The Ouachita Telegraph - Constable Fitzgerald Murdered

Date: Aug. 2000
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>

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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, March 15, 1878
Page 3, Column 2

Constable Fitzgerald, of Trenton, Murdered.
        Tuesday evening last, James, William, Clay or Pes and Henry Brown, all
colored, entered the town of Trenton and soon became drunk and boisterous,
and at the Roseman place they discharged their guns and pistols to the
terror of whites and blacks.
        Constable Fitzgerald was called upon for protection and immediately
repaired to the scene of trouble.  The rioters dispersed and started home.
        They were hardly out of sight before the firing commenced again.  Mr.
Fitzgerald went towards it.  The rioters were then in the Hasley field.  One
of them called to Mr. F. that if he wanted to take them they were ready for
him.  Mr. F. sprang upon the fence and was shot down by parties in ambuscade
and died from its effects within the space of two hours.
        Sheriff Richardson, upon notice of the foregoing, took the matter in hand
and soon had William and James Brown under arrest.
        Clay or Pes brown, ginger-cake color, medium height, burly, with burnside
whiskers, left hand injured and wrapped with a striped cloth and thumb
stall, had on yellow pants and hickory shirt, was the ringleader, and made
good his escape.  Henry Brown, darker and larger than Clay or Pes, also
escaped.  Every effort is being made for their capture and it I hardly
probable that they can elude the officers for any length of time.
        Mr. Fitzgerald had been a citizen of Trenton for the last three years.  He
was constable of the ward and policeman of the town.  He leaves a wife and
child.  Peace to his ashes.

NOTE:  The Friday, March 22, 1878 issue of the Ouachita Telegraph relates
the capture in Vicksburg of the perpetrators (Page 3, Column 1).

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