Assumption County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Gouaux, Joseph S. February 25, 1912
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary K. Creamer marykcreamer@yahoo.com February 8, 2018, 10:38 pm

source: The Donaldsonville Chief. (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, March 02, 1912, Image 5

JOSEPH GOUAUX MURDERED.

Prominent Internal Revenue Officer Slain by Spaniard --- Tragedy Sequel to 
Encounter at Disorderly House in Restricted Districy.

MURDERER AT LARGE.

Joseph S. Gouaux, a prominent resident of this city, holding the office of 
deputy United States Collector of Internal Revenue, was murdered at about 
12:30 o'clock last Sunday morning by a Spaniard named Rafael Dominquez 
Velanti, the tragedy occurring on the sidewalk at the corner of St. Vincent 
and Albert streets, in the restricted district. The murderer attacked Mr. 
Gouaux with a razor or a keen-bladed stiletto, cutting the jugular vein. The 
gash extended from the nape of the neck to a point under the chin, and was 
very deep. Mr. Gouaux was a stout man and had a thick neck, otherwise it is 
likely that his head would have been almost entirely severed from the body, 
so furious was the attack of his assailant. Mr. Gouaux lived about three 
quarters of an hour after being cut, death resulting from hemorrhage.

According to the current report of the tragedy, Mr. Gouaux and a party of 
friends, all of whom had been drinking at an uptown saloon during the 
earlier part of the evening, went to the restricted district some time 
before midnight, Saturday and entered the bawdy house kept by Ella Wise, a 
white prostitute, where they went into a room and closed the door. Shortly 
afterward the Spaniard, Rafael Dominquez Velanti-or Rafael Doming, as he is 
generally known-came along and attempted to force an entrance into the room 
occupied by Mr. Gouaux and his friends. The intruder was told that the room 
was occupied by a party of gentlemen and that he could not enter, but he 
replied that the house was a public place and he did not propose to be 
excluded from any part of it. So saying, he either pushed open the door or 
broke it open, some reports being to the effect that the door was locked, 
while others indicate that it was merely closed. He advanced into the room 
in a belligerent manner, and after a brief interval was violently ejected. 
Here the reports vary. One version is that when the Spaniard entered the 
room, one of the men in the apartment, a whiskey drummer, walked up to him 
and searched him, and announced to the crowd that the intruder was unarmed; 
that thereupon the Spaniard was set upon and belabored, it being alleged 
that Mr. Gouaux took a prominent part in these proceedings and brandished 
his revolver, a 32-calibre, six chambered Smith & Wesson, which weapon he 
carried habitually by virtue of being a United States officer. 

The presumption is that the Spaniard, after being ejected from the house, 
went to his home a short distance away and armed himself, either with a 
razor or a very sharp stiletto. It is known that the man then walked into 
Paul Fontano's saloon, one square away from where the tragedy was enacted, 
and that while there he made a remark to the effect that "They put me out, 
but I'm going back all right; I'll get 'em." It is also reported that while 
being ejected from the Wise brothel Velanti cried out, "I know you, Mr. 
Gouaux; I'll get even with you for this." 

Leaving the Fontano saloon at about 12:30 o'clock, Velanti walked out Albert 
street in the direction of the redlight district, and at the corner of St. 
Vincent street encountered the Gouaux party making their way up town. The 
whiskey drummer was in the lead, and it is said that Velanti walked up to 
him and, placing his hand on the drummer's shoulder, turned the man about in 
such a way as to bring his face into the light, evidently with a view to 
ascertaining whether or not he was Mr. Gouaux. Seeing that he wasn't, the 
Spaniard passed on. Just behind the drummer was a young saloon man of this 
city, partner in the firm which owns the uptown saloon from which the party 
had started out several hours earlier, and this man, seeing a knife or razor 
in the Spaniard's hand, called out to Mr. Gouaux, who was next in line, 
"Look out, Joe, he has a knife; shoot him, shoot him, quick!" Quicker than 
it takes to tell it, the infuriated Spaniard threw himself upon Mr. Gouaux 
and made one lunge at the latter's neck, the attack being so sudden and 
unexpected that the victim had no time to defend himself or to ward off the 
blow. After inflicting the fatal wound the murderer stepped back, and then 
ran off down St. Vincent street in the direction of the Texas and Pacific 
Railroad tracks.

