool, and You and Will make tho
search and Norvillc will remain where
he is
This compromise was accepted
searched the house. found some Nm
stamped tobacco and left.
When court came on the matter was
compromised by the old gent lcr1aar's
paying all the costs. a small fin. and
promising to be more circnnlsHect in
the future. It was afterward a.ccr-
tanned that Capt. Norville, being n
and an old friend. Nr.
Ladd thought he ought not to have on
forced the law against him. lobe
Dcmncrnt