The Ouachita Telegraph - G. W. Barnard Killed Date: Aug. 2000 Submitted by: Lora Peppers *********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************************************************* The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, July 5, 1878 Page 2, Column 1 A TRAGEDY IN JACKSON PARISH. Mr. G.W. Barnard Killed. We are in receipt of some of the particulars of a serious difficulty which occurred at Vernon, Jackson parish, last week and resulted in the death of Mr. G.W. Barnard. We publish the evidence taken before the Coroner’s jury. VERNON, Jackson Parish, La. At an inquest held over the dead body of George W. Barnard, of said parish and State, C.W. Allen, after being by me, justice of the peace and coroner, duly sworn, deposeth and saith: I saw deceased come out of Dr. McCormick’s drug store the accused (Thompson) coming out ahead of him pretty fast. Mr. Barnard only came to the door. After Mr. Barnard came to Mr. Frantom’s store and asked Mr. W.H. Allen to take charge of the drug store. I then went to the drug store and met Mr. Barnard and Allen talking on the gallery. I then asked Barnard to go with me to Guice’s, which he refused to do, saying that he wanted to play a different game to the one I proposed to play. I then saw Barnard go straight from the drug store and go in Kidd’s store, and in a few minutes I heard the report of fire arms. Previous to this I saw Thompson go half way from Kidd’s store to Coon’s grocery, and he saw Barnard coming meeting him, and then Thompson turned back and come in Kidd’s store, and Barnard followed him into the store. I heard Mr. Thompson tell Mr. Barnard that he had nothing against him. Mr. Barnard’s reply was that all he anted was to get his hands on him. I went in Mr. Kidd’s store after this and found Mr. Barnard dying. C.W. ALLEN. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. and Acting Coroner. Mr. W.B. Ray, sworn: I was sitting at Mr. Frantom’s store and I heard a fuss in the drug store and looked up that way and saw Thompson running out of the drug store. Mr. Barnard came to the door and then Mr. Thompson remarked to him that he had nothing against him, and Mr. Thompson went off pretty fast. Mr. Thompson then went to Kidd’s store. Mr. Barnard asked W.H. Allen to take charge of the drug store. Mr. Allen consented and ask Barnard to go with him, which he did. Barnard then went straight to Kidd’s store. I asked Mr. Barnard not to go to Kidd’s store, and he replied that he would go where he damned pleased. He then went on to Kidd’s store and went in the store, and shortly afterwards I heard the report of fire-arms. W.B. RAY. Sworn to and subscribed to before me this 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. and Acting Coroner. Mr. Frantom, sworn and says: I heard a racket at the drug store, like boys playing. I then saw Mr. Thompson run out ahead of Barnard, Mr. Barnard stopping at the door. After Mr. Thompson got a few feet from the drug store he turned and told Mr. Barnard that he had nothing against him. Directly after that Mr. Barnard came out towards him, and Thompson ran and went into Mr. Kidd’s store. Mr. B. then came to me and requested W.H. Allen to take charge of the drug store. Allen told him he would do so, and as he started off he called Mr. B. to go with him, which Mr. B. did. In passing by my store, going towards Kidd’s store, Mr. Ray told him, “If I were in your place, Mr. B., I would not go down there.” Mr. B. replied, “I will go where I dam please – do you hear that?” I saw him enter Mr. Kidd’s store, and directly after, the gun fired. When Mr. Thompson told Barnard he had nothing against him, Barnard told him to “come back, honey.” J.M. FRANTOM. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. and Acting Coroner. Mr. J.S. Rape, sworn: I was behind the counter of Mr. Kidd’s store at the desk when Mr. Barnard walked in at the door. I then walked to the end of the showcase and asked Mr. Barnard what he would have. His reply was, “Nothing in your line of business.” He then asked where Mr. Thompson was. I told him he was in the back room. I told him as a friend. I asked him not to go in there at that time. I heard Mr. Thompson take the gun from the rack. It then looked, and saw Mr. Thompson about ten feet from the middle door that leads in the back room, with a gun in his hand, in the position of raising to shoot. I heard Thompson tell Barnard to stop. I then saw the danger I was in, and walked to the front door. Just before entering the door I heard the report of a gun. I did not see the shot fired, nor did I see Barnard fall. I then walked on the front gallery and saw several gentlemen sitting in front of Frantom’s store. I then motioned them to come down, and Sheriff Billy Allen was the first that entered the house. I then went in and found Mr. Barnard fatally wounded. J.S. RAPE. Sworn to and subscribed before me on this 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. 