The Ouachita Telegraph 1877 News Articles, Ouachita Parish La Typed Ms. Lora Peppers at the Ouachita Parish Library African American names extracted by S.K. Martin-Quiatte - redstick4@uswest.net ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ****************** The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, January 25, 1878 Page 3, Column 1 AN ESCAPED PRISONER KILLED. Bob Brantly, a freedman imprisoned for stealing an auger, escaped from the custody of the Sheriff on Sunday. The auger was used to bore an opening in Mr. J.G. Sanders's tore, but because Bob had not entered the store he could be punished only for the theft of the auger. In re-arresting Bob the Sheriff, Dr. Richardson, shot him with a rifle, and from the wound the prisoner died. We give the proces (sic) verbal of the Coroner and the statement of Dr. Richardson. THE SHERIFF'S STATEMENT. Bob Brantly left me at the jail door to go into the yard for water to go in the jail. He jumped over into the Catholic yard and got away from me. I went to hunt him with John Vinson and A. Tatum, but they had both left me, and I went into the thicket in back of Downs' field, passing up the cross fence between Parker and Downs places. Saw Bob standing in west edge of same thicket, some 50 or 60 yards from me, and thinking he would run from me if I hailed him at that distance and knowing I was in the briers and could not catch him, I thought I would stoop and get nearer him, having to cross the fence at a low place. He must have heard me, for when I got over and straightened up he had squatted down o that I could not see him; but still going carefully towards him, he notified me not to come any nearer, and as I could not see him I thought he might have a gun, I told him if he did not come and go back to jail I would be bound to hurt him, but did not wish to do so. He commenced to slip as I could see by the briers and weeds back towards the green woods. Thinking I could turn his course by making him believe Mr. Vinson was in that direction, I halloed to Mr. Vinson to come up on that side of the thicket, that Bob was between me and him. He slipped then in an easterly direction and got out of the thicket and broke to run across the field. I told him several times as he ran that I would shoot if he did not stop.. When he had got fully 100 yards from me I fired at his legs to stop him, and at the fire of the gun he jumped into the water-furrow of the corn row, bringing his body at least 6 or 8 inches lower than the tops of the beds, causing me to hit him too high, which caused the fatal shot. He told me if he had known it was me and that I had my gun he would not have run from me. He told me after he was shot that he knew I did not wish to kill him, and that it was his fault. I done all I could for him after shooting him. Told him I regretted it very much, but that he had forced m to shoot him. This took place about three quarters of a mile east of the river, in the Downs plantation, on same day he ran of from jail. T.P. RICHARDSON. January 21, 1878 CORONER'S INQUEST. DOWNS PLANTATION, Three miles below Monroe, January 21, 1878 At an inquest held this day upon the body of Bob Brantly, there lying dead, and a legal number of jurors being duly sworn, the following testimony was elicited. J.E. Vinson, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: "I went with Dr. Richardson in pursuit of the deceased. I never came up with the deceased. I left Dr. Richardson at the thicket about 25 or 30 minutes before the shooting took place. JOHN E. VINSON." E.O. Parker, being sworn, deposes as follows: "I was at home about the time the shooting took place. Mr. Tatum came to my house and called me out, and told me Dr. Richardson had shot Bob Brantly back of the field and wanted to get my spring wagon to bring him out. We then went down there and found Brantly lying there on his back. Dr. Richardson was also there standing by. We then put him in the wagon and brought him to this house (Jack Johnson's). I asked him if he was in much pain; he said awful. We asked him if he could get up; he said we would have to help him up. When we got him up he could not stand, and complained of one of his legs. E.O. PARKER." A.J. Tatum, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: "I was standing northeast from the direction of shooting in the lane, about 400 yards from the place of shooting. I was put at that place to watch for the deceased. Dr. Richardson yelled for me two or three times. I then got on my horse and went to him. When I came to Dr. Richardson we then rode together up the lane to where the deceased was lying. Before I started to Mr. Parker's for the wagon the deceased told me if he had have