The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-08-28
Attempt to Assassin
ate Col. Louis
Stirling.
He Escapes With A Scalp
Wound. Five Arrested
On Suspicion.


greatest excitement Thursday morning,
by the intelligence, that passed as it We're |
on the wings of the wiud, that an attempt
to assassinate Col. Louis Stirling had been
made the previous night.
According to his usual habit, Col. Str
ling was sitting in his bed room, at his
plantation home, Wakefield, ten 'mies
from town, reading, and about half past
ten o'clock, he was fired upon Ivy some one
from behind his chair. The shot Was
fired over the top of the chair, or between
! tho upper round and the top, and grazol
the crown of his head inflcting only u
scalp wound, which however .hled pro-,
! fnsely, and ut FIRST was rather alarming.
The person shooting .mnst have been Sc
cretel in tho room, and fired from directly
behind tho chair, as shot from the win
dow would have disturbed the mosquito
bar of his bed. This WAS the more easily
done as Col. Stirling is somewhat deaf
The man n,lds his escape without being
seen, though there were prints OF bere
foot on the front gallery showing he had
made his exit il, that direction. The house
hold and neiShborhood were aroused, and
the sheriff was sent for and he responded,
accompanied by l.. p. Kilbourne, followed
later by others from town and elsewhere
Tho sheriff telegr,phed to sheriff Young Of
East Baton Rouge for bloodlounds, who
brought them up promptly Oh tho tug,
arriving at 1880 y. H., Thursday. lie was
accompanied by deputies Miller and Net
tervillc. The three bloolhounls were put
to the test, but tho trail was too cold,
being sixteen hours old, and nothing
could be learned from them. Five colored
men, Virgil and Noltaire Stirling, Ed.
Lilly, Chris Burch and Levi Reynolds, all
living OH Wakefield plantation were ar
rested on suspicion, brought to town and
lodged in Jail.
A large number Of gentlemen from all
parts of the parish conSregated at Wake
field during the day, and many of these
escorted the prisoners to town.
Col. Stirling suffers very little incon-
venience from his wound, and was as &C
:, tive and well as usual on Thursday He
wished no violence done the prisoners,
but only to have the law take its course.
Robbery was possibly the motive for the
crime, as No was known to have a large
sum of money on hand to pay off some
labor for his gin. Otherwise, he is moi
:, known to have an enemy ri the world
= being highly esteemed by both white ant
black. Iii fact, ainostany one thatcoud be
mentioned would be in popular opinion, :
more likely subject for assassination thar
:, Col. Stirling. Though 70 years OF age, his
- natural vigor, so little impaired bv ago
may lee best illustrated by the readiness
with which he rallied from the shock
treating the matter as not worth the ex
ctcueht shown by his friends. and on
:, with which llo was q,lite"ab to cop
:. should there be further developments. l
should crafty him to know, however
that every one was reused and ready il
his behalf at the mere intimation Of dan
IS ger to him.
No doubt the would-be assassin was on
to well acquainted with tie premises an
~ accustomed to being seen about them, a
n the pointer dog in the room took no1'otlc
i. to tho intruder. The weapon used wa
70 probably of So calibre, as a dent in til
70 wall corresponds with such u bullet.