4th Ward and Acting Coroner. W.H. Allen, sworn and says: I was sitting at Mr. Frantom’s store in company of several gentlemen. I heard a noise at the drug store as if some one was tussling or falling. I arose from my seat. At the same time I saw H.B. Thompson running out of the drug store. He ran some ten steps from the door, when I saw Mr. Barnard make his appearance at the door, cursing Mr. Thompson at the same time, with the remark, “All I want is to get my hands on you.” Mr. Thompson then said, “Mr. Barnard, I have nothing against you.” Mr. Barnard then stepped off the gallery, and Mr. Thompson turned in the direction of Mr. Kidd’s store and did not stop until he entered Mr. Kidd’s store. Mr. Barnard then came to Mr. Frantom’s store and remarked that he would watch the drug store until he returned. He took a seat at Mr. Frantom’s store, and then requested me to go to the drug store and sit there until he came back, which I started to do. I then asked Mr. Barnard to walk up there with me. On the way there I remarked to him, “George, old fellow, you know the position I occupy as an officer.” He said, “Yes, Bill, I know your responsibility.” I then said, “Don’t raise a row with Tompson where I am, as you know I must do my duty.” He replied all right and then said, “God dam him, he hasn’t learned me yet.” He then arose and said, “I will go to the drug store and see if I have broken anything.” We walked back together, when he picked up two pieces brick lying on the floor and said, “I threw them at him, but don’t think I broke anything.” There was a chair lying on the floor, which I picked up. We then walked to the gallery of the drug store, when Mr. Charles Allen approached us and asked him to come with him and play a game of pitch. Mr. Barnard replied, “I want to play another sort of a game,” and Mr. C.W. Allen says, “Well, I will play any kind of a game you want.” Mr. Barnard said, “No, I don’t want to play that kind of a game with you,” and turned off in the direction of Kidd’s store, saying no more. Mr. Barnard then went in the direction of Kidd’s store. I looked that way and saw Mr. Thompson standing on the sidewalk about half way between Kidd’s store and Coon’s grocery. Mr. Thompson then turned and went back to Kidd’s store, Mr. Barnard still following. He said to Thompson, “Sneak back, you dam cur.” I watched Mr. Barnard till he followed him in the store, and shortly after heard the report of a gun. I immediately ran to the store and found Mr. Barnard in a dying condition, and did not speak when I spoke to him. Thompson ran to me as I entered the store, saying, “I have killed George Barnard, and I would not have done it for anything in the world.” The difficulty actually occurred on the 24th day of June, 1878. W.H. Allen. Sworn to and subscribed to before me on this, the 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. 4th Ward and Acting Coroner. Dr. H.T. Smith, sworn and says: That George W. Barnard came to his death caused by shooting or wounding with a gun or fire-arm loaded with gun-powder and lead bullets, a portion of which bullets must have passed through his heart causing instantaneous death. HIRAM T. SMITH. Sworn to and subscribed to before me on this, the 24th day of June, 1878. H.W. SHERARD, J.P. 4th Ward and Acting Coroner. State of Louisiana, Parish of Jackson. – We the jury duly sworn by the acting coroner and sworn by the same, render the following verdict: That George W. Barnard, a resident of the parish of Jackson, State of Louisiana, on this, the 24th day of June, 1878, and now lying dead before us, after hearing the testimony agree that he came to his death by a gun shot wound in the hands of H.B. Thompson, a resident of the said parish and State, and that we agree that the act was a justifiable homicide. H.W. SHERARD, Coroner; A.L. M. DEsEAY, J.M. FRANTOM, A.G. OXFORD, G.C. DUNBAR, His T.E. X REA. Mark. State of Louisiana, Parish of Jackson, Clerk’s office, 11th District Court. – I hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original papers in this case on file in this office. Given under my hand and seal of office, this 25th day of June, A.D. 1878. J.P. TATUM, Clerk District Court. # # #