New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1899-12-09
A Monkey Convicts a Murderer.
In. q. States. Dec. 5. !

With the final judgement render
ed yesterday in the State Supreme
Court in the "famous" Starr case,
interest is revived in what has be-
come familiar all over the country
as the "Louisiana Monkey case.
This pseudonym became attached
to the case for the reason that when
the trial of the Stars, in which
Kit Starr and the woman who
claimed to be his wife, Mamie
Starr, charged with the murder of
a houseboat Snowman by the name
of H. n. Aldermen, was first heard
before a jury in West Baton Rouge
parish during the month of Septem-
Der, last year, it was alleged that
the principal witness was monkey.
Yesterday the supreme Court af-
firmed the judgment of the District
Court and now Kit Starr must
hang and the woman must 90 to
the penitentiary for life.
Perhaps the story of this inter
esting case could not be better told
than it was by one Of Louisiana S
most prominent citizens, who while
in Washington few weeks ago,
gave an account of it to a represen-
tative Of the Washington Post, in
the shape of the following story
that has since been going the
rounds of the press Of the entire
country pretty generally. The
States doesn't vouch for the story,
but it is interesting enough to re-
produce:
"Louisiana has just furnished
a sensation in jurisprudence that
has never been equalled in modern
history said julius McGreath, of
Louisiana. "What do you think
of a monkey as witness in a mur-
der trial' Oh, that is not all of it,
for his testimony led to the convic-
tion of the man and woman charged
with numbering his master. The
man will be hanged unless Cover
nor Foster intervehes or the Su-
preme Court Of the State reverses
the judgmont Of sirc eriaf conf !,
and the woman will be sentenced
to the penitentiary for life. The
evidence in the case was all purely
circumstantial-except that given
by the monkey, for if ever an ami
NAL spoke that monkey did.
1t is simply one more tragedy
of the old Mississippi, whose tur-
gid waters have been reddened
more than once with human blood.
The story sounds more like a mar
rative of the e-bellum days on
the river, SO replete is it with in
cidents reminding US of bygone
times.
Perhaps you know that the
houseboat has not quite disappear
ed from the Mississippi. AS a
usual thing they start in below st.
Louis, fitting out either at Memphis,
Cairo, or some other point not too
far from the scene of their opera
tions. They are equipped with
groceries, provisions, small farm
ing implements, notions, calico
prints, in fact everything which one
would expect to find in the stock
of country store. They drift
down the current of the river stop.
ping at hamlets and houses on the
banks, driving shrewd bargains
with the inhabitants, who some.
times find the inland store too fal
away, or too poorly stocked to gel
what they want.
Sometimes rude sail is hoisted
when it is desired to cross the river
but this is not often done. The
tub-like craft is steered and half
propelled by means Of long sweeps
or clumsy oars, from the stern. II
is wonderful to see the evolutions
the houseboat will perform when
the sweep is in the hands of an ex'
perienced riverman. These travel
ling emporiums used to do a trivine
business a good many years ago
but lately the railroads and othel
auxiliaries of civilization have
forced them to the rear. 1t is 9
very rare thing to see one now
adays. They belong to a pas
epoch.
"a few months ago man BY
the name of H. N. Ackerman, more
generally known as Bill Alderman
came down the river in one Of these
houseboats. He was a shrewd fel
low, and had realized that ther'
was little profit in a mere huckster
ing enterprise. His scow contained
regular menagerie, consisting O.
trick ponies, performing dogs,
monkey and a merry-go-round.
have forgotten where he came from
but he stopped at every town ant
village along the Mississippi, ant
he made money, for the countr.
L.-. g., ~-~co~rn~<c an