stopped when Dr. Richardson told him, he would not have been shot. Then I came on up after the wagon. I took one of my horses and hitched to the wagon, and went and brought him to Jack Johnson's house. A.J. TATUM." Jack Johnson, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: "I was at home yesterday evening when the deceased was brought to my house. The deceased asked me would I attend to him; I told him yes. I was close by him up to the time he died. He did not say anything as to why he was shot, or that the party shooting or himself was to blame. His JACK X JOHNSON." Mark John Coleman, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: "I am the man that found the ball. When he was turned over on his side a little blood run out, and the ball came out and I picked it up. That was before he died. He asked me to let him see the ball; to lay it down on the floor so he could see it. His JOHN X COLEMAN." Mark MONROE, OUACHITA PARISH, LA., January 21st, 1878. This is to certify that I was this day summoned by the coroner, L.W. Surghnor to conduct a post mortem examination on the body of a negro man, on the old Downs plantation, about three miles below Monroe on the river. I found the deceased to be one Bob Brantly, aged about 45, color black, and would weigh about 150 pounds. Having seen him the evening before, in company with Dr. T.Y. Aby, and examined his wound, and now finding him dead, examined fully into the cause o his death, would state that it was caused by a gunshot wound, the ball entering the sacrum and coming out at the left groin, wounding perhaps the bowels, blood vessels and nerves in its passage through the body. This given on the day and date above written. S.C. MURPHY, M.D. We, the undersigned jurors of inquest, summoned and sworn, do hereby render this our verdict, in the case of the death of Bob Brantly: That he came to his death by a gunshot wound fired by Dr. T.P. Richardson, and think that he was justified in shooting and we do not believe that he intended to kill him. J.H. MITCHELL, W.C. HOLLINGSWORTH, H.T. WIMBERLY, LAWRENCE DUNMORE, W.J. GRAY. I hereby certify that the above is a correct transcript of all the proceedings had in the above case, 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 b 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). L.W. SURGHNOR, Coroner. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, July 19, 1878 Page 3, Column 3 IN MEMORIAM. The following preamble and resolutions were adopted at a meeting of the Douglass Literary Society (colored) of Monroe, on Sunday, July 14, 1878, in memory of one of its deceased members, the late SOLOMON PHILLIPS. WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God, who rules heaven and earth, to take from our midst our beloved friend and brother, Solomon Phillips, who departed this life at his residence in the Island, on the night of July 11, 1878; therefore, Resolved, That in the death of our brother, Solomon Phillips, we have lost a gentleman and a friend, and the community one of its most respected citizens. Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with his aged mother in her sad bereavement of her loving and affectionate son who was her support in her old age. It was but a few months ago she lost a dear and loving husband; to-day she is bereaved of her son. But may she put her trust in that same God who rules heaven and earth and takes care of the widows and orphans, who does all things for the best and is the dispenser of all good. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the mother of the deceased, and also to the OUACHITA TELEGRAPH and the Weekly Louisianian for publication. Wm. T. JONES, President. M.W. OVERTON, Secretery. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, August 2, 1878 Page 2, Column 1 HANGING OF FOUR MEN IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE. Coming along Oak street, early Tuesday morning, from his residence to this office, the writer passed the courthouse square. He was thinking very hard about the eclipse, a new constitution for the State and generally what should go into this paper, to make it interesting. A large bundle of exchanges was under his arm, and he was wholly absorbed in thought, when, looking over the fence enclosing courthouse square, he saw a crowd of people gathered around one of the beautiful water-oaks growing in the square, near the steps on the western side of the enclosure. This square is a beauty in nature, and no city, large or small, can rival it. Its beauty is marred only by the little bake-ovens known as the offices of the Clerk and of the Recorder of the parish, and by a barn called a courthouse. In April, 1864, the Yankee gunboats came