The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-15


at the Matthews home in this
city, the truth when told, or the facts
when narrated as obtained, are sufficient
ly sensational, blood -curdling and alb
horrent without the indulgence in exag-
gerations or gruesone establishment.
The excitement having been followed
by the cool, sober sense of realization,
the mind in review of the dark picture
of reality is led to inquire into the de-
gree of satisfaction which may be de-
rived from the cremation of a lifeless
body.
1t is true that the sheriff, the mayor
and the chief of police had the body OF
the supposed murderer moved beyond
the reach of those who c1amored for it,
and they did not anticipate its removal
from the cemetery to the Levee, and
therefore they must be held blamelesss
for the action Of the mob, who, in ere
mating a dead body, removed an I'M
portant link in connection with tragedy
which appears to be shrouded in the
deepest mystery. 1t was a mistake! A
serious mistake.
THE CORONERS INQUEST.
1t is due DR.. Coty, coroner, to say that
he contributed his best effort and long
experience in trying to unravel the hor-
rible crime, and to assist him he had as
jurors five gentlemen, Zach Howell, ].
nett and H. A. Fetzer, who rank with
H. Prescott, James Keeney,, Albert Bar
the best and most reliable of the com-
munity, men of judgment, conscientious,
fair and impartial men. 1t
could not be possible to have obtained a
better jury. These gentlemen deliberated
long and earnestly, and on Sunday af-
ternoon they reached the conclusion
that Mrs Alice Matthews had died from
wounds inflicted by person unknown TO
them and urged thorough investiga-
ton by the grand jury. This conclusion
is remarkable and is doubtless without
a precedent in Caddo parish and is
striking in the face of the sensational re-
ports given in public print and in the
face of the fact that a man claimed to
have been the murderer had been shot
and killed. The doubt of the jury is sig
nihcant and still more direct when they
urge thorough investigation by the
grand jury.
WAS AN INNOCENT MAN KILLED
AND CREMATED?
he horror Of Saturday IS intensified
by the report that the man shot and
killed Saturday afternoon and whose
body was burned on pyre after mid
night Saturday had no connection what
ever with the murder of Mrs. Matthews
On the authority of Mr.. Cal Vance
and Mr.. Stinson, most reputable ai1o
reliable citizens of Bossier, it appears
that Albert Washington, the negro
killed, was innocent. Both of these gen
tlenen stated positively and without re
servation that Albert Washington
worked on their place all day Friday
that he was on their plantation Fri
day night and Saturday morning
that he, with some other negroes
got on the Cotton Belt train at II
O'Clock Saturday morning, and that aftet
reaching Shreveport on this train Satur
day, he went to the hospital, where h
expected to find his wife who had beer
sick, and on being told she had gone t.
DeSota parish, he announced that h
would walk over to see her, ant
bidding his companions goodbye, h
started on his journey. 1t was Will
iourneying to DeSoto that he got o.
the Kansas City Southern track, an
it was while he was in a cut o.
the X. c. S. road that he was halted b
the police, and running away instead Q
stopping, was shot and killed. Both Mi
Vance and Mr.. Stinson stated that seV
eral of the negroes working on the plan
tation and who were in this city on hear
ing that a dead negro had been taken t
Wiliis's, the undertaken, called there t
see the body, and that these negroe
identified the body as that of Albel
Washington. who got on the train wit
them at about 10 o'clock and reache
Shreveport with him on the same trai
| that day These statements are startling
but they are forceful with truth Wlic
lean not and must not be n,ininlized.
THE STATEMENT DIsCREDITEI
Monday afternoon when these stat