New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1917-03-31
NEGRO MAN MURDERED.

n llbAb SlipthInS llllt VI ihul
der was committed upon a col
ored man by the name Of Willi
Baciline on Friday night in th'
southern portion of New iberia
The negro was struck over th'
head with blunt instrument ant
then laid across the track for the
cars to run over his body, will
the intent Of throwing the Off
GERS off the trail. thinking the
body would be mangled sufficient
TO conceal how the crime was
committed. Immediately upon
the news being made known tC
Sheriff Landry he repaired to the
scene, and after some investiga-
tion arrested two suspicious char
acters. Joe Seeberrv and Jesse
BrouSsard whose statements were
so conflicting and their conduct
so self-incriminating it was
thought best to hold them pris-
oners. They now linger in jail
to await a preliminary investiga .
tion at the hands of the Court.
The two men under arrest claimed
to have heard the blows struck
which caused the unfortunate
man to die, and yet made no eff
fort to catch the guilty party.
This, and the fact that they both
have general bad reputation
made our Sheriff feel that it
would be wise to hold them for a
while at least until further in
vestigation could be made. Baci-
line was a citizen of New Iberia
and from what we learn was a
hard working. Industrious negro.
Unless an effort is made to en-
force the vagrancy law in this
Parish and City on the part of
our officials. crime will soon be-
come quite common hereabouts
and in discussing this matter with
Sheriff Landry he stated that ev-
erything that can be done by him
towards driving from this Parish
the worthless characters both
white and black will be done. 1t
is generally known that there are
a large number Of worthless and
undesirable people hanging
around our City and Parish that
should at least be driven to other
fields, or made to find steady en-
ployment if they hope to remain
here. We are willing to concede |
that it is sometimes hard to trace
these parties who live off Of !
their wits. Still a watch over
this class who do not work |
should be made and when it
is found that they are shirking
employment, unless they be sick
or have some real plausible ex-
cuse, then in that event they
should be taken up and put on
the public roads. If we hope to
continue to keep our City and
Parish free Of crime we must at
least rid ourselves of the class of
who continually find
themselves before the Courts upon
one charge or another. Work
ing men and working women
never appear before our Police
Courts. and the class who are
constantly hailed before the City
Judge as violators of the law with
out any visible means of support
should be given the privilege of
either finding work at once or
notified to give New Iberia a
wide birth.
IF there is no laws on the '
statutes to regulate and protect
bur Parish and City from unde-
sirables, we would advise that
hey be created as early as possi-
BE. We have always boasted I
hat there was little crime com {
nitted in this Parish and CITY and Ic
We must continue such condition
+ we hone to build M our com I
nnnity and advertise it to the out
de world as the logical place for I
tiers in every vocation Of life !
) reside. II hehooves our officials
q give these matters serious |
bought at once. g