Shooting of Daniel D. "Pomplow" Crooks, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana Copied by: Amber Crooks Adams, P.O. Box 834, Jena, LA 71342 From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal; Jena, LaSalle Parish, LA Micro-film at the LaSalle Parish Library, Located in Jena, LaSalle Parish, LA Friday, August 31, 1951 Date Submitted: July 18, 2005 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Fount Price, 55, Is Charged With Homicide For Fatal Shooting Of Daniel D. Crooks, 58 Judge Vinson Mouser ordered that Fount Price, 55-year old LaSalle parish cattleman, be charged with homicide and released under bond at a preliminary hearing. There before the 28th Judicial District court in Jena. The hearing was held in connection with the fatal shooting of Daniel D. "Pomplow" Crooks, which happened shortly after 4 pm Saturday afternoon. There is no possibility at all under the evidence that the defendant did not act in self-defense, Judge Mouser stated. The fatal shooting occurred at the intersection just east of the Enterkin Service Station in East Jena. Witnesses stated that Crooks was advancing toward Price with pistol in hand when Price fired the deadly weapon, a 12-gauge Remington shotgun. A short time later a coroner's jury convened by F. A. Thomas, coroner, found that Crooks had come to his death due to gunshot wounds of face, chest, and abdomen. Elbert M. White, the only witness for the defense in Thursday's proceedings, stated that he saw Crooks ride up on a horse immediately before the shooting took place. He stated that Crooks rode up from the direction of his house and called out to Price: "Have you got your gun?" He testified that Crooks, with pistol in hand, started walking toward Price, with the pistol pointed upward. He stated that Price began backing toward his truck as Crooks advanced, telling him not to come closer. All other witnesses to the entire shooting episode at the hearing gave similar testimony to that of Price. Webby Poole, who had driven up to the Enterkin service station stated that he saw Crooks ride up and ask Price if he had his gun. He also testified that Crooks was advancing toward Price, pistol in hand when Price fired. Walter Stinger, another witness said he heard someone crying, "Stop, Pomp. Stop, Pomp.", and then a shot. Louis White testified that he heard Crooks ask Price if he had his gun, but he said he couldn't see Price at the time because two automobiles obstructed his view. "Red" Spence, who works on Saturdays at the Enterkin Service Station, testified that he was servicing a car when he heard someone shouting, "Don't come any further or I'll kill you." He stated that upon looking he saw Price fire and Crooks fall. He stated that Crook's gun fell to the ground and Crooks turned slowly sidewise, slumping and finally falling. He stated that when he first noted Price, Price had the shotgun pointed downward. Other testimonies at the hearing Thurs. corroborated these, indicating that Crooks was walking toward Price with gun in had when Price fired, and that Price warned him before shooting the fatal shot from the shotgun. Testimony of earlier trouble between the two men was offered by women living in the vicinity of the Jena Grade school. Two of these witnesses testified that they heard harshly spoken words and saw Crooks advance toward Price and grab hold of him. One testified that she heard Crooks say: "I got one and I'll go get it." Price and Crooks had met near the Jena Grade school fence a few minutes before the shooting at the intersection. Price, with two men helping him, were driving some of Price's cattle out of Jena when the trouble near the Jena Grade school occurred, witnesses testified at the hearing. Earlier Price had been notified at his home that his cattle were in town and was advised to come and get them; Crooks was the poundmaster for the Town of Jena. John Bell and Charlie Cudd accompanied Price as he came to town to drive out the cattle and assisted him in the work. The truck Price drove belongs to George Nixon, who was at Price's place when Price was told about his cows being in town. The death weapon, the shotgun, was in Nixon's truck. Nixon testified at the hearing Thurs. that the shotgun fired by Price is his weapon. He stated that he keeps his shot gun in his truck regularly. Two shells were yet in the magazine of the shotgun after Price had fired it. One was a 12 gauge buck shot shell 1-B and the other was a 16 gauge buck shot shell. The shell fired at Crooks was also a 12-gauge buck shot shell 1-B. At the hearing Thurs., Nixon explained that he keeps various types of shells and that they accumulate and become mixed together. He offered this as the reason why one shell in the magazine was not the same type as the on Price fired. Judge Mouser explained Thurs. that the purpose of the preliminary hearing in no wise conflicts with the purpose of the grand jury hearing that will be held later. He explained that the purpose of a preliminary hearing is to perpetuate the testimony of the witnesses, to determine the nature of the charge, and to determine what should be done with the defendant while he is awaiting a grand jury hearing. He stated that there is no possibility at all under the evidence that Price did not act in self-defense. If the charge were murder, the defendant could be confined in jail without bond, but such is not the case according to the evidence, he indicated. It is the duty of the Court, in this case, however, to put the defendant under a small bond, he explained.