New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1899-12-09


fish, and tying up to the bank at
night.
at would be hard for the aver
age person to understand the attrac
ton such an entertainment, poor at
the best, would have for the simple
minded people who live along the
banks of the stream. In many
cases a railroad does not come
within fifty miles of them, and
about the only amusement they
have is to watch the steam packets
going up and down the river. The
majority of them never saw circus,
and few of them have ever been
inside the smallest theatre. Acker-
mans show, with its merry 60
round it's ponies and dogs capable
of performing unheard of tricks,
set the rural denizens wild with
delight. ?. Il. Barnum's name
would not have been One-half
as great talisman as that of Acker-
man. He absolutely owned the
community wherever he went.
"The prize of the whole combin-
alton was Jocko, the monkey.
Ponies and dogs were ordinary
domestic animals, but this simian,
with it's almost human face, was
smething irresistible. 1t furnished
the people something to talk about
for days to see him leap from his
masters shoulder, take off his cap,
and make his tour of collection.
Jocko was devoted to Ackerman,
and was his constant companion.
Alderman never left the boat with
out taking his pet with him, for
Jocko would have been inconsolable
in his masters absence. The
monkey had more fidelity even
than a dog, and was most intelli-
gent representative of his species.
'.The houseboat continued down
Elhe-..ss1z;S ;Ssse-.---sAn1 N -sp,s clssvmas
heralded by word of mouth, for
Ackermau depended on well-satis-
fed public as his advance agent.
When the show left Devall's Land
ing in April Ackerman was with it,
but he did not appear at the next
stop. The people asked for him,
and Starr said that he had gone
North on packet to attend to some
business in Southern Illinois.
Several people who had seen the
show farther up the river came to
see it again, and they pursued their
inquiries which were met with con-
Trajectory replies when it came to
details. The actions of Starr and
his wife grew more and more sus-
picious, and an investigation was
made.
"Finally the suspected pair were
arrested by the authorities Of West
Baton Rouge parish, in which
DevalPs Landing is located. The
evidence was purely circumstantial.
1t was true that Ackerman had not
been heard of since he left the
landing on that April night, and he
certainly had not arrived at Cairo,
whittier Starr said that he was
going. An axe with blood on it
was found in the houseboat. Chips
from the skiff which was towed
behind the craft and a bush which
grew near the waters edge, all of
which had dark stains on them,
were brought for inspection. They
were examined and analyzed by
Prof. Dosson, of Louisiana State
University, and he said that all of
them including the axe were
smeared with human blood.
"Sixteen persons gave testimony
at the trial, which took place during
the month of September. Their
evidence was damaging but it prac-
tically proved nothing.
"The main witness was the
monkey. Had it not been for him
it is doubtful if Starr and his wife
would even have been arrested. He
showed tremendous aversion to
the couple, and would not allow
them to come near him. He chat.
tered and uttered shrill cries when
ever he saw them. He sometimes
tugged furiously at his chain and
gnashed his teeth in impotent rage
when they were in his presence
Knowing the love Jocko had fol
Ackerman, the officials considered
that his actions had the greatest
significance and some even averred
that he had been q witness Of thu
crime.
"To cap the climax of his strange
proceeding, the monkey was locket
up in cell at the parish Jail tn
same as q human witness. He wa
kept there until the trial came of
and no one who was present at tina