1915-08-26: (The Killing of Ludowick Jeudi — One Month After the Foreign Marines Arrived Caroline Dagille Sent the “Age 17 or 19”-Year-Old Ludowick Jeudi to …

1915-08-26: (The Killing of Ludowick Jeudi — One Month After the Foreign Marines Arrived Caroline Dagille Sent the “Age 17 or 19”-Year-Old Ludowick Jeudi to Run Her Morning Errands Near the Corner of Rue du Pont and Rue Oswald Durand in Cap-Haïtien, That Same Morning Louie Joseph “a Haitian Negro” Accused of Stealing a Woman’s Cow Ran from the Military’s Regional Headquarters, Corporal Fred Parsons Drawing His Gun and Shooting Twice in Joseph’s Direction on the Busy Street, Ludowick Having Just Turned onto Rue du Pont Was Hit and Ran Along Rue Oswald Durand Until He Dropped, When Dagille Found Him He Was Sitting in a Chair Against a Building His Cooling Flesh Slowly Matching the Temperature of the Wall Behind Him, the Children Who Ducked on the West Side of the Bridge and the Boy Whose Parents in the Country Had Entrusted Dagille with His Safety): On the morning of August 26, 1915, one month after the foreign marines arrived, Caroline Dagille sent the “age 17 or 19”-year-old Ludowick Jeudi to run her morning errands near the corner of Rue du Pont and Rue Oswald Durand in Cap-Haïtien. That same morning Louie Joseph, described in the record as “a Haitian negro,” was in the military’s regional headquarters housed in the railroad station on Rue du Pont, accused of stealing a woman’s cow. When the woman arrived to make her report, Joseph saw his accuser and ran. Corporal Fred Parsons drew his gun and shot twice in Joseph’s direction. The street was busy, but after the first shot the street was practically cleared of people, only for a few children on the west side of the bridge who ducked. Joseph stopped and surrendered. Ludowick, who had just turned onto Rue du Pont, also stopped — he was hit, and he turned and ran along the Rue Oswald Durand until he dropped at the point where his body was found. When Dagille found Ludowick, the young man was sitting in a chair against a building, about 200 yards from the Rue du Pont, his cooling flesh slowly matching the temperature of the wall behind him interrupted by the warmth of Dagille’s touch. Ludowick’s parents lived in the country and had entrusted Dagille with his safety. Children of the occupation generation recount memories of oddity and familiarity with the foreign military presence — flag-raising ceremonies, learning American quips, and the horrifying account of Edwidge Danticat’s uncle who as a child saw marines playing what he thought was soccer, only to realize as he got closer that the strange-shaped ball they were kicking was a man’s head.