Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005 - (Page 40)

HIS TORI C NE W ORLEANS COL LECTION The Historic New Orleans Collection In his letter to Jewell, former Gov. Warmoth opposed the editor’s call for a return to the “star cars,” reminding him of pledges being made to Congress of the intent of the state to uphold the political and civil rights of its newly enfranchised citizens. A swifter return of Louisiana’s full status as a member of the Union hinged upon conveying this intent. Jewell published Warmoth’s letter coupled with his own vindictive editorial on December 24. Editor A.M. Holbrook of the Daily Picayune then published Warmoth’s reaction addressed to the “Manager of the Bulletin” (Byerly) in his Christmas morning issue: “When I handed you my letter which you published yesterday morning, in reply to your recommendation that ‘star cars’ should be placed on the streets . . . you and your editor, Mr. Jewell, told me that you would ‘ruin me if I published that letter.’ I did not see very well just how you would accomplish your purpose so energetically expressed, but your issue of this morning reveals plainly your plan. Your purpose to do it by lying — unmitigated lying. My letter was a respectful protest against what I considered your injudicious advice . . . Because I had thought proper to disagree with you, and have expressed opinions which are consistent with those I have entertained for years, you seek to ‘ruin me,’ as you threatened, by violent personal assaults and falsehoods.” In this letter Warmoth went on to refute several attacks on his political career, and his caustic reply brought Jewell’s demand for either a public apology or “pistols at dawn.” Warmoth refused to apologize and Jewell challenged him to a duel. The preliminaries were arranged, a date was set for the following Monday, December 28, and weapons were decided upon — pistols at 10 paces — but Daniel Byerly took it upon himself to personally vindicate his editor’s position when he encountered Warmoth on Canal Street that fateful Saturday. Warmoth was on his way to arrange his affairs in anticipation of the duel, when he stopped to speak to a friend, Emory E. Norton, on Canal Street near Louis Grunewald’s Music Store close to Royal Street at about 11:30 on the morning of December 26. Witnesses later testified that Byerly approached, drew a heavy walking cane, and without a word struck Warmoth several times on the head and shoulders, gashing his forehead. Byerly then grappled with Warmoth before he could recover his wits and both men fell to the pavement, Byerly on top and Warmoth underneath. As they continued to struggle, Warmoth managed to retrieve his pocket knife, described during the inquest as an ivoryhandled spring knife with a curved blade about 4 inches long which locked into place when opened. He inflicted six wounds on his attacker before police above: Photograph of a mule-drawn streetcar in New Orleans, ca. 1880, from the Louis C. Hennick Streetcar Collection. pulled Byerly off of him. Sergeant Gaspar Slabouski confiscated Warmoth’s knife and escorted him to the police station on St. Peter Street where he and Byerly were charged with fighting and disturbing the peace, and Warmoth with the further charge of “stabbing and dangerously wounding” his assailant. Byerly, bleeding from his wounds, was taken by police detective, Captain Leonard Malone, to Dr. Cornelius Beard’s office at the Orleans Infirmary on Dauphine Street between Canal and Customhouse (Iberville) streets, where at about 10:20 that evening he died without shedding further light on his actions. Warmoth was then charged with murder and taken to Parish Prison. As news spread about the incident, Warmoth received many letters of support and encouragement from local friends and acquaintances, as well as from those around the country who learned of the attack in their newspapers. Among those who visited him in his cell were then-Gov. William P. Kellogg, Mayor Louis A. Wiltz, future Gov. Samuel D. McEnery, and most comforting of all according to Warmoth’s memoirs, the venerable Episcopal Bishop of 40 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Fall 2005

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005 Contents Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Louisiana State Museum After Katrina and Rita Tabasco: Edmund McIlhenny and the Birth of a Louisiana Pepper Sauce Historic New Orleans Collection Louisiana Association of Museums New Orleans’ Coffee Connection No Man’s Land Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) Forum (Commentary by Roy Blount, Jr. )

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2005

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.