Watson Kills Walter Bell, Franklin Parish, La.

Date: May 2000
Submitted by: Lora Peppers <lpeppers@ouachita.lib.la.us>


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 

The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, August 28, 1874
Page 1, Column 5

A DESPERATE SCUFFLE FOR LIFE.
 Walter Bell, having stolen a horse in Franklin parish, was subsequently
arrested by citizens of Catahoula.  Bell was turned over to the
mail-rider who was going to Franklin, to be carried to jail in
Winnsborough.  What occurred is thus detailed by the mail-rider:
 They asked me if I would carry him to Winnsborough.  I said I would if
Bell said so, and he said he was more than willing.  I then told McVey I
wanted to swear out a warrant, and was sworn in as special constable.  I
started for Winnsborough with Bell, and had a gun I got from one of the
party who arrested him.  Between a half and three quarters of a mile I
discovered Bell fumbling at his boots; told him to get down and pull
them off.  I says "I believe you have a pistol in them." says he, "all
right," and got down and asked which boot he should pull off first; I
having got down and stood within five feet of him said, "the left boot
first and both of them."  He pulled them off; catching them in his hand
as if to set them down, says I, "threw them boots to me."  He threw them
beyond me, at the same time ran at me; my gun failing to shoot he
grabbed the gun.  We then tussled some five minutes, he trying to take
the gun, he said, "turn the gun loose; I want your horse, and this gun,
and the mail bags, and what money you've got, and you can take the black
horse and go to h-ll with him."  Said I to him; "after we have had
another scuffle I'll tell you more about it."  He then hit me in (the)
face with one hand still holding the gun with the other, and I hit him
also, retaining a hold of the gun with the other.  He tripped at me
several times, trying to throw me down, and then I tripped at him and
succeeded to throw him.  He fell with the gun across his breast, and me
on him.  While holding him I managed to get my knife out of my right
pocket, and clutching the knife against my leg I managed to open it, and
then I cut his neck vein; he exclaimed to me, "I am a dead man;" I says
to him, "you will be directly," and cut the other neck vein; I then cut
his heart.  I then got up off of him, left everything laying as the
scuffle commenced, got on my horse and went back to McVey's and told him
that I killed Bell.  He summoned a jury and went back where the body ws
and examined his boots, and shook a derringer out of them.  They then
held an inquest over him, and after the Justice released me, I proceeded
to Winnsborough with my mail and Mac Scott's horse.
 This statement of Mr. Watson everybody believes to be, "the whole truth
and nothing but the truth" of the affair.  The two men in size and
strength were well matched, and nothing but his courage and coolness
enabled Watson to overcome his daring assailant.  Bell showed at times
that he had good raising, and letters to the postmaster here in
inquiring about him, afforded proof that he had relatives who had a
strong solicitude for him.  But there is no doubt that he has for some
time been involved in the meshes of dissipation and has sought occasions
both here and elsewhere, to indulge in the nefarious business of
horse-stealing, and in the pursuit of which he was caught and lost his
life.

#  #  #