The Monroe News-Star - D. M. Trahan Shot by Sylvester Mouton Submitted by: Lora Peppers Date: Dec. 1999 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ *********************************************** The Monroe News-Star Friday, September 2, 1910 Page 5, Column 1 CHILDREN WITNESS FATHER'S MURDER SHOT DOWN BY NEGRO WHO HAD BEEN REPRIMANDED. Impudest Black Pursues White Man and Kills Him in the Presence of Wife and Children. Lake Charles, La., Sept. 2. - D.M. Trahan, aged twenty-four, was shot to death yesterday six miles east of Lake Charles by a negro named Sylvester Mouton of Lafayette. Trahan was the foreman and overseer on the rice plantation of Jesse Thom. It is reported that Mouton had been arrested last night near town and is in jail, but this report has nout (sic) been confirmed. Alcide Broussard, another negro who was on the Thom plantation when the shooting occurred, has been arrested and is being held. Coroner Fisher held an inquest over the dead overseer's body yesterday afternoon, and the jury returned a verdict charging Mouton with the murder. The testimony brought out in this investigation showed the killing to have been a cold-blooded deed of a negro fiend. Trahan told Mouton to hitch up a team early yesterday morning, and the negro muttered something as he went about his work. He delayed hitching the team for some time, and when reprimanded by Trahan for being so slow became very insolent. Trahan shook him and warned him that he had better not repeat his impudence. The negro said he did not want to work there any more and was going to the barn to get his clothes. Trahan watched him from a nearby point. As the black came out of the barn he held a pistol in his right hand and began firing at Trahan. The latter begged for mercy and began to run toward the house, but the negro followed and murdered him in the presence of his wife and three small children. Immediately after killing Trahan the negro began running down the track of the Iron Mountain route in the direction of Lake Charles. Alcide Broussard, another negro, was the only other person in the vicinity at the time, and he became frightened at what had occurred and ran away, being arrested later in the day. As he took no part in the affair he will likely be released today. The dead man leaves a widow and three small children. He was a native of Calcasieu parish and has a large family connection in this part of the State. # # #