Crying out, '"He got me," Mr., Gouaux fell on the bridge which spans the 
gutter at that corner, first pulling out his pistol and firing three shots 
at his assailant. His aim was bad, however, and the fugitive escaped 
unl!urt. An examination, of Mr. Gouaux's revolver disclosed the fact that he 
pulled the trigger six times, three of the cartridges failing to explode.

Mr. Gouaux was picked up by one of his companions, the saloon man, and was 
carried into the house of Mary Miller, a negro prostitute, a few steps away, 
where he was made as comfortable as possible. A young man who was in the 
vicinity assisted in removing the wounded man from the gutter into which he 
had fallen. The whiskey drummer took to his heels when the shooting 
commenced, but later returned to the scene. The saloon man then ran up town 
and gave the alarm, and in a very few minutes all the local police officers 
and Sheriff E. C. Hanson and several of his deputies arrived and instituted 
an investigation into the a tragedy. Dr. E. K. Sims was summoned and 
proceeded to the scene dsat once, but Mr. Gouaux was too badly injured for 
medical assistance to be of avail and died a few minutes after the arrival 
of the physician. To Police Officer Echeverria, Mr. Gouaux said, in French, 
that he was dying, and requested that he be conveyed to his home, as he did 
not wish to die there and desired to see his wife and little girl before he 
passed away. A few minutes later, while awaiting the arrival of the 
physician, Mr. Gouaux repeated this request, but his injuries were such that 
he could not be moved. Shortly after he lost the power of speech, and about 
1:30 o'clock he died. A Catholic priest had been summoned and Father J. V. 
Monteillard responded, but reached the scene after the unfortunate man had 
breathed his last.

Coroner Paul T. Thibodaux empanelled a jury and held an inquest, the verdict 
being that Mr. Gouaux had come to his death from a knife wound inflicted by 
Velanti, death being caused by hemorrhage. The body was removed at about 
3:30 o'clock to the Gouaux resience (sic) in Claiborne street, from whence 
the funeral took place Monday morning.

Mr. Gouaux was a native of Napoleonville, where he was born April 19, 1870. 
His father, Jean Gouaux, was a native of France, and conducted drug store at 
Napoleonville for many years. His mother was a Miss Marie Cheramie. Both are 
dead.

The surviving relatives include his wife, formerly Miss Emily Mollere of 
Belle Rose, Assuinption parish, to whom he was married about eight years 
ago; an adopted daughter, Louise, aged 6 years; two brothers Louis Gouaux, 
of Shreveport, and Felix Gouaux, of Texas, and two half-brothers, Charles 
and Claude Gouaux; seven sisters, Mrs. Dr. Menvielle, of Houma; Mrs. E. A. 
Barrios, of Lockport; Mrs. Clay Roger, Mrs. Leonce Guelpho, Mrs. George 
Adolph and Mrs. Clay Marquette, all of Napoleonville, and Miss Maria Gouaux, 
of Lockport.

Mr. Gouaux had resided in Donaldsonville for about eight years. He was a 
member of Mohawk Tribe No. 33, Improved Order of Red Men, and Ascension 
Tent, Knights of the Maccabees. It is stated that he carried insurance to 
the amount of several thousand dollars in one of the old-line companies, 
beside a policy for $500 in the Maccabee's. Officers L. J. Echeverria and 
Ernest Dalferes made a search of the house where Valenti resided and 
confiscated the fugitive's satchel and papers. Amoung the effects is a 
documnet showing that Valenti was honorably, discharged from the Italian 
Department Marine of Cartagena, Spain, at the town of Alicante, in May, 
1906. His description is as follows: Height, five feet 6 inches; weight, 160 
pounds; heavy set; hair, light, generally designated as "sandy;" eyebrows 
very much arched; red faced, clean shaven; speaks Italian, Spanish and 
English; age, 35 to 40 years; wore a blue serge suit at the time of the 
killing.

