The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-07-16

ne zftaIlge aln Was out early the morn
ing after his arrival In Alley, and on the trail
me tracks Of the five horses were followed to
the houses of Joe Wilkerson and his son Brooks
and to the homes of John and Arthur Greenhaw
In Joe Wilkersons lot he found part of a we'll
rope, the remainder of which had been cut away
1t matched precisely with the rope used to hang
the Humphreys-the freshly cut ends being the
same on both. The Wilkersons and one of the
Greenhaws were taken into custody forthwith
and other arrests followed as the criminals were
tracked home
The testimony brought out the facts that
the Humphreys had known of an Illicit still run
by Two men-one Polk Weeks and man named
Johns. Also that they had known of John
Greenhaw stealing cattle and hogs, and that
John Greenhaw had once drawn a gun on the
elder Humphrey, who had promptly taken it
away from him, instead of killing him with it
and rendering the community service These
things, added to the other provocations ALREADY
named, had made the Humphreys sufficiently
unpopular In neighborhood like the Trans
CEDAR bottoms to warrant their being hung to
limb, trussed up to swing clear Of the ground.
Guilty knowledge of the crime actually killed
a man named Eli Sparks, whose conscience tor
tured him day and night to the point of giving
testimony yet whose fears upon the witness
stand caused him to withhold the truth, He
was large, red-faced man. evidently greatly ex
ne told. Soon after his first examination he met
captain Mcdonald and offered to testify again
saying That he had been too frightened to tell
the truth the first time, but thought he could
do better now. The Ranger captain scrutintzed
nm keenly and made the prophecy that Eli
Sparks would not live 80 days. unless he got
rid of the load on his conscience. He died in
Just half That time; not, however until he had
fully confessed
The efforts of the men believed IN no oon.
cerned as principals in the crime to establish
tnelF innocence were sometimes wary some
tunes crudely absurd and always fruitIess The
Mesn OF TACT that was weaving and linking itself
about them became daily more tightly woven
more impossible to tear away. Knowing them
serves closely watched, they dared not attempt
hight To do SO would be to confess guilt and
capture would be we1l-nigh certain Lilo Ann
having comprised the death of a neighhor tbev
lay IN sackcloth and went softly" Finally II
came to pass that three of these Children NJ
Beltal," turned states eyidence-that Is fbov
confessed fully, sacrificing their comrades nm
DER the law, to save themselves Eleven mon
including these three, were brought to trial
In the final trial John and Arthur Greenbav
ana Poik weeks, who were not only murderers
out eoWardly traitors, were given their freedom,
IN exchange for their evidence that sent tbeir
eight associates to the penitentiary for life
Polk Weeks, in giving his evidence annaoroa
much disturbed, but confessed how he had
climbed the tree and tied the ropes. and t,ed
them too long, making it necessary for the
legs OF the Humphreys to be bent upward ia
clear the ground John Greenhaw corroborated
this, but grinned as he told it, remembering bou,
amusing it had been. He did not live - 49,
his freedom, for he was shot dead snon aftor
his liberation by Willie Humphrey, son of one
OF the younger Humphreys and no punishment
followed the righteous act