up the Ouachita, and one Foster commanding the fleet, burned the courthouse. Foster, an eye-witness tells us, was as "drunk as hell" at the time. He found only women and children in Monroe. Harrison's cavalry had skedaddled to the pine hills, stopping somewhere about Vienna, some 30 miles west of this place, where water and buttermilk were plentiful, and there was a good place to camp. Facing the courthouse square, on the west, is the parish jail - a sweet-scented place, known to all criminals and to the community generally. In this jail were confined, for safe-keeping, four negro men and two negro women. The men were up-stairs, the women below. Two of the men were in the rear cell, and two in the front cell, chained together, in pairs, by the ankles, and then chained to the "bull-ring" to be found in the center of the floor of each cell. In the rear cell Henry Atkins and Peter Butler were incarcerated; in the front cell, Jim Beatty and Tom Ross. Between one and two o'clock Monday night Deputy Sheriff Richardson was waited upon while in bed, and the keys of the jail were demanded of him. His evidence before the Coroner's jury shows that he did not give up the keys, but told his interviewers where the keys were. He was told to stay in bed and not move from it. He did not. Just around the corner Mr. W.H. Ferry has a sleeping room. Mr. Ferry says that he could not go to sleep, and lit his lamp to read awhile. Some one came up, and said, put that light out. What did you say? Inquired Mr. Ferry. Put that light out, was the response, with a long pause between each work. The light was extinguished, and Mr. Ferry quit reading. Policeman Crawford was walking along his beat. He was halted in front of the Catholic Church, and Mr. Crawford halted. This is the best evidence we can gather of the hanging of the four negroes in the courthouse square Monday night. Tom Ross, Jim Beatty, Henry Atkins and Ples Phillips, were all hanging from a limb of one of the water-oaks in the courthouse square, Tuesday morning, and were all dead. Had not their arms been tied, they might have shaken hands, so close were they together. A small manilla rope, three-eighths in thickness, was used, and a neat hangman's knot was around the neck of each one, and the knot was directly under the ear of each. Their feet were not off the ground very far, Tom Ross's feet touching the ground. Against the tree stood a ladder, got from the rear of S. Meyer's store, and on the ground lay another which came from the rear of Judge Richardson's office. The mouths of the four men were either filled with scraps of old newspapers, or stopped up with bandages. No one heard them halloo, and no one heard and disturbance, so far as we can ascertain. The town was not alarmed, and men who were up knew nothing of what was going on. If the men were masked, we have not heard it. Where they came from, or what road they came is more than we know, or have been able to find out. Tom Ross had been tried and found guilty of killing Louis Collins, a freedman, and was under sentence by Judge Parsons to the penitentiary for life. The Supreme Court, at its recent session here, granted Tom a new trial, on the ground that the jurors of the regular pannel (sic) were not called from the door of the courthouse. Louis Collins was killed. Steve Birdge, another negro, was in jail a short time, charged with the crime. He was subsequently released, and gave in the evidence that convicted Tom Ross. In Ross's cell, we found the following note, written on the reverse side of an old envelope, in a very bad handwriting. Two spades and a coffin are drawn in pencil on the note, and the note ends just as printed: 1878 Mr. Steve Birge Dear frind you get a way from here in 15 fifteen days if not you will Be hunge to a lim or shoat to Death for you and Thomas Ross is the men that killed Louis Collans and tom will Be killed if he gits out and Jim Beatty had been tried and convicted for the murder of Constable Fitzgerald of Trenton, in this parish, and would have been taken to-day to the penitentiary for life. Atkins and Phillips were apprehended some two months ago near Port Hudson as parties concerned in the murder of Fitzgerald. These three were all employed on Hasley's place, above Trenton. Fitzgerald heard some shooting in rear of Trenton, and went out to ascertain the cause. In pursuit of these men - having ascertained that they were the offenders - Fitzgerald was shot down, and he died in a few minutes. Mr. Fitzgerald was a worthy citizen and a good officer. His wife and three children survive him, and he was their only help. There was a special venire of jurors summoned, after the regular session of the District Court, by Judge