Inquest Records Book #1, March 1877-December 1886

Page 97.  Inquest was held on 22 Dec 1884 on the body of an unknown colored man found drowned in the Mississippi River in front of Price's Place. The juror's verdict is that he came to his death by some unknown cause drowning in the Mississippi River and no guilt attaches to any person, there being no marks of violence on the body. Jurors were Alfre Simmons, George Jackson, Frank Williams, Paul Jones, Alfred Carter and Clement Colly, Coroner. J. B. Martin, Clerk and J. C. Triche, Dy. Clerk.


Page 98.  Inquest was held on 13 Dec 1884 on the body of Isham Buchanan lying dead at Boutte Station, before J. B. Friedman, 4th Ward Justice of the Peace. The juror's verdict was that Isham Buchanan, colored, was found dead by being run over by a train of the Morgan Railroad, going east. The train was in charge of Mr. Casln?, Engineer, who is not blamed. Jurors were Achille Garner, Geo. Alick, James Taylor, Edmond Roberts, J. B. Butler, and J. B. Friedman, acting coroner. Approved by Clement Colly, Coroner, J. C. Triche, Dy. Clerk


Page 99.  Inquest was held on 24 Sept 1885 on the body of Isaac Williams, lying dead in the Tenny or Hills Place. The juror's verdict is that he came to his death by the visitation of God and not otherwise, there being no marks of violence upon his person. Therefore, no guilt attaches to any other person. Jurors were George Washington, Stephen Johnson, Thom Oscar, Charles Adam, Wm. Johnson, Clement Colly, Coroner.

Inquest Records Book #1, March 1877-December 1886

P 56.  Inquest was held on the child of Marie Thomas at Magnolia Ridge, 4th Ward. This was a dead child unlawfully buried by one Clairborne Harvey and exhumed by order of the coroner. The dead child was borne by Marie Thomas on the night of 23 December 1800 and buried on the 24 December 1880. The verdict of the jurors was that the dead child lost his life due to a Prostrate confinement, criminal neglect and incompetence of one Clairborne Harvey, acting as midwife and surgeon in the case and mother, Marie Thomas, being abettor before, during and after the fact of that practice. Jurors were Frank Roberts, J. M. Bailer, Adolph Mojonnier, Isham Henry, John Bently, and J. F. Mojonnier, Coroner.

P 57.  Inquest was held on 12 April 1882 on the body of John Brown, age about 70, at the Star Place, 1st Ward. The jurors' verdict was that he came to his death on the evening of the 10th at half past four o'clock, by the crumbling down of an old brick house structure of the Star Place, the same having had the wall partially demolished to use the bricks in the sugar house of the Star Plantation and further we find that the falling of the structure was caused by the criminal practice of demolishing the walls of the structure without any precaution or warning to the working men at the plantation and charge the owner and manager of the place of criminal neglect. Jurors were Geo. Smith, Ben Ednia, Lewis Pafuell, George Washington, Randell Hunter, and J. F. Mojonnier, Coroner.

Inquest Records, Book 1--Mar 1877-Dec 1886

Page 51.  Inquest was held on the body of Fanny Garner on 29 Mar 1881. The verdict was that she died on 28 Mar 1881 from the effect of a gun shot ball with a pistol shot in the hands of Achill Garner about 4 o'clock pm on the 17th of Mar 1881. The ball penetrated the stomach, went downward lacerating the left kidney, the womb, and stopping on the hipp (sic) bone, where it was extracted by the coroner. The said ball having caused internal hemoragie (sic), inflammation of the kidney and the death. The aforesaid Garner is yet in the custody of the sheriff, Jurors were W. A. Johnson, Harry McNervey, John C. Bently, Edward Roberts, Adolph Mojonnier and J. F. Mojonnier, Coroner.

Page 52.  Inquest was held on the body of Thomas Washingtom on 18 Feb 1881 being dead at E. Waggaman's Place, 4th Ward. The jurors' verdict was that he died from a strangulate hernia of which he was himself ignorant and these friends who attended him with care, had no idea that his life was in danger and so we find no blame. Jurors were Harry McNervey, Adolph Mojonnier, John Bently, Paul Bernard Fabares, Edward Beell and J. F. Mojonnier, Coroner.

