1896 Timber Quarrel Between Wards & Joiners, Union Parish Louisiana Submitted by: T. D. Hudson Date of Submission: 12/2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================== ================================================================================== 1896 Timber Quarrel Between Wards & Joiners, Union Parish Louisiana ================================================================================== ================================================================================== BACKGROUND: The Ward, Auld, and McGough families of eastern Union Parish Louisiana were related by blood and marriage, and they had a long history of disputes with the family of Dempsey Joiner and his son Sylvester L. Joiner dating back to 1875. Here is the background history: 1875 - 1878: Ward One constable John Thomas Ward, acting in fulfillment of his duties, attempted to seize property belonging to Dempsey Joiner while serving a court writ on the property of Joiner's son, Sylvester. The Joiners sued Ward, and this matter spent several years in the district court, with the matter ended by Dempsey Joiner's death in about 1878. 1891: Sylvester L. Joiner and his son, Sidney, ambushed James H. Auld and his brother- in-law, Creath McGough, while they were riding horseback at night. The Joiners opened fire with theri shotguns, seriously wounding Auld and killing McGough. Auld was the son of James W. Auld, a first cousin of John T. Ward. 1896: The situation described below involves two Ward brothers, John Martin and Lee Andrew Ward, sons of Elijah Hubbard Ward and nephews of John T. Ward who had the first known trouble with the Joiners in 1875. The outcome of this situation is currently unknown. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From Farmerville "Gazette", issue of 16 December 1896 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Serious trouble was threatened last week at West Monroe between J. M. Ward, L. A. Ward, James Dawson and Tom Ashcraft on one side and S. L. Joiner and his son and a few friends on the other. The Wards lost a lot of timber in the recent rise in Bayou D’Arbonne and Joiner’s crowd had caught it at West Monroe. The Joiners demanded for the delivery of the timber a price that the Wards thought excessive, and refused to release it unless their demand was paid. This action brought on hot words, which led to both sides arming themselves with pistols and guns, and it looked at one time as if there was going to be bloodshed. Matters calmed down, however, and Joiner swore out warrants against Ward and his friends charging them with disturbing the peace and threatening to kill. It is believed that the matter will be compromised. The charges against Ward and his friends were dismissed by Justice Endom. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From Farmerville "Gazette", issue of 23 December 1896 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== The Monroe News of the 16th inst. Says: “Lee Ward yesterday made information before Justice Schultze against S. L. Joiner, Lott Joiner, and James Morrison charging them with lying in wait with intent to murder. They waived a hearing and were held in $300 bond each for the action at the grand jury. The case grew out of the timber troubles in West Monroe.” ############################################################# File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/obits/1896feud.txt