St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-25
THE HOsMER TRIAL.
VERDICT NOT GUILTY.

A iury was secured in the case Of
Charles Hosmer, Emile Beaucou-
draw and Charles Bradley, Jr., last
Saturday, and the indictments
against the tLree accused. charged
with lying in wait and shooting At
with intentent to commit murder,
were read.
The Judge then instructed tue
Jury, cautioning them as to The
course they must pursue in the case.
The Jury-Henry Galloway, Water
Pierce, w. H Fauntleroy. D. G. Faun-
tlerov, John B Thomas, George Fendia-
SON, Tom III Gallowa ny, Oscar Mitchell,
Vicotr Leblanc, c v Gusman, David
r.. Smith and j. L. Pickett.
Council for the State Duncan >
Kemp, District Attorney. assisted ny
Col George :. Dodds, Of New Orleans.
Counsel for the ense-Captain q
ID Henriques and Judge A. NJ. Aucoin'
Of New Orleans; b. VI. Miller, OF Gov
ington, and Gordan Goodby, OF FRANK
linton.
Everything was now in readiness
to start hearing the testimony Oh
the witnesses Tor the prosecution.
The defense witnesses were as
charged until Monday morning: al
8 O'Clock. A recess was then or
dered until 8 clock in the AFTER
noon. Promptly at that hour court
was reconvened, and when all VII
nesses had been removed from the
courtroom tue chief prosecuting
witness,
PAUL DULIoN,
was called to The stand and sworn.
He testified thst he knew the three
accused for the psst twenty years
q more He pointed them out
Hosmer. ut the time 1T the shooting,
Nov. 80 last. was saloon keeper IN
the town Of Cuvinyton. Beauc"u-
draw was his bartender: Bradle,
ran log teams with his brother,
both Of whom resided with Bradley,
ST.. on the turnpike road. about
four miles outside Of C"vington-
Al that time witness was town mar
shal and tax collector Of Covingtcn.
He also has q team for doing odd
Jobs. HIS duties AZ marshal are to
arrest all violators Of the ordinances
within the corporation limits. This
office lie has flied for the past
thirteen years.
Some time during last September
or October he arrested Hosmer for
swimming nude within the town
limits Subsequently Hosmer threat
ened him, saying: IN get even
with you for that"
1t was about III :15 on the night
OF Nov. 80 last the negro Owen
Swinson came TO the home OF wit
ness. Witness daughter, hearing
him, aroused her father. He got up,
took light. Swinson was on tue
gallery, he said that . gang OF regu-
laturs were down 70 his house after
hlmeelf and bic family. Witness
advised Swinson to 60 back home, a
those boye did not want TO hurt him
Swinson was thoroughly frightened,
but turned to go. When ht
reached the fence, some 80 feet from
the house, he returned and raped
at the door again, saying that maa
had jumped from behind tree. ask
ing, "shsll I shoot him!" Tie
daughter Of witness said that sue saw
man run from behind = tree in
front.
Witness went down with light,
and not being able to see anv one,
advised Swinson to 60 off home
The darkey begged that he be per
mitted 70 remain at witness house
that night, but was refused. He
then went off. When witness re-
turned to the house his daughter.
who is Il years Of age, was SO posi-
tive in her declaration that she had
seen = man run from behind tree
that he dressed himself and went
out into tie road.
When about l25 feet from bis
gate he saw five men walk out from
the shade Of an oak tree. Witness
walked towards them. They we're
masked so that their faces were
completely hidden. He over t"ok
two Of them. one OF wnom he recog-
nlzed to be Hosmer from his voice.
cauti.,niny witness to ''step- back,
step back, step back. The other
lie believed to be Beaucond.av, from
his stature.
When Hosmer cautioned witness
he fired, striking witness in the left
shoulder. A second bullet struck
his right arm, aud a third his RICH,
side, and came out from the back.
!. illness said, II know who you are
Charles L. Hosmer.
After witness had gone in his gate
To return to Ills house lie was fred
on again.
There was no material additional
information brought out on the
cruss-examinatlon by Captain Hen.
riques.
On the redirect, however, Mr..
Kemp brought on. new matter, tG
which Captain Henriques objected.
Dulion said that about year agt
II
Hosmer approached him, sayins
that the people Of Coving should
organize . band Of regulators "l
buIldnzeIs, TO keep the ringers
down. Witness refused. saving
that in this age IT civilization there
was no need of returning ID thai
sort OF business again.
On the cross examination of this
matter Captain Henriquez was par.
ticular TO emphasize TO w.,rC
again. used BY Dulinm.
| <. j. Pechon-;he next witness
testified that about year ago h.
occasionally slept in q room bach
OF Hosmer's saloon. He saw 1
number OF domino masks there in 1
bureau drawers, ot alOuS cnl0rs.
On crOss-eXaminaiion the witnes.
admitted that Hosmer at that tim,