The weekly Thibodaux sentinel. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 1898-1905, 1900-02-17
A Celebrated Case,

the State vs.. X. w. Hammond, on
the charge Of being a suspicious
character, and of having committed
burglary in the town. As the crime
OF breaking and entering in the night.
time is one which is very seldom
committed here, and as there were
circumstances surrounding the prls.
Oner that were of an unusual charac
ter, a very large crowd attended the
preliminary trial, which. for con
venience was held at the court house.
The testimony of SIr. Il. w. Frost
was substantially, that Hammond
called on him at the store, and told
h'm that he was advised against
coming to Thibodaux. but that he
had found this nice, clean town and
had made up his mind to stay over
night Mr.. Frost identified a receipt
hook, a bill for lumber and .ome
blank checks as his properly, and as
having been taken from b,s Office at
the lumber yard. He said that his
office desk had been opened and his
papers all taken out and overhauled
by some one.
Mr.. Waterbury, sworn, said, that
on arriving at his Office, on the morn.
ing OF the second of February, be
noticed that the DIOR of his office had
been broken open, and on entering
the Office. he found that both of his
desks had been forcibly entered. He
found that some cancelled fore On
stamps, twenty five dollars in silver
and some cancelled checks aud q
nickIeplated dog collar had been
stolen. He identified the stamps, the
cancelled checks and the dog. collar,
in court, as his property.
The testimony. of Judge Tucker is
to the effect that he searched the
valise belonging to hammond, at
Schriever aud found in it the follow
ing articles A Ole, n chisei, q
screw driver, some stamps, few
checks, q macintosh coat, q dog
collar and some checks. These things
were turned over to MIR. Max Dupre,
BY Judge Tucker, and they were
brought to Thibodaux by Mr.. Dupre.
Mr.. Co'don Roger. the nigh
watchman Of the Thlbodaux aud
Lafourche Banks said, that on the
night of Feb first, he was standing
on the corner of Main and Green
Streets when the accused came up,
and seemed to be surprised to see
some one at the corner. He was
dressed in black macintosh, and
asked Mr.. Roger the way to the
stable Of Mr.. Lefort Mr.. Roger
accompanied him to the corner of
Green and Market Streets, and show
ed the accused the stable. The
latter went as far as the corner of
MarOnge and Market, and then turned
towards the Bayou and disappeared.
He did not 60 to the stable ut that
time.
Mr.. E. Larre stated, that on the
3lst of Jan. Hammond came 10 his
hotel, the Empire, and registered and
then took supper. He asked Mr..
Larre to wake him at IL o'clock that
night. At IL, Mr.. Larre went up to
the room No. II occupied by Ham.
mOnd, but fOuni it vacant. On
going into the room, rlr l.arre found
some padIocks aud an empty pistol
case and an envelope addressed to
MISS Louise Pitts. The next morning,
Hammond came to the hotel, handed
dollar to the porter for board and
lodging, aud left word that he would
return that night and occupy his
room. He did come % the hotel on
foot that evening, about halr au hour
cfter the arrival of the train, looked
over the register and asked if there
were any persons in the hotel from
Virginia. He asked for his things in
the room that he had engaged the
evening before, and on Mr.. Larre's
handing him the. locks, be put them
into his pocket He left the hotel
after this, and Mr.. Larre did not see
him any more until be saw him
under arrest.
Laura Tolliver, a chamber maid at
the Empire House tesufied, that on
the morning of the first of Feb. she
went to Room II, to clean up, and
found in it an auger, chisel aud a
large envelope.
Mr.. S. V. Traigle stated that the
accused came to his saloon On the
31>t of Jan. and asked him for the
privilege of going into the yard. He
said that the accused came back IN
about five minutes from the yard.
This was about $50 p. NJ. The
accused returned at about 730 and
said, that he had q team at the
stable, and was disappointed in not
getting some money which be was
expecting by mail, aud would be
obliged to Mr.. Traig!e if he would
buy his revolver from him, for two
dollars. Mr.. TraigIe paid him the
two dollars and the accused then
left On the morning Of the first of
Feb. MIR. Trsigle discover, from
several small holes in the panel Of