News article:"HOMICIDE IN BOSSIER PARISH- Ford Edwards Shoots and Kills Ernest Wyche"/Bossier Parish/LA
Source: The Ouachita Telegraph 
Submitted by: Lora Peppers 
Date: May 2000


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Saturday, September 2, 1882
Page 1, Column 3

HOMICIDE IN BOSSIER PARISH
The Sad Results of a Courthouse Ball.
  [Shreveport Standard, 27th.]
 We learned yesterday further particulars of the unfortunate homicide at
Bellevue, and give them as related to us.  The ball at which the first
difficulty occurred on Thursday night between young Ernest Wyche and Ford
Edwards, took place at the courthouse and was attended by a number of the
young folks of Bellevue and the surrounding country.  It seems that both the
young men were engaged to dance with a young lady named Miss Nellie Smith –
Edwards for the scottische and Wyche for a quadrille.  Young Edwards
prevailed on the music to play the scottische first, at which young Wyche
took exceptions, and after the dance they met as they were going out of the
courthouse, when Wyche used some very harsh words towards Edwards and
slapped him in the face.  The two then went for each other, but were
separated by some friends who were present, and an agreement made that
nothing more should be said till the next morning, when the difficulty would
be settled.
 After the difficulty young Edwards left the ball, and Wyche remained.  In
the morning, young Wyche went to the residence of his uncle, Sheriff R.E.
Wyche, being somewhat excited, and asked for his uncle’s pistol.  Knowing of
the difficulty at the ball, young, Robert Wyche, son of the sheriff, told
Ernest the pistol was not there, but had been carried away by his father,
and tried to pacify him, as did also Mrs. Wyche and Willie Abney.  Robert
Wyche and Willie Abney then went to O’Neal’s store and warned Ford Edwards
of the action of Ernest.  In the meantime Ernest had found Sheriff Wyche’s
pistol, which was a very long one, and armed with it he left the house,
notwithstanding the entreaties of Mrs. Wyche.  Passing out of the yard he
remarked to a colored man that he was going on an errand either to kill or
be killed, and he never expected to return, or words to that effect.  As
soon as Ford Edwards was warned he startled out and the two men met in front
of Kelly’s grocery store, when Edwards said, “Ernest Wyche, I am now ready
to settle that difficulty.”  Ernest made an attempt to draw his pistol which
he had under his coat in front, but owing to the length of the weapon it got
hung in his clothing.  Edwards then quickly stepped forward and struck him
over the head with his pistol.  In the meantime, Wyche had disengaged his
pistol, and was in the act of cocking it, when Edwards fired, the ball from
his weapon taking effect in the forehead of Wyche, over the eye and entering
the brain, and he fell to the ground dead.  Edwards then threw his pistol
upon the ground and started leisurely to ward O’Neal’s store, where he was
employed, and being met by some of his friends was advised to keep out of the
way till the excitement subsided.  He had not been arrested up to the time
our informant left, but it is not thought he has left the neighborhood, and
will give himself up in a short time.
 The affair is greatly regretted in Bellevue, and our informant is of the
opinion, from the general talk, the sympathy is rather with young Edwards.

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