Parsons, to try Atkins and Phillips. At first, the jury stood eleven for conviction, and one, Duncan Hill (col.) for acquittal. Finally, the five colored men all favored acquittal, and the seven white men were for conviction. There was a mistrial, as the jury could not agree, and Phillips and Atkins were remanded to jail. We annex the proceedings had at the investigation held by the Parish Coroner, Mr. L.W. Surghnor: CORONER'S INQUEST. MONROE, LA., July 30th, 1878. State of Louisiana, Parish of Ouachita. - At an inquest held this day upon the bodies of Jim Beaty, Ples Phillips, Tom Ross and Henry Atkins, there lying dead, and after summoning and empanneling the following named persons as jurors of inquest, J.E. Vinson, W.P. Vinson, H.C. Downs, J.L. Graves and L.F. McClendon, the jury being sworn, the follwing testimony was had. Wm. H. Richardson, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: Somewhere between one and three o'clock this morning, I was in bed in the back room of the Sheriff's office. I was not called up. The parties who came into the office forced the front door of the office, and three ca into the back room between the door and the bed, and without saying anything at all as to good morning or good night, they demanded of me the keys in the words, "We demand of you the jail keys." I told them I didn't hve the jail keys. They then asked where they were, and I told them they were in the desk in the front room. They asked whereabouts in the desk. I told them in the top of the desk in the front office. They went out, leaving a guard in the middle room and also on the sidewalk. As soon as they got through t the jail they brought the keys back to the office. I got up and looked through the two holes in the door and saw a light in the square, and what they done we can see this morning. Did not know any of them, nor did I recognize any of their voices. I never heard any hallooing as if any one was in distress; only heard light talking in the street. Heard no gun fire, and all the persons I could see by the lamp were a-foot. W.H. RICHARDSON Henry J. Crawford, being sworn, deposed as follows: I am night police of the city of Monroe. I was near the bridge at the Catholic church this morning, between quarter to one to half-past two o'clock. I saw about six or seven persons about that time. I think I know one person that passed by me. I heard no noise or confusion last night - not more than usual. I was no nearer the jail last night than as above mentioned. I did not see the hanging of the parties now lying dead. Question by juror: I was arrested and held in custody last night. They told me to stay where I was and not go any further; I stayed. I could not tell whether they were white or black. I did not know their names, neither do I want to form their acquaintance. They never said anything to me, but walked off, and I found myself alone. Then I walked off on my beat. H.J. CRAWFORD. An inquisition taken at Monroe, La., on the 30th day of July, A.D. 1878, upon the bodies of Jim Beaty, Ples Phillips, Tom Ross and Henry Atkins, there lying dead: The jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed, having been sworn to enquire on behalf o the State, when and by what means said Jim Beaty, Ples Phillips, Tom Ross and Henry Atkins came to their death, upon their oath do say, that the said parties came to their death by hanging, and that the same was don by parties unknown to us. In testimony whereof, the coroner and jurors of this inquest have hereunto subscribed their names, the day and year above stated. JOHN E. VINSON, L.F. McCLENDON, J.L. GRAVES, H.C. DOWNS, W.P. VINSON, Jurors: L.W. SURGHNOR, Coroner. MONROE, July 30, 1878. This certifies that I was this day (July 30, 1878) called by L.W. Surghnor, Coroner of the Parish of Ouachita, to examine the bodies of four colored men lying dead in the court house square of the city of Monroe; and that on examination I found that the said men came to their death by suffocation produced by hanging. THOS. Y. ABY, M.D. