The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-05-26
RATHER DIE

Than Give Up-Sheriff Broussare,
and Deputy Mestayer Com.
PEELED to Kill A Negro.
The killing of the negro, Henry
Jones, in Iberia parish last Sunday,
has rid society of dangerous
character, we'll known in Lafayette.
1t will be remembered that he made
a brutal assault upon Mr.. B. Falk.
without any provccation, and when
Sheriff Broussard arrested him for
that offense he made a motion to
draw a weapon, but fortunately the
sheriff covered him with his pistol.
The crime which has cost him
his life was one of the blacklist and
most revolving ever committed in
this part of the state and had he
been caught by the citizens of
Lake Charles it is almost certain
that he would have been lynched.
His victim, little girl of IL years,
of very respectable parents, was
taking an evening walk with her
carried her away into the woods
and there accomplished his purpose.
Knowing the country we'll he sue
ceeded to escape and avoided ar
rest up to last Sunday.
The facts were telegraphed to all
parts of the State. Our plucky
sheriff, Ike Broussard, knew the
ravisher and suspected that he
would visit his old home here.
With his usual vim and persever-
ance, the sheriff watched for his
man day and night and heard that
he had been in Lafayette, and had
left for parts unknown; but the
vieilant officer did not stop search
ing for his man, and soon located
him in Iberia parish, and in COM
pany with Deputy H. Billaud, he
left for that parish, Saturday evening
taking with him his trusty winches-
ter as he knew full we'll that Jones
would resist any attempt to bring
him to Lake Charles where certain
death awaited him.
When the sheriff and his deputy
reached New Iberia. they were
joined by Deputy Sheriff Mestayer.
The following account of the cap
ture of the criminal and his subse-.
quent killing is taken from the New
Iberia correspondent to the Times
Democrat of Monday:
Yesterday Sheriff Broussard obtained in
formation that Jones was in this vicinity,
and together with Deputy Mestayer located
him south of here, near David's switch, on
the Iberia and Vermilion Railroad, thinly
settled village in the edge of Petite Anse
and found the cabin where Jones had been
hiding vacant, and after waiting there
several hours negro named Johnson came,
evidently to see if the coast was clear, and
upon seeing the officers attempted to run,
but was captured, and told the officers that
Jones was at a ball near by. They fastened
to the cabin where the ball was in progress
and saw Jones sitting at table playing
reach, was a double-barrel shotgun that he
had taken with him. Deputy Mestayer,
whom Jones did not know, entered the room
and covering Jones with his pistol asked
that he was Jones, but when Seerif Brous-
sard, whom he knew we'll, entered, the
negro grew desperate and attempted to get
his gun, when Mestayer closed in him
and fearful struggle took place, both
being powerful men. Finally Mestayer got
the negro outside of the cabin and the
struggle was renewed. The negro had the
revolver by the barrel. attempting to wrest
it from Mestayer, and just as he was success
full Mestayer pulled the trigger. The ball
hit the negro's head, parted the hair in the
middle, but did not enter the skull. Brous-
sard then seeing Mestayer's life in danger
shot the negro in the left breast with a
winchester rifle. Still the negro refused to
surrender, and said that he would either
die himself or kill them. He then at
tempted to get back into the cabin to his
gun, when both officers fired, and then
Jones fell with three balls in his breast and
died in a few minutes. His body was
brought to town and post nortem ex-
animation held by Coroner Burgess. The
coroner's jury, after hearing the evidence,
exonerated the officers.
rOmOrrOw'S Excursion.
The excursion to Thibodeaux to-
morrow will no doubt be largely