The Portland daily press., 1899-11-27

"a few months ago a man By the
name OF II. N. Alderman, m re fire..
quently known ~ Bill AcksrmAn. csme
down the river In one OF these houssboatL
He was a shrewd fellow, ami had
realized that there was little profit in a
mere buckstering enterprise. His scow
cor tlined a regular menagerie. consisting
Of trick ponies, perform ing dogs. n men,
key, and a merry -go-round. have for
Rottsn whore he came from, bet he
stopped at every town aud village along
the Miss s'ipui, and he made money, for
t1e oour try people have few amussmerts,
and almot anything serves to furnish
diversion for them.
"At one of the landings about 100 miles
above Baton Rouge, he picked OPP man
and woman who gave the name cf starr.
claiming to bs man and wife. Acksr-
man said that be needed help 10 his
sho ". land agreed to give the pair certain
percentage of the profits, the woman to
tins performance. Tire trio led sort Of
Huckleberry Finn exist suce. going
wherever they desired, stopp ng to fish,
and tying mp to the bank ut night.
"It would be hard for the average per-
IN to understand the attraction such an
entertainment, pour at the best, would
have for the simple minded peopls who
live along the banks OF the stream. In
many cases railroad does not come
within 80 miles of them, and about the
only amusement they have ls t. watch
the steam packets Roirg up and down the
river. The majority Of them never saw a
cir Gus, aud few Of them have ever been
inside the smallest theater. Aokerman's
show, with Its merry-go-round, Its po-
nies and dogs capable Of performing I'M
hsard-of tricks set the rural denizens
wild with delight. =. L. Barnum's
name would have not been one-nslf as
Sreat q taIisman as that OF Alderman.
He absolutely owned the com IN unity
wherever be went.
1.-THE prize Of the whole com bination
WI Jocko, the monkey. Ponies and
dogs were ordinary domestic animals.
bat this simiap, with Its almost. human
face, WAS something irresistible. 1t fur
nishsd the people SON ething TO talk about
for DAYS to see him leap from his masters
shoulder, take of bis cap, and make his
tour Of collection. Jocko wac devoted to
Aoksrm an, and was his constant COM
panion. Alderman never left the boat
without taking his pet with him, for
Jocko would have been inconkoIable In
his ma ser absence. The monkey had
more fidelity even than dog. ard wss "a
most Intelligent representative Of his spe-
Giles.
"Ihs housshoat continued down the
river and its approach was heraided by
on a well-sstished public as his advance
agent. When the show left DevalFs
Landing In April Alderman WAS with it,
but he did not APP ear at the next stop.
The people asked for him, and starr said
that he had gone North on a packet to at
tend to some business In Illinois. Sever
nj people who had see the show farther
up the river came to see 1t again, and
they pursued their inquiries, which were
met with contradictory replies when IL
came TO details. The actions of Starr
and his wife grew NOR and more snspic-
ious, and an Investigation WAS made
"Binally the suspected pair were ar
rested by the authorities Of West Baton
RouRs parish, in which Devall's Landing ID
located. The evidence was purely oircum
stantIal. 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 AZ with blood on 1t Was found
IN the housebost. CHRIS from the skiff
which was towed behind the craft and
a bush which grew near the wsters edge,
all of which had dark stains on them,
were brought for inspection. They were
examined and analysed by Prof Dos
sou of Louisiana state university, and he
said that all of them. including the AK.
were snieared with human blood.
"sixteen persons gave testimony at the
tIisl, which took place during tbs month
of September. Their evidence WAS dam
aging but II practically proved nothing.
"The main witness was the monkey.
Had Il not been for him, 10 Is doubtful
IL Starr and his wife would even have
been arrested. He showed tremendous
aversion to the couple, and would not al
low them to come near him. He chat
teIsu and uttered shrill cries whenever
he saw them. He sometimes tugged fu-
riously at his chain and CRASHED mis- teeth
In impotent rage when they were in
his pre- enoe. Knowing the love Jooko
had for Alderman, the officials con-
sidered that his actions had the greatest
Significance, and some oven averrsd that
he had been q witness OF the crime
ITO cap the climax Of this stra nge pro-
cseding, the monkey was locked up in q
cell at she parish jail the same as hui
man witness. He was kept there until
the trial came of, and no one who YVES
present at that time hesitates to say that
his was the testimony that placed the
moose around Starr s neck and eondemnd
his female aocompllce to life term in
prison The poor little bruts, handicapped
by reason OF his dumbness, did not fall
to Agenge his master. lie was broug hit
into the COURTROOM, dressed in his scarie
ooat and cap. just as when he used tot
make tie rounds taking pennies from
| tho spectators in the show days on ths
river. It3was all the sheriff could Go to
restrain him frcm leaping on starr and
his wife AS soon rs his little eyes rested on
them.
'.These actions decided the case. The
Jury listened to the arguments of TIE
coun u for both sides until late at night,
and went to their room for the night. They
surprised all by returning q verdict Of
guilty as charged within few min
utes. The judge convened the court on
the following day and pronounced SEN
tsnce. The man was sentenced to BE-
hanged. ami the woman was given life
term in tie psnitentiary.
"A son-lu-law of Alderman came
down from the North TO Gtteud the trial,
aud the estate of the murdered man was
taken In charge by the probate court
The merry -go-round. the dogs. ponies,
and the faithful monkey were disposed OF
at auction. l believe that Alderman S
son i in LAW got the little fellow, but am
not certain Of that. 1t seems rather
strange that SO remarkable u case should
have attrac ted so little attention through
out the country." =