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, August 9, 1878 Page 2, Column 3 THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE TRAGEDY The hanging of the four negroes Monday night of last week, in the Courthouse Square, remains, as it was at the date of our issue of last week, a profound mystery. Nothing has reached us to indicate, in the least, who the individuals were who did the hanging, or how many they were in number. Nor have we heard anything to show from what direction they came, or what road they took in leaving. In fact, it appears that the whole city was taken by complete surprise, and it is, perhaps, no wonder, since no unusual noise or stir was made, and so quiet was the execution that persons who were asleep in buildings fronting or very near the square were not even aroused from their slumbers. The two negro women who were confined in the lower cell of the jail solemnly assured us that they heard nothing of the taking of the men above from their cells. One says she heard some noise in the front room, where there is some corn housed, but thought nothing of it. She heard no cries or other noise. Considerable curiosity is witnessed by us daily to se the particular tree of the twenty water-oaks in the square upon which the four men were hanged; and as it will become historic, we will supply an omission in our account of last week by indicating its location. The tree is about 30 inches in diameter, and stands about 80 feet from the steps of the fence next to the river and very near the walk. About 15 feet from the ground a limb, a foot in diameter, puts out, pointing nearly due south. It is on this limb the men were hanged, and it is the only limb of the twenty trees suitable for the execution of four men together, as heavy as these were. The men were hung in pairs - when one was cut down, both fell. This particular limb, some two years ago when the trees in the square were trimmed, was specially pointed out to the trimmer by the Sheriff to be cut off. Old Jim Smith, the freedman who had the job, out of perversity, or it might appear by direction of fate, disregarded the directions of the Sheriff, and left the limb, after carefully cutting away some of it's lateral branches. It was Tom Ross and Jim Beatty, two of the hanged men, who made the strange exit from the jail in May last, noticed by us at the time. Tom and Jim were chained together by the ankles, with a chain five feet in length. The grating in the ceiling, for ventilation, was torn out, and a hole made not larger than a medium - sized pane of glass. The ceiling is about ten feet from the floor. Two other men were in the cell. Beatty and Ross got out through the hole chained together, but the blanket rope provided for the descent from the roof, broke with their weight, and they fell 25 feet to the ground. They climbed a high fence, Jim with a broken leg and Tom with a bruised face, the results of the fall, but were unable to make good their escape. The manner of their exit while chained together and through such a small hole in the ceiling ten feet from the floor, was not understood, until one of their companions explained that Beatty passed through the hole head foremost, while Ross was held on the shoulders of the two other inmates. Beatty then caught Ross by the feet and drew him through the hole feet foremost. It was a desperate risk, but they were impelled by indictments for murder, at the time, and by fear, no doubt, of the consequences. The bodies of the four, after the Coroner's inquest (the proceedings of which we published last week) were placed in plain pine boxes and were buried in the City Cemetery. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, October 18, 1878 Page 2, Column 2 ASSASSINATION. Bloody Week in Ouachita Parish. Intelligence has, no doubt, gone abroad that four colored men were assassinated, or killed, in this city, or vicinity, Thursday night was a week ago. What construction has been placed abroad upon these acts of lawlessness, we cannot say, since the quarantine regulations have deprived us of our newspaper exchanges. Nor, do we know how these deplorable events occurred. Many stories reach us - all conflicting - and we are left absolutely in the dark as to an opinion how, or why these murders were committed. There was a number of men on horseback in town, who rode up and down the streets. That much all the people we have interviewed agree upon; but we have been unable to ascertain anything definite further. The number of men who were () in town is variously estimated, by our informants, from seventy-five to three hundred and fifty. We are told by two gentlemen who saw the cavalcade, that they did not know either a horse or a man in the line. We submit copies of the proces verbal made by the Coroner of the Parish who viewed the dead bodies of the murdered men. We have heard wild and vague stories, of a sensational character, we will not print, because they have no fit place in this paper. The TELEGRAPH condemns these acts of lawlessness, and that is enough. Life and liberty are precious boons, and no reckless disregard of either will be tolerated in these columns. We grieve that our poor State should suffer such afflictions, but the fault is not ours. The findings of the Coroner's inquest read as follows: MONROE, LA., October 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the body of