Excerpts from the Donaldsonville Chief 13 May 1882 Submitted/Transcribed by Heidi Streetman Source: the Donaldsonville Chief Permission to Reprint This Generously Granted by the Donaldsonville Chief Date Submitted: 12 May 2005 ** ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ** Hon. Wm Brainerd Spencer, formerly a Judge of the Supreme Court of this State, died at Cordova, Mexico, on the 28th of April, aged 46 years. He was a man of high character and splendid abilities, and was thought by many the ablest member of the brilliant Supreme Bench appointed by Governor Nicholls. He served a term in Congress, representing the Fifth Louisiana District in 1875 and 1876. ************************************************************* Sheriff Duson of St. Landry has just returned from a trip to Fort Graham, on the western frontier of Texas, where he captured Rhet Clark, who is charged with being an accessory to the murder of W.H. White by Ben Barton, at Chicot, St. Landry parish, on the 20th of March. ************************************************************* Mrs. Kate Sothern, the Georgia woman who killed Miss Narcissa Cowart at a ball in Pickens county some years ago, has been pardoned out of the penitentiary. ************************************************************* Charles B. Stewart, who killed Peter Provencal in Alexandria last January has been convicted of manslaughter. ************************************************************* An entertainment given by Lake Charles Fire Company No. 1 for the benefit of sufferers by the overflow netted $100. ************************************************************* G.W.Laird was shot and killed by John Nealey, at Sugar Town, Calcasieu parish. Nealey and his brother were arrested. ************************************************************* The sugar-house of M. Tessier, in St. James parish, was destroyed by fire believed to have been the work of an incendiary. ************************************************************* Mr. Thomas Taylor, an old citizen of Union parish, was bitten by a mad dog seven weeks ago and died of hydrophobia last week. ************************************************************* Paul Pringle, the colored man who was to have been hanged in Mansfield on the 10th…was respited for sixty days by the Governor. ************************************************************* The residence of Mrs. Mary Ann Hays, on Bayou Lacasine, Calcasieu parish, was destroyed by fire with its entire contents. Loss $2000. ************************************************************* Young James S. Osborn was drowned in the overflow in Rapides. Similar casualities [sic] have occurred in several of the other flooded parishes. ************************************************************* A boat loaded with corn, belonging to a Mr. Banlsey, went into a crevasse in Madison parish and grounded. The cargo was saved. ************************************************************* C.I. Walmsley, an old and universally esteemed citizen of Natchitoches, was thrown from a railroad train and killed near Harrisburg, Pa. ************************************************************* Mary E. Porch was accidentally shot and fatally wounded by her brother, Telesphor Porch, on the Ellendale plantation in Terrebonne parish. ************************************************************* Baptiste Saizan, a colored resident Pointe Coupee parish, went out on the water in a leaky flat and was drowned. He was under the influence of liquor. ************************************************************* Baton Rouge, Alexandria and the sixth ward of Bienville parish have each had a case of small pox. The Alexandria victim is a member of the Town Council. ************************************************************* America Black, a colored woman charged with killing her new-born infant in Caddo parish, was acquitted by a jury composed entirely of white men. ************************************************************* Auguste and Josephe Batiste, two Indians, quarreled at Mandeville and August shot Joseph in the neck, mortally wounding him. The murderer was arrested. ************************************************************* Widow Lessin Meaux, distracted by grief at the death of husband, committed suicide in Vermillion parish by severing the blood vessels of her arm in two places. ************************************************************* The United States Circuit and District Court for the Western District of Louisiana is holding its first term in the city of Shreveport, Judge Aleck Boarman on the bench. ************************************************************* W.C. Ragan, a prominent citizen of Thibodaux, was shot and severely wounded in the face by a ball from a pistol fired by one colored boy at another during a quarrel. ************************************************************* Ex-Gov. Warmoth is given the credit for closing the Guesnard crevasse in Planquemines parish. The work was done by laborers and the material from his plantation. ************************************************************* It is reported the New Orleans Pacific Railway Company will purchase the buildings of the Crescent City Oil Company at Gretna and establish a car manufactory there. ************************************************************* The reported cruel treatment of convicts in the railroad camp near Minden was investigated by the Grand Jury of Webster parish and found to be greatly exaggerated. Only such punishment is inflicted as is necessary to maintain proper discipline.