The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-08
MONKEY AS A WITNESS
His Evidence COnyicts Man
and Wife of Murder.
4 TRAGEDY OF THE MISSISSIPPI
III, H,S.AekermanWas az n shewmanWh ho TTas-
eIed with Dogs, Ponies. and Monkey IN
uou-eksaf AIens River-Man and wife
Helped Him-Aekerman Suddenly Disap.
peared. and Msn&ey's Dislike Tor Them
Led 10 Their Arrest and Conviction.

Louisiana has Just furnished sensa-
ton In jurisprudence that has never beer
equaled In modern history" said julius
McCreath, of New Orleans. TO Post re-
porter.
What do you think of monkey as
witness in a murder trial? on, that is
not all of it. for his testimony led to the
conviction of the man and woman charg-
ed with numbering his master The man
Will be hanged unless Gov. Foster inter
venes, and the woman has been sentene-
ed to the penitentiary for life. The evi-
Gence in the case was all purely circum-
stantial-except that given by the mon
key, for If ever an animal spoke that
monkey did.
1T is simply one more tragedy of the
old Mississippi. whose turgid waters have
been recdened more than once with
human blood. The story sounds more Ike
a narrative of the snte-bellum days Oh
the river, so repIete is it with incidents
reminding US of bygone times.
Perhaps You know that the house
boat has not quite disappeared from the
Mississippi. As a usual thing they start
iE below st. Louis, fitting out either at
lliAASs CollOs VI SOAslt OAiNi PD44iN hoN
too far from the scene of their opera
tions They are equipped with groceries.
provisions, small farming 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, stopping at ham
let's and houses on the banks, driving
shrewd bargains with the inhabitants.
who sometimes find the inland store too
far away, or TOO poorly stocked to get
what they want.
Sfeered by Oars AT Stern.
Sometimes a rude sail is holsted, when
ii is desired 10 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. 1t is wonderful to see the evolu-
tons the houseboat will perform when
the sweep is in the hand of an experience
ed river-man. These travelling emporiums
used to do a thriving business a good
many years ago, but lately the railroads
and other auxiliaries Of civilization have
forced them to the rear. 1t is very rare
thing to see one nowadays. They belong
to q 3ast epoch.
"A few months ago a man by the name
of II. n. Aekerman, more frequently
known as Bill Ackerman, came down the
river in one of these house-boats He
was a shreWd fellow, and had realized
that there was little profit in a mere
huckstering enterprise. His scow con-
tanned regular menagerie, consisting of
trlek ponies, performing dogs, a monkey,
ana merry-go-round. / have forgotten
where he came from, but he stopped at
every town and village along the Missis-
sippl, and he made money, for the coun-
Try people nave few amuSements, and al
most anything serves to furnish diver
sion for them.
AT one OF the landings, about 100 miles
above Baton Rouge, he picked I'D a man
and woman who gave the name of Starr,
claiming TO be man and wife Ackernan
said that he needed help in his show. and
agreed to give the pair a certain per-
centage OF the profits, the woman to do
the cooking and the man to help with
the performance. The trio led a sort of
Huckleberry Finn existence, going wher-
ever they desired, stopping to fish, and
tying up to the bank at night
People Were Delighted.
1T would be hard for the average per-
son to understand the attraction 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, AMI 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 theater. Acker-
mans show, with its merry-g -go--ound its
| ponies and dogs capable of performing
| Unheard-of tricks. set the rural denlzens
wild with delight p T. BaTnum's name
| would not have been one-half as great a
| talisman as that of Ackerman. He abso-
| lutely owned the community wherever he
| went.
1.-The prize of the whole coordination
| was Jocko, the monkey. Ponies and dogs
were ordinary domestic animals, out this
| Simian, with it's almost human face. was
something irresistible. Ii furnished the
| reople something 10 talk about for days
| 10 see him leap from his masters shoul-
| der, take off his cap, and make his tour
| of collection. Jocko was devoted TO Ack-
| erman, and was his constant companion
| Ackerman never left the boat without
| taking his pet with him, for Jocko would
| have been inconsolable in his masters ab-
sence The monkey had more fidelity
even than a dog, and was most intelli-
gent representative Of his species.
Disappearance Of Ackerman.
'.The houseboat continued down the
! river AMI its approach was Eeralded by
! word of mouth, for Aekerman depended
on a well-satisfied public as his advance
agent When the show left Devall;
! Landing in April Ackerman was with it
| but he lid not appear at the next stop
| The people asked for him, and Starr said
| that he had gone North on packet TO at
| tend 10 come business in Southern Hi
rois. Several people who had seen tbs
| show farther up the river came to see i
again, and they pursued their inquiries
which were met with contradictory replies
when 1t came to details. The actions o.
Starr AMI his wife grew more and more
suspicious. and an investigation was made
Finally the suspected pair were ar
rested b. the authorities Of West BatoI
Rouge Parish. In which DevalPs Landing
is located. The evidence was purely cir
cumstantial Ii Was true that AckermaI
had not been heard of since ne left tn,
landing on that April night. and he Ger
tainly had not arrived at Cairo, whittier
Starr sai1 that he was going. An a.
|
boat. Chips from the skin which wa
towed behind the craft and bush which
grew near the waters edge all OF whicl
had dark stains on them, were brough
for inspection. They were e2amined AM
analyzed by Prof. Dosson, OF Louisian;
State University. and he said that all o
them intending the ak. were smeared will
human blood.
Sixteen persons gave testimony at IN
trial. which took place during the montl
OF September Their evidence was damag
ing. but il practically proved nothing.
Avenged His Dead Master.
The main witness was the monkey
Had IL not been for hirn 1t Is doubtful
Starr and his wife would even have beel
arrested de showed a tremendous aver
sion 10 the couple. and would not aIIoy
therl 10 come rear him. He chatterel
and utterel shrlll cries whenever ne say
them He sometimes tugged furiously a
his chain and gnashed his teeth in imDo
J tent rage when they were in hls preseuef