The Ouachita Telegraph - E. C. Mix Murdered by Three DeRances

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




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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, August 27, 1880
Page 2, Column 3

NEW ORLEANS NEWS ITEMS.
        -- A most shocking and cowardly murder was committed by three
young men named DeRance upon the person of E.C. Mix, a respectable citizen of the
City, on Friday.  The provocation alleged is that Mix, a married man, had
been “flirting” with a sister of the DeRances, and did not desist,
although warned so to do.  Mix and his brother went unarmed to the DeRance
residence to assert and prove his innocence of the charge.  Upon separating, the
young men pursued Mix, who fled, shooting him as he ran.  Mix fell wounded,
whereupon, the three youthful tigers, all the reports and evidence state,
pounced upon the dying man, shot him again, beat him with pistols and one
of them stabbed him about twenty times.  They quietly turned from their
murdered victim, went home, were arrested, and are now in prison on the
charge of murder.  All the parties moved in good social circles.  The
friends of the young DeRances justify the murder, upon the ground of
attempted seduction, which is stoutly denied by the friends of Mix who say
that he was personated by some one else in the flirtation.  Such brutality
and hyena-like thirst for human blood as this cannot, however, be
justified, paliated (sic) or pardoned.  The crime is stupendous and revolting.

NOTE:  Further particulars can be found in the September 3, 1880 issue,
page 2, column 6 and September 10, 1880, page 1, column 2.

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