The Ouachita Telegraph - Jerry Rogers Shoots Ann Cabeen

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

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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, October 5, 1877
Page 3, Column 2

THE PETULANT PISTOL.
        Jerry Rogers, a young freedman of copper color who lives on the Copley
place, was in town Saturday, one among the host of darkies who came to town
that day and almost every Saturday to trade.  Jerry started home in the
evening full of fun, to evince which he flourished his pistol on the road as
he went, discharging it now and then without particular aim, as funny
fellows he thought are wont to do.  Jerry reached Mrs. Dinkgrave’s place,
and halted in the lane at Ann Cabeen’s cabin to have a chat with some
darkies who were about the cabin, among them Ann, her two daughters and her
son.  Jerry made some inquiries for a freedman named Demoss, talked a while
with those around him, finally saying he was going to shoot.  Some of those
present asked him not to do that, but Jerry was in a funny vein.  He must
shoot.  Ann Cabeen was some 12 feet from Jerry, standing in the lane.  Jerry
blazed away at the Buckhorn plantation, and Ann Cabeen fell dead, shot
through the head.  The fun was now all over.  Screams and sobs followed, and
Jerry it is supposed put up his pistol.
        Coroner Surghnor held an inquest on the deceased, and on the trial some of
the evidence went to show the shooting was intentional, but the
preponderating weight seemed to be in favor of accidental shooting, and the
verdict was to this effect.
        Tuesday Jerry was arraigned before Judge Slack for commitment.  He was
represented by J.H. Dinkgrave, Esq., and the State by Mr. Stubbs, District
Attorney pro tem.  The trial lasted several hours, the result of which was
that the Judge held Jerry in a bond of $300 for “feloniously killing and
slaying Ann Cabeen,” or in default of giving bond to go to jail to await his
trail at the next term of the District Court.  The bond was given, the
sureties being Martin Rogers, Alex Hester, Wm. Demoss, colored, and J. Baer.
  Nothing was said about carrying a concealed weapon, from which we infer
there was no evidence that the pistol was at any time concealed.
        Jerry may be a very humorous sort of fellow – in fact, he said to one
witness he was going to have some fun; but at least one poor woman was
evidence that his comical canters with a loaded pistol amounted to a
tragedy.  His recklessness was a crime not to be too strongly condemned.

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