The hat worn by Mr. Gouaux was found Sunday morning in the public road on 
the west bank of Bayou Lafourche, about three-quarters of a mile below 
Donaldsonville. Chief of Police Schaff, who is of the opinion that Velanti 
is in hiding either in this city or in the immediate vicinity, accounts for 
the finding of
headpiece in that locality by the theory that it was carried there in a 
buggy belonging to a man front the country, who was in one of the houses in 
the restricted district at the time of the tragedy, and who is known to have 
left town shortly afterward. Chief Schaff thinks that one of the spectators 
attracted to the scene of the murder picked up Mr. Gouaux's hat on the 
sidewalk or in the gutter, and in the excitement of the moment placed it in 
the buggy, it which was standing near, and that
the hat was either thrown away by the occupant of the vehicle when he 
discovered it, or else was jolted out at the point where it was found Sunday 
morning.

From all reports there had been no trouble between Mr. Gouaux and his slayer 
other than the encounter which occurred in the Wise brothel Saturday night. 
Velanti had. called at the Wise house earlier in night, but left after 
dancing several the inmates. When he returned at about midnight he found 
that a woman with whom he was on very friendly terms was in the closed room 
with the Gouaux party, and, becoming furiously jealous, he insisted on 
forcing an entrance into the apartment. It is said that when he was searched 
by the Whiskey drummer, while in the room, a piece of fence picket elghteen 
inch long, containing several nails at one end, was found his hip pocket. It 
was after ascertaining the fact that the intruder was unarmed, so the report 
goes, that the Gouaux party set upon him and forcibly ejected him from the 
room. 

Velanti has been residing in this city for the past four or five years, and 
was employed by Joseph T. Cafiero as a rigger. He was formerly a seaman. He 
does not seem to have been in any serious trouble before during his 
residence here, but was regarded as a dangerous man by the women of the 
redlight district, where he was a frequent visitor, and was greatly feared 
them when he had drinking.

Mr. Gouaux's funeral took place Monday morning, services being held at the 
local Catholic church at 9 o'clock. The body was then placed on the 
Napoleonville branch train
of the Texas and Pacific Railway and to Napoleonville, where interment was 
made in the Catholic cemetery. The obsequies were largely, attended, there 
being present many prominent people from Assumption parish, as well as from 
this city and surrounding country, and large delegations representing the 
Red Men and Maccabees.

Mr. Gouaux had been connected with the United States Internal Revenue 
Lepartment as a special deputy collector for a period of eight years, and 
was looked upon as a splendid officer. In the pursuance of his official 
duties he covered a wide territory, making periodical trips to various 
points in Louisiana and other southern states. He was noted for his bravery, 
and was agenial, kindly man. His friends and acquaintances are numbered by 
the
hundreds, particularly in the Bayou Lafourche section, and the announce ment 
of his tragic death has caused widespread sorrow and regret.

Sheriff Hanson and the local police force are exerting every effort to 
apprehend the fugitive murderer, but so far they have been unable to unearth 
the slightest clue as to his whereabouts. His description has been wired 
broadcast, and while his early capture is hoped for, it is conceded that the 
longer he remains at large the more favorable are his chances for ultimately 
evading the grip of the law. If he made his way down Bayou Lafourche, as is 
now presumed, he may succeed in boarding a train on the Southern Pacific 
Railroad at Lafourche Crossing or some other point in that vicinity, or he 
may finally reach the settlement at the mouth of Bayou Lafourche and travel 
from there, by means of a fishing schooner or lugger, to some seaport, from 
whence he can escape to his native country, Spain. It has been learned that 
Velanti is tattooed on one of his arms, the design being of a very obscene 
character. With this item added to the description of the fugitive already 
aent out, his identification should be an easy matter should he be 
apprehended.

The spot where the killing took place is just one door removed from the 
house where Police Officer Sam Bigley met his death some years ago, for 
which crime a negro named Tama Johnson is now serving a life term in the 
penitentiary.




Additional Comments:
NOTE: www.findagrave.com memorial # 187190042

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/assumption/obits/g/gouaux7265gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/

File size: 13.6 Kb