ABSTRACT ARTICLES FROM WASHINGTON PARISH'S ERA LEADER IN FRANKLINTON, LOUISIANA 1906-1920 WASHINGTON PARISH, LA Original document transcribed by Anne Galloway and Gil July Submitted by Carolyn Brumfield Henderson Donated by Bonnie Dier, Washington Parish Library African American extractions completed by S. K. Martin-Quiatte ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** 02-08-1906 Saturday night killing. Last Saturday night, while several Negroes were engaged in crap game in the woods near Mr. Brant Bateman's place, about four miles west of Franklinton, a difficulty arose between Ned Brock and Jerouf Barnes, two of the crowd, which resulted in the killing of Barnes by Brock. It seems that the trouble grew out of an old grudge that the two held against each other, the results of a difficulty that occurred between the two about a year back. Brock used a 41-Colts revolver, hitting Barnes five times. It is said that Barnes stated before his death that another of thecrowd, Lee Brock, shot at time, but he (Barnes) did not think that Brock hit him. Ned Brock and the others of the crowd were brought here and placed in jail by Sheriff Magee Sunday. Bullet holes in the clothes of Brock after his arrest, however, proves that others were shooting besides himself. 03-15-1906 Deputy Bud Adams passed through Sunday enroute to Franklinton with Thomas Jackson, who had killed a Negro boy. --12-09-1909 Olevia Blackwell, the colored cook, at the residence of Robert Babington died Wednesday. She tried to rekindle the fire in the stove by pouring coal oil from a can onto the embers. An explosion followed. Before Mr. Babington could dress himself the weird form of the cook in a blaze of gyrating flames rush into his room, setting fire to everything she touched. As the demon-like living torch fell upon her bed, Mrs. Babington escaped in one direction, while Mr. Babington seized the baby with one hand and fought out the fire with the other hand. The cook never stopping, rushed through one room and then another, till she in her blindness went through the front door and fell.Clyde Hamilton and Authur Hood rendered assistance. She died the same day at 2 p.m. The remains were carried to Varnado and interred. 07-03-1913 Lee Burkhalter, Negro, was killed at Clifton yesterday by R.L. Toney, a deputy sheriff. 05-14-1914 Richmond Spikes, Negro, was stabbed to death by his wife of 11 days. His body was shipped to Twin, Miss. 07-06-1916 Three men, one white physician, were held in the death of Miss Mary Miller, at Aberdeen, Miss., were hurried to Tupelo, forty-five miles away by the authorities, a lynching being feared. 02-01-1917 Minden, La. 1-30 - Chester Tyson, Mark Peters, Larkin Stewart, and Anderson Heard the Negroes charged with the murder of John Nelson Reeves, his wife and their three children in the Reeves home near here Christmas Eve night were found guilty Tuesday morning in the District Court here. Unqualified verdicts were returned against Tyson and Peters and they were sentenced to be hanged. Henry Waller and John Long, white men, are under indictment for the same. 03-29-1917 Minden, La. 3-24 - Henry Waller, convicted of killing John Nelson Reeves on Christmas evening last and sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary, today formerly withdrew his notice of appeal and agreed to accept the verdict of the jury. His attorneys filed abandonment of appeal, the prosecutions agreed to pass the three remaining charges of murder against him. Waller also was indicted for killing the three children of Reeves, who were slain at the same time as their father. This probably will end the Reeves case, which has resulted in the conviction of five men, four of the Negroes. Chester Tyson and Mark Peters, Negroes, were sentenced to be hanged, and Larkin Stewart and Anderson Heard were given life imprisonment for the murder of Mrs. John Nelson Reeves, and Waller was convicted of killing Reeves. John Long, who confessed to taking part in the killing, has not been tried. Five member of the Reeves family, consisted of a father, mother, three children, were killed with an ax on the night of December 24th last, at their farm about eight miles north of Minden. -- Hammond, La. 3-23 - Fred Harleton?, the officer was shot and dangerously wounded by Emma Hooker, a Negro woman three weeks ago, the woman being subsequently lynched by unknown parties, died this afternoon as a results of the wounds he received while attempting to affect the arrest of the woman. Korleton? was a native of Virginia, about 55 years of age, and came to Hammond upwards of 20 years ago. Prior to coming here he was a salesman for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. During his residence here he held the office of deputy sheriff, chief of police and constable, which latter position he held at the time of his death. He was the first marshal appointed for Hammond under the commission form of government. He is survived by a widow and two children. 07-19-1917 Married - Monday afternoon in the city of New Orleans, Mr. Noel Bickham, of the U.S. Navy and Miss Mamie Sweeney were married. -- During the thunderstorm last Thursday afternoon, Sophronia Langston and her two small grandsons who had taken shelter in Mrs. Ada Babington's barn, were struck by lightning. Sophronia was killed instantly and both boys were knocked senseless and the accident was not discovered till one little fellow recovered consciousness and ran to Mrs. Babington's residence with the news of his grandmother's death. Mrs. Babington immediately summoned all possible aid and with Mr. and Mrs. Storm and Miss Effie Magee, who were also present, ran to the help of the unfortunates and applied all possible first aid measures which resulted in the restoration of the unconscious boy and also the reviving little fellow who had again lost consciousness after taking the news to the home. Sophronia was numbered as one of the best old colored woman of this community. The funeral took place Friday afternoon at the Methodist church on Easter Hill. The two boys are still confined to their bed from their burns, but are rapidly improving. 07-04-1918 John Watson, the Negro charged with breaking and entering in the night time, armed with a dangerous weapon with intent to commit rape, plead guilty Monday and was given a life sentence in the penitentiary. 09-12-1918 Fleming Bickham shot and killed Fred Magee and his 6 year old daughter on Friday. All parties are Negroes. 09-04-1919 A mod killed Lucius McCarty, a Negro man, for the attempted assault of Mrs. W.E. Stewart. 12-30-1920 Jess Blackwell, colored, was shot and killed last Thursday by his nephew, Mason Varnado.