Law & Order: Shooting of Jesse Bonnett, Grant Parish La
Submitted to USGENWEB by: Houston Tracy Jr.




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The Colfax Chronicle
August 6, 1898

Former librarian, Helen Sorrell, at the Grant Parish Library had gone through
some of the microfilm of the newspaper files of the Chronicle and made copies
of obituaries and/or news items, which led to death.
These were found in a folder on the book shelf at that library on a research
trip there 13 February 1999.
Copies were made and then extracted to post here in the LaGenWeb archives for
Grant and Rapides Parishes.



The Shooting of Jesse Bonnett - Pollock, La. August 2, 1898 - Editor, Colfax
Chronicle

     Your informant in the last issue of your paper, relative to the shooting
of Jesse Bonnett, made several grave mistakes.  The shooting occurred at 10:40
a.m. on Sunday, July 24th, near the 28-mile board (postings along the roads,
marking each mile of the road) on the Claiborne road.  I was present and saw
the whole affair, and so did my son, Robert.  The pistol was lying at the
front end next to the dashboard in Dr. Bonnette's buggy (not in a box, as
earlier reported).  I was chasing horse thieves.  The doctor took hold of the
pistol, a large and long Colt's, by the barrell near the muzzle, and raised
the muzzle to hand the pistol to me, to take on the chase, when the thing went
off, the load passing just under Dr. Bonnette's chin, and striking his
brother, Jesse, just under the left arm, and came out through the shoulder
blade.
     While the wound was painful, it has never been considered dangerous,
since first examined.  It was purely accidental.  What caused the pistol to go
off is a mystery to me.  There was nothing to catch either the hammer or the
trigger.  Jesse has been visiting all over town and out of town ever since,
the 28th, and his wounds are doing well.       W.P. Guynes
     The following item, which appeared last week, contains mistakes referred
to above, viz:
Dr. J.V. Bonnette of Pollock, accidentally shot his brother, Jesse, on
Wednesday, inflicting a painful and dangerous wound in the shoulder and arm. 
In trying to get his pistol from a box in his buggy, the doctor explained it
in some accidental way.