News And Items for Point Coupee Parish

Negro Facing Charges of Murdering Physician For 34 Years Ago
NEW ROADS. La. Divided jurors, refreshed by a partial nights sleep at 10 o'clock Saturday morning still endeavored to reach a verdict in the trial of Charles Allen, negro, facing the gallows for the murder in 1897 of Dr. John R. Rigney, a prominent physician of this section. The negro was arrested in St. Louis, Mo. Source - Hope Star 5/30/1931 submitted by Tina Easley

Territory of Orleans, County of Point Coupee, Sept. 5, 1805. ON this day appeared before me, Ebenezer Cooley, justice of the peace for the county of Point Coupee, Adam Bingaman, who being duly sworn, declared, that on the night of the 3d instant, at a very late hour, he was one of a party commanded by a captain Alston, and stationed within a few of the line of demarcation, at the Spanish side, for the purpose, as declared by captain Alston, of seizing the Kempers, who were expected to come from the American territory. That at the distance of about 50 yards above the line, he saw a party approach, who were hailed by captain Alston, to whom they delivered three prisoners. The party to which deponent belonged was then ordered by captain Alston to conduct the prisoners to Bayou Tunica, where the prisoners were put on board a piroque, and ordered off for Baton Rouge, at about day break on the 4th. That as they were passing opposite the post at Point Coupee, their piroque was boarded by lieutenant Wilson, with a party of his men, who took the prisoners and their conductors into custody. ADAM BINGAMAN. Done before me, EBENEZER COOLEY, Justice of the Peace.

Source State Papers And Public Documents 1817

Territory of Orleans, County of Point Coupee, Sept. 6, 1805. ON this day appeared before me, Ebenezer Cooley, justice of the peace for the county of Point Coupee, William Barker, who being duly sworn, declares : That on the night of the 3d instant, he was one of a party of militia commanded by captain Alston, which party was stationed for about two hours within a few paces of the line of demarcation on the Spanish side. That they heard a noise which was made at a short distance above the line, and soon after saw a party cross the line, who delivered to captain Alston three prisoners, whose names were Reuben, Nathan, and Samuel Kemper. Capt. Alston ordered the prisoners to be immediately conducted to the Bayou Tunica, where they were put into a piroque, to be conveyed to Baton Rouge ; that deponent was commanded by captain Alston to keep a strict watch on them, and to give them no opportunity of escaping until he should deliver them at the fort of Baton Rouge ; that as deponent was passing opposite the garrison of Point Coupee, his piroque was taken by a superior force commanded by lieut. Wilson, commandant of the garrison at Point Coupee, who took into custody the prisoners, and the party by whom they were conducted. WILLIAM BARKER. Sworn before me this 5th day of September, 1 805. EBENEZER COOLEY, Justice of the Peace.

Tterritory of Orleans, County of Point Coupee, Sept. 3, 1805. ON this day appeared before me, Ebenezer Cooley, justice of the peace for the county of Point Coupee, Samuel Kemper, who being duly sworn, declared : That on the night of the 3d inst. about the hour of 12, as he believed, being at his house in the town of Pinckneyville, in the Mississippi territory, he heard a knocking at the door, and asked who was there ? An answer was made, which he did not understand, and the outer door burst open. The door of the bed room was then forced. and a blow made at the bed with a double-barrelled gun.Deponent was then seized, and dragged out of the bed by a number of men, who drew him into the room which they had first entered, and from thence after a struggle, into the street. He was then thrown on the ground, and a rope was tied round his neck, by which he was dragged about one hundred and fifty yards. He was then suffered to stand upright, and attempted, by crying out, to give an alarm, upon which he received a stroke of a pistol on tlie head, by which he was stunned. The rope being removed from his neck to his arm, he was compelled to run for the space of about a quarter of a mile, after which he was forced to get up behind a man on horseback ; a negro who ran on foot still holding the rope by which his wrist was tied. He was then led along the main road across the line, and delivered to a party of men, who conducted him to the landing of Bayou Tunica. Then he was put on board a piroque, with his two brothers, Reuben and Nathan Kemper, and conducted down the river towards Eaton Rouge. When opposite Point Coupee, they gave the alarm, and were received by lieut. Wilson, commandant of the garrison of Point Coupee. SAMUEL KEMPER. Sworn before me this 5th day of September, 1805. EBENEZER COOLEY,

