Whiskey And Crime: Two Murders Mark The Reopening Of Louisiana Saloons
Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Chere Lee
Date: May 18, 2010

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Whiskey And Crime: Two Murders Mark The Reopening Of Louisiana Saloons.
The New York Times
January 30, 1888, Wednesday
Page 5, 422 words

ALEXANDRIA, La., Jan. 29.--Two years ago Rapides Parish was carried by 
the Prohibitionists, the saloons were broken up, and the sale of liquor 
was stopped. The result was a great decrease of crime, and fewer homicides
occurred than was ever known before. The question again coming before the
people a week ago, the Prohibitionists were caught napping and the saloon
men carried the day in favor of license. Yesterday was the day fixed for
the opening of the saloons. The same day was fixed for the primaries in
all the wards in the parish to elect delegates to the Democratic Parish
Nominating Convention on Saturday next. Tony David was acting as
Commissioner of the election at Pineville. He had a misunderstanding with
Tom Dozier, a young man about 21 years old, when the latter applied a
vile epithet to him. David was not armed and went to procure a shotgun,
and after getting it he stepped on the sidewalk and there met Charles H.
Dozier, the father of the young man, and told him how his son had cursed
him. Dozier did not seem to care, and told David if he did not like it -
stepping back a few steps - he could take that, at the same time pulling
his pistol. But David was too quick for him and gave him the contents of 
a load of buckshot in the side of the face, just below the ear, which
broke his neck.

The corner of the square was covered with blood. The body of the deceased
was carried to his home and an inquest was held. All the parties had been
drinking after many months of forced abstinence. Six reliable witnesses all
concurred in theabove statement, and that the killing was in self-defense.
Just after the killing of Dozier his son came and tried to shoot David, but
his pistol missed fire, and either Tony David or his brother Forney could
have killed him, as they were both armed with shotguns. Forney David was
also put in jail with his brother as being accessory to the killing. The
preliminary trial of both will come off early next week.

Both the prisoners and the deceased have been before the criminal courts
before. Dozier killed Robert Gaffney a little over a year ago, and David
killed Fitchum about three years ago, in Pineville, and both were tried 
and acquitted.

Another homicide occurred yesterday in Bayou Robert, inwhich a negro's 
head was blown off with a shotgun. Thus the saloon revival is celebrated
by two killings, the first in the parish for several months.