The Ouachita Telegraph - 
Taylor Walker Commits Crime, Presumed Killed On Route to Jail

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

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The Ouachita Telegraph
Friday, March 30, 1877
Page 2, Column 1

        There lives, or – to be more accurate in tense – did live, a negro 
man in this parish calling himself Taylor Walker.  He was employed on the 
Widow Farr’s place, some 16 miles southeast of this place.  Saturday night 
last, about 10 o’clock, some one entered Mr. Frank Long’s residence, and 
aroused Mr. Long’s mother from sleep.  She called to her son Frank to know 
if he had disturbed her rest.  Mr. Long, from his bed in the same room, 
replied, no, and arose to make a light.  He was immediately struck on the 
head, and the blow was repeated until he was made insensible.  His wife, to 
whom he had been married not a month, was then dragged from her bed, and 
forcibly carried some thirty yards to the corn crib.  The husband, meanwhile,
recovered his consciousness, and hearing his wife’s screams, started in the
direction of her cries.  The wife’s captor, Taylor Walker, left Mrs. Long at
the crib, telling her if she moved he would kill her, and met Mr. Long.
Seizing a piece of oak timber, got out to make plow handles, he struck Mr.
Long on the back of the head a terrible blow.  Mr. Long was again rendered
insensible, and from his wounds died in about twelve hours.  Mrs. Long, so
soon as Walker left her, sought safety in flight, and ran to her father’s
house, some 300 yards distant.  Taylor Walker was seen next day several
times in the neighborhood, and to several related what had transpired at Mr.
Long’s.  About 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the neighbors having assembled,
search was made for Walker, and he was found at his cabin, with a small sack
filled with provisions ready for flight.  His captors started with him for
this place to have him placed in the jail.  Walker confessed his guilt, and
begged not to be brought to jail.  He said that he committed the crime and
outrage, and that he knew “hell was too good” for him.  Walker was not
brought to jail, and the presumption is that he was either shot or hung en
route.  It is to be lamented that the demon was not brought publicly to his
death with all the terrors due to his villainous crimes and everywhere
regarded as justifiable for the prevention of such diabolical outrages.  His
death was not enough – a terrible example should have been made of the
culprit.  Walker was a bad negro, insolent, unscrupulous and a confessed
thief.  He was over six feet in height, about 30 years of age, pompous and
pretentious – a common negro, with the worst passions of his race.

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