The Ouachita Telegraph - Green Redding Murders His Wife Adeline Date: Oct. 2000 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, November 7, 1879 Page 2, Column 2 MURDERED HIS WIFE. A Negro En Route to Heaven. Green Redding on Sunday last murdered his wife across the river on Mr. Lazare’s place. Green had been working in “the Island” in this parish. His wife, to whom he was legally married, abandoned him. Green gave her a beating Thursday, for which she had him arrested and placed under bond. Sunday he came to town, crossed the river in a canoe, met Adeline, his wife, and what followed may be found in the evidence given before Judge Garrett, copied below. Green was committed to prison without bail. We copy from the Court’s records. Haywood Moore, sworn for the State, says: Haywood Moore is my name. I saw the difficulty between the accused and Adeline Redding. I saw him when he stabbed her. She was in George Brook’s house. I was lying on the bed in the house when the accused came to the door. The accused went back in the yard. I went out of the house. Accused went up to Adeline, who was standing in the yard, and she said to him, “Go away from me.” She went in the house and he followed her. This was about two minutes after I left the house. There was no one in the house when I left that I saw. My door is opposite the window before which they were standing. I was standing in my door when he struck her. I saw him strike her. I saw him run his hand in his pocket and draw out his knife. He then caught her with his left hand by the hair and stabbed her with the knife; he stabbed her in the neck. As soon as I saw this I run round toward the house where they were. I run back and got my gun. When I got my gun I run after him, and saw him just getting into the boat. When he saw me coming he jumped out of the boat into the river. I laid down my gun and started after him in a skiff. He waded across. He started down the river towards Mr. Pargoud’s. I hallowed to Mr. Johnston, and he and Mr. McClendon stopped him, and we arrested him right there. The accused is the man I saw stab Adeline Redding. When he was arrested he was asked why he killed his wife, and he said he didn’t know why he did it. This happened yesterday evening at Mr. Lazare’s place in Ouachita. I saw Adeline Redding afterwards. She had three stabs on the left side of the neck, just under the ear. Lizzie Brooks, sworn for the State, says: I have seen the accused before. I saw him yesterday evening. I know Adeline Redding. I saw a fight between Adeline Redding and Green Redding. I was in the house by the cupboard. It was my father’s house; my father’s name is George Brooks. Green run his hand in pocket and pulled out his knife. He held her head down on the bed and stabbed her three times in the neck. Then he ran off. Adeline came in the house first and Green right behind her. They talked before he cut her. He wanted to talk to her and she kept pushing him off. After he cut her, Adeline walked from the bed to the door, and fell down and died. She bled a great deal; the blood spouted out. My sister and I were the only persons in the room, besides Green and Adeline. Her name is Lucy; she is younger than me. Green carried his knife off with him. Eliza Williams, sworn for the State, says: I was standing on the river bank, against the window, when the difficulty occurred. Adeline went in first and Green followed. I heard them making a fuss in the house, and heard Lizzie hallo, “Mama, Uncle Green done killed Adeline.” I heard Adeline say “there now.” I run to the window and Green run down the bank. I saw Adeline sitting on the floor, leaning her head on her hand, and the blood spouting from her. I went down the river behind Haywood. I saw a knife lying in the boat open and bloody. That knife [marked A] is the same one I found in the boat; I picked it up. Adeline lived about half an hour after she was cut. VOLUNTARY STATEMENT OF THE ACCUSED. I went over to Mr. Lazare’s yesterday with the intention of talking to my wife, Adeline Redding. I can’t see how it happened that I cut her. I staid over there Saturday night last. I came back to Monroe yesterday morning. I staid in Monroe about one hour and a half. I was with some fellows drinking. I was with Henry Taylor, Frank Lishner, Burrell Key, and Mr. Dave Williams he treated me some. I then went back to George Brooks’ house. Adeline Redding was at George Brooks’ house. I called her and told her to meet me under the river bank. She asked me what I wanted, and I told her I wanted to talk with her. She came about half way down the bank. I told her I wanted her to be pacified and not let her mind be disturbed about the fuss me and her had had. We had a fuss Wednesday or Tuesday of last week about her running away from me. I don’t know why she run away from me - we had had no words. Her cousin carried her off. Charlie Pratt was the cousin. After I had talked to her under the bank, I went up to George Brooks’ house with her. She said “the devil” one time and she cursed once or twice. I said, “Honey, you oughtn’t to talk that way; wait and hear what I have got to say.” When we got to the house I sat there talking to her, and she kept throwing up her hands and telling me to go away. I told her I was not meaning any harm; I just wanted to talk with her. She said some more words, but I don’t remember what. She said she would go to Mr. Lazare if I didn’t let her lone. There was a man in the house lying across the bed when we went in, but he jumped up and went out. I don’t know how I cut her. I cut with my pocket knife. I don’t know what made me cut her. I don’t know where I cut her. I had no reason to believe that she had been unfaithful to me - no further than coming away from me. There was no struggle between us before I cut her. We were both standing when I cut her. I had hold of her hand, I think with my right hand. She was not struggling to get loose from me. She was standing near my side, I think. She was about two or three feet from me. When I cut her I was not making any effort to catch hold of her. There was nobody present that I know of when I cut her. I did not hear her say anything after I cut her. The knife [marked A] is about the same size and appearance of the one I cut her with. It looks just like my knife. I don’t know what I did when I cut her. I came down to get in the skiff and fell out of it. I was coming over to Monroe to deliver myself to Mr. Vinson or Mr. Logan. One man came trotting down the hill after me with a gun. He said he’d shoot me, and hallowed to some people on this side to stop me. They headed me off, and I turned down the river. I turned down the river because the people on this side had guns, and the one on the other side was halloing “shoot him.” My idea was to get around them and deliver myself up. When I got to the top of the bank on this side the river, two white men came up and told me to surrender. I don’t know who they were. I didn’t try to run when I saw them. NOTE: Other articles can be found: April 23, 1880, pg. 3, col. 3 ; July 16, 1880, pg. 3 col. 2; September 10, 1880, pg. 3, col. 2; and September 24, 1880, pg. 3, col. 2. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, September 24, 1880 Page 3, Column 2 The Gallows Not Wanted. Green Redding, the colored man who was in jail under sentence of death for the murder of his wife and who was to have been hanged to day week, died in his cell Monday morning about 2 o’clock. He had been sick since Tuesday of fever and dysentery, receiving treatment from Dr. Murphy, but steadily grew worse, dying as stated, and alone, not arousing the inmates of the cell across the narrow hall. His death is presumed to have been from disease, since no opportunity is known to have been afforded for the procuring of poison, although his symptoms indicated somewhat that he might have swallowed some such fatal substance as ground glass, which, we are told by a physician, is rather a favorite means of bringing on death with the negro. Green’s deportment and conversation, however, gave no indication of a purpose or desire to commit suicide, further than he dreaded, he said, execution on the gallows. # # #