Dan Hill, there lying dead. - After summoning and swearing a jury of inquest, the following testimony was elicited. David Hopping, being duly sworn, deposes as follows: "I was sitting on a chair on the gallery - Mr. Herring's gallery. The deceased was sitting about a foot and a half to the right of me. He was shot while sitting there. We wee sitting talking about two minutes. Two men came along; when they got a little past they wheeled and shot. They shot three or four times. Nobody spoke. I could not say whether they were white or black. I then went into Mr. Lewis' and when I came out they were gone. DAVID HOPPING." John Hewson, being sworn, deposes as follows: "I was at Mrs. Boner's at the time the shooting took place. I did not come out then; about five minutes after the shooting I came out. JOHN HEWSON." Wash Johnson, being sworn, deposes as follows: "As near as I can guess it was between 11 and 12 o'clock last night when the deceased was shot in the house. He was shot from the outside and inside of the house. I could not tell how many men there were; one came in the house and one outside the window. Id did not know any of these men. After the shooting they got their horses and rode off. His WASH X JOHNSON" Mark After the testimony was taken the jury then retired, and after returning rendered the following verdict: That the deceased came to his death by gunshot wounds at the hands of party or parties unknown to them. J.W. LOCKE, C.F. SAUNDERS, His HENRY X DORSEY, Mark S.C. HERRING, His JOE X HAMILTON. Mark PARGOUD'S LOWER PLACE, October 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the bodies of Sam Wallace and Joshua Hall, there lying dead. - After summoning and swearing a jury of qualified voters the following testimony was elicited. P. Trouard, being sworn, deposes as follows: "I was at home this morning at one o'clock. There was some shooting, and saw the firing, but do not know who it was. I think there were about ninety men. After these men left I went out into the quarters; after getting out there I found the two men dead. They (the squad of men) went down the river and came back in about an hour afterwards. P. TROUARD." After hearing the testimony and the statement of the surgeon (whose statement is hereto annexed) the following verdict was rendered: That the said Sam Wallace and Joshua Hall came to their deaths by gun-shot wounds at the hands of parties unknown to us. E.T. MORRIS, His ANDREW X PARKER, Mark His ROBERT X SEGANS, Mark His SILAS X CALDWELL. Mark NEAR MONROE, LA., Oct. 11, 1878. An inquest held this day upon the body of Herman Bell, there lying dead, and after inquiry, there being no witnesses, the jury being duly sworn and empannelled, rendered the following verdict After they examined the body and found several gun-shot wounds about the chest and back, sufficient in their opinion to cause death, they do say upon their oath that death ensued from the causes as above stated. J.G. VANEMBURGH, J.E. HANNA, T.S. O'KELLY, CHAS. T. SUBLETT. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, October 18, 1878 Page 2, Column 3 Intelligence reached this point, Monday, that a conflict was impending between the whites and blacks in the parish of Tensas. The immediate cause of the trouble, it appears from a press dispatch, was the killing of Capt. John Peck, a well known and highly esteemed young man, by the negroes. He was it appears, remonstrating, at the time, with the negroes upon the course they were pursuing in drawing the color line and was shot down while addressing them. Capt. Peck was a prominent citizen and a Democrat, though not a candidate, and his murder excited a justifiably bitter and hostile feeling. An attempt was made to arrest the murderers, which was resisted with defiance, and as there were not men enough to execute the process of the Court, aid was sought from other parishes. Note: This is only one paragraph from this article. The rest of the article is concerning race relations in the state. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, November 1, 1878 Page 3, Column 1 Last Saturday night Hope Jones stabbed Parson Isaac Walker at Judge Baker's plantation on the Bayou DeSiard, and from the effects of the wound Parson Walker died. There had been trouble between the two men for some time, and it appears that Walker had been pursuing Jones for some time previous to the killing. They finally met and had a rough and tumble fight, the result of which was that Jones used an old worn-out butcher knife on Walker, cutting him near the neck, and Walker bled to death before a surgeon could be had. Parson Walker, from what we can hear, was clearly in the wrong. Jones and Walker are both colored men.