Inquest Records Book #1, March 1877-Dec 1886

Page 41.  Inquest was held on the body of Andrew Newton, age 11 years, 11 months, on 16 Oct 1880, found dead in the 4th Ward. The verdict is that his death was caused by hemoragy (sic) of the brain, which affected by congestive chill (congestive fever). Jurors were W. A. Johnson, Martin Roberts, Joseph Peterson, George Crawford, Felician Andrew and J. F. Mojonnier, Coroner.

Page 42.  Inquest was held on a body found in the Mississippi River in front of the Catholic Church, 1st Ward, right bank of the river, on 20 Apr 1880. The verdict is that the body found was a male and had been in the river 4 or 5 months. No marks of violence were discovered, the body was much decayed. The jurors suppose he was a colored man about the age between 25 or 50 and cause of death was drowning. Jurors were L. Gorton, M. Walter, Geo. Stacy, Pier Warfield, John Dent, D. R. Lewis, and Coy Clinton, Justice of the Peace, Acting Coroner.

Page 43.  Inquest was held on the body of Joseph Adams found dead near A. Trousclare, on 13 June 1880. The man had apparently been traveling one or two days. The body was in a nude state and nothing was found upon the body that would lead to his identity, no marks of violence were discovered. He was evidently a white man between 45 and 51. The verdict is that cause of death is by thunder struck. Jurors were James Peterson, Virsice Trousclare, Clairville Champagne, Flavius Jacob, Ovide Champagne, and Coy Clinton, Acting Coronor, 1st Ward Justice of the Peace. (The record does give his name, perhaps it was learned at a later date)

Page 44.  Inquest was held on the body of George Taylor, lying dead in the Public Road of Freetown, on 30 Dec 1880, before Coy Clinton, 1st Ward Justice of the Peace. Jurors Verdict was that on Tuesday night, 28 Dec 1880, the deceased came to his death being frozen to death under the influence of liquors. Jurors were Wash. Taylor, Handy Washington, C. A. Bourgeois, Robert Diendonnie and Coy Clinton, Acting Coroner.

Newspaper Items of Interest---11 Aug 1877

St. Charles Herald Newspaper--11 Aug 1877--Hahnville,Louisiana

     The finishing touches to the new race course in this village were made last week.
     The cane on Rosemond Troxler's place is looking remarkably fine. We saw a stalk the other day with ten fully developed joints.
     There is complaints all over the parish of hard times. Merchants of more than twenty years standing say that they have never seen such scarcity of money.
     Owing to the redistricting of this parish into wards according to Legislative enactment, there are several wards without Justices of the Peace and Constables.
     One large planter out at Boutte has made 1000 barrels more of corn than he can necessarily consume. And such is the case with a majority of the planters of this parish.
     The Jury Commission, consisting of G.Espinola, N.Louque, E.Roberts and V.L. Ceresolle, with the Clerk of Court, ex-officio a member, will meet to-day in the Clerk's office to prepare a jury list.
     We were in error last week in stating that the body of the man found buried on the Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad was colored. The body was that of a white man, evidently a German, and several marks of violence were found on his person.
     The gambling fever, instead of abating, appears to gain new headway in this neighborhood. We call the attention of District Attorney Earhart to this fact. Let him emulate the example of his predecessor, Judge Marks, and clear the district of black-legs and gamblers.
     Mr. Kelly, whose plantation is three miles below Hahnville, will commence cutting and stacking his rice crop on Monday next. Without exception, all who have seen his crop pronounce it the finest in the State. He has 315 acres of the staple, and bets on fourteen barrels to the acre.
     Captain Ranson, recently of the steamboat Robert Young, informs us that he will shortly remove from his present residence near the Boutte Road to Hahnville. He will build one of the largest and best finished houses in the parish. We welcome the Captain to our village, and wish that a score or more of such gentlemen would do likewise---that is, settle in our town.