But this actually happened in Gretna, a few miles from New Orleans.  In its description of the scenes of Tuesday night, the Picayune mentions the brutal chase of several colored men whom the mob sought to kill.  In the instances mentioned, the paper said: 

Gretna had its full share of excitement between 8 and 11 o’clock last night, in connection with a report that spread through the town that a Negro resembling the slayer of Police Captain Day, of New Orleans, had been seen on the outskirts of the place.

It is true that a suspicious-looking Negro was observed by the residents of Madison and Amelia Streets lurking about the fences of that neighborhood just after dark, and shortly before 8 o’clock John Fist, a young white man, saw the Negro on Fourth Street.  He followed the darkey a short distance, and, coming upon Robert Moore, who is known about town as the “black detective,” Fist pointed the Negro out and Moore at once made a move toward the stranger.  The latter observed Moore making in his direction, and, without a word, he sped in the direction of the Brooklyn pasture, Moore following and firing several shots at him.  In a few minutes a half hundred white men, including Chief of Police Miller, Constable Dannenhauer, Patrolman Keegan and several special officers, all well-armed, joined in the chase, but in the darkness the Negro escaped.

Just as the pursuing party reached town again, two of the residents of Lafayette Avenue, Peter Leson and Robert Henning, reported that they had just chased and shot at a Negro, who had been seen in the yard of the former’s house.  They were positive the Negro had not escaped from the square.  Their report was enough to set the appetite of the crowd on edge, and the square was quickly surrounded, while several dozens of men, armed with lanterns and revolvers, made a search of every yard and under every house in the square.  No Negro was found.

The crowd of armed men was constantly swelling, and at 10 o’clock it had reached the proportions of a small army.  At 10:30 o’clock an outbound freight train is due to pass through Gretna on the Texas and Pacific Road, and the crowd, believing that Captain Day’s slayer might be aboard one of the cars attempting to leave the scene of his crime, resolved to inspect the train.  As the train stopped at the Madison Street crossing the engineer was requested to pull very slowly through the town, in order that the trucks of the cars might be examined.  There was a string of armed men on each side of the railroad track and in a few moments a Negro was espied riding between two cars.  A half dozen weapons were pointed at him and he was ordered to come out.  He sprang out with alacrity and was pounced upon almost before he reached the ground.  Robert Moore grabbed him and pushed an ugly-looking Derringer under his nose and the Negro threw up both hands.  Constable Dannenhauer and Patrolman