Wilkinson County, Mississippi Territory. PERSONALLY appeared before me, one of the justices of the peace for said county, John Atkinson, Henry Gamheart, Richard Richardson and John Whitaker, who, being duly sworn according to law, on their oaths depose, that on the night of the 3d September, 1805, being at the house of Nathan Kemper, in the vicinity of Pinckneyville, between the hours of eleven and twelve, they heard some person hail the house, and on being asked "two or three times who they were, they steadfastly affirmed it was captain Abrams. Immediately afterwards they opened the door, which swung on the inside of the house and was fastened by a string on the inside — immediately on this Reuben Kemper, appeared to be only at that moment awaked from his sleep, asked who was there ? when they immediately seized him, dragged him out of the house, and tied him, after bruising him very much with a club or clubs. Almost at the same time they dragged Nathan Kemper from the bed wherein he lay with his wife, and tied him also, but did not beat him as much as they did Reuben. Said Nathan Kemper, requesting to see his wife, was refused in very rough language ; she likewise was refused in her request of seeing her husband. On Nathan Kemper's asking what they had done to deserve such treatment, was answered, God damn ! you have ruined our country, which he, Atkinson, believes to be the American territories of Spain. That the said Nathan Kemper's wife received considerable injury from the violence of these men, who all appeared armed with guns, pistols or clubs. — That in the act of confining the above two men, they cocked and uncocked their guns a great many times, and ordered every man in the house to tell his name, and kept a strict guard at both the doors of the house, and would not admit of any one of the family or any one that did not belong to their party passing and repassing, as they frequently presented their guns cocked, and said they would blow the first one through who attempted to oppose them. — That they then gave a regular military word, forward march, and at the second word of command they proceeded on their way, and bore off both Reuben and Nathan Kemper. That the next morning they saw a considerable quantity of blood apparently issuing from the wounds of Reuben Kemper.
JOHN ATKINSON,
HENRY GAMHEART,
RICHARD RICHARDSON,
JOHN WHITAKER.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this third day of
September.
JOSHUA BAKER, J. P.

Town of Washington, September 30, 1805.

DEAR SIR, On the 25th or 26th of this inst. I made examination into the truth of the outrage committed in this territory at and near Pinckneyville, on the night of the 3d of this instant, on the persons of Reuben, Nathan, and Samuel Kemper. 'This outrage appears to have -been committed by a combination of persons, some residing above and some below the line of demarcation. Among them was a doctor Bonner, a Henry Flower, son of doctor Flower, and a Mr. McDermot who were active above the line, and are said to reside below. The party, composed of twelve white men and seven negroes, first assaulted and broke the house of Nathan Kemper, and seized and tied him and his brother Reuben ; then a part of them went to the house of Samuel Kemper, broke into his room, and took and tied him, and the two parties met again near the line ; and went in company on the high road till they got a few feet below the line, where captain Alston, with a party of twelve men, lay in wait, and marched out of the bushes and took possession of the Kempers, at the instant all the other party dispersed and run off. Alston and his party then conducted the Kempers down to Bayou Tunica landing, and put them on board of a boat, and ordered six of his men, to wit, William Barker, Charles Stewart, John Morris, John Ratcliff, George Rowe, and Adam Bingaman, to take them down to Baton Rouge ; on their way down, when they got opposite the American garrison (at Point Coupee, the boat was taken by captain Wilson, the Kempers released, and the Spanish subjects made prisoners. It appearing on examination of the Kempers, that the six persons last mentioned had not acted above the line, they were liberated, as will appear by a document I enclose. None of the Spanish subjects that were active in the outrage above the line, were taken into custody ; but if they had been in custody, they would have been detained for trial. And indeed it was so evident that the party below the line were acting confederate with those above, had they not been the subjects of a government in amity with us, the six persons discharged might have been legally detained until due satisfaction was made. I was careful, however, to avoid any thing that would in the least tend to violate the amity of the two nations, and therefore thought proper to liberate them — though I think our military officers fully justified in detaining them till legally discharged. I am, respectfully, THOMAS RODNEY,

P. S. Justice Baker was also directed to require bail of Reuben, Nathan, and Samuel Kemper respectively, to keep the peace, especially towards the subjects of the king of Spain, and to do no injury to any one below the line of demarcation.

RUNAWAY SLAVE. Is detained in the public prison of the Parish of Point Coupee, as a runaway, a negro about twenty years of age, calls himself William, he is Black and has a down look, five feet seven inches high, when committed, had around his neck an Iron collar with three prongs extending upwards, has many scars on his back and shoulders from the whip. He first said he belonged to a Mr. Robert Delony of New Orleans, secondly to a Mr. Stewart of Baton Rouge, thirdly to a Mr. John Davis, living opposite New Orleans, on the Mississippi river. Owners are requested to prove property and take him away. S. VAN WlCKLE, Shff. Point Coupee, Nov. 4, 1826 Advertisement from the Louisiana Journal (St. Francisville), Nov. 25, 1826.