1910 Attempted Murder of Farmerville Town Marshal Leander Ward, Union Parish Louisiana Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by T. D. Hudson, 12/2004 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================= 1910 Attempted Murder of Farmerville Town Marshal Leander Ward, Union Parish Louisiana ================================================================================= Introduction: Leander Ward (16 Feb 1866 – 5 Mar 1960) was the son of Elijah Hubbard Ward (13 July 1830 – 7 Aug 1887) and his first wife Permelia Lavincy Lee (6 Jan 1834 – 29 Dec 1869). Leander lived the majority of his life within a few miles of Farmerville. Sometime between 1905 and 1910, the citizens of Farmerville elected Leander as their town marshal. While performing his duties in April 1910, he was shot and almost killed by a man of African descent. The only information I have on this matter come from a series of articles published in the Farmerville “Gazette”, all of which are transcribed below. This paper was published weekly, at that time on Wednesdays. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Disclaimer: Notice the very paternalistic and blatently discriminatory attitude of the newspaper editor towards the African-American citizens of Union Parish (see the second article in the April 6th issue). Such attitudes by newspaper editors were widespread in 1910, even among papers from the North. However, this incident occurred and the article published, and it is history, a part of our history, warts and all. I think that it illustrates to some extent the racist, white-supremist attitudes of the past, but to me it is a positive thing to look back at attitudes of previous generations like this to see how far we have come (and maybe hope that we go as far in the next 90 years!). ================================================================================== ================================================================================= Farmerville "Gazette", issue of Wednesday, 6 April 1910 ================================================================================== Town Marshal L. A. Ward Shot by Negro. One of the most cold-blooded attempts at murder ever recorded in this section happened last Friday morning when Town Marshal L. A. Ward was shot and seriously wounded by Simps Wilks, a negro. Marshal Ward had gone to the negroe’s house for the purpose of collecting street tax, and found the negro at work in the garden. When the negro was told what was wanted he became sullen and refused to pay, whereupon Marshal Ward told the negro that unless he did pay the tax at once he would be brought to town and fined. The negro then agreed to pay the tax, saying that he would go into the house and get the money. When the negro went into the house Mr. Ward got off of his horse and began writing out the tax receipt and was still thus engaged when the negro came out of the hosue and did not look up until the negro spoke. When he did look up the negro had a double barrel shot gun pointed at him and with the words “d—n you; I’ve got you now,” fired both barrels at once. The shots were fired at about twenty or twenty-five feet and why Ward was not instantly killed was a miracle. After shooting Mr. Ward the negro threw his gun down and ran and the wounded man, who had managed to get up and get his pistol from his pocket with his left hand (his right being badly shot up) fired four shots at the negro as he ran away. Marshal Ward’s wounds, while they are of a serious nature, still it is not thought that they will prove fatal, as his physicians state that he will recover. His right arm is badly hurt and he is also shot in the chest and abdomen and one shot took effect in the right leg. Two tax receipt books which he had in his inside coat pocket at the time was evidently what saved his life as a number of the shot passed through the books. Intense excitement prevailed as soon as the news of the shooting reached town. A large crowd of armed men left at once for the swamp in search of the negro. Guards were placed at the different ferries on the Bayou D’Arbonne and, with such a large posse seemed almost impossible for the fugitive to escape capture. One young man, Mr. Emmett Pace, came upon him in the swamp but the negro proved to be the best foot man and got away after Pace had fired two shots at long range in an effort to hault him. As soon as the tragedy occurred Sheriff Taylor got busy with the telephone wires and sent a description of the negro to different officers all over North Louisiana, and Saturday he received a message from Calhoun that a negro answering the description had been arrested there. Sheriff Taylor immediately left for that town but, upon reaching there, found that they had the wrong man. In spite of all of the efforts of the officers and the citizens it was not until Sunday afternoon, at West Monroe, that Wilks was finally captured and he is now safely lodged in the Monroe jail. The shooting of Marshal Ward was entirely unprovoked and the fact that the negro did not succeed in his attempt to murder does not mitigate his offense at all, as his deed has all of the ear marks of a premeditated murder, and it is highly probable that short work would have been made of the negro had he been caught during the time of excitement. Now however, since the excitement has cooled down and the criminal is in the hands of the officers, all talk of mob violence has died down and everyone seems to be of the opinion that the law will be permitted to take its course. (Later) Parties who saw Simps Wilks in Monroe Sunday, after he had been placed in jail, say that he confessed to the shooting and told how and where he made his escape. He stated that after he had been fired at by Emmett Pace he ran into the Duck Pond, a small lake near the bank of the D’Arbonne, and hid behind a cypress tree until after dark, and, when everything had quieted down he made his escape. One of the most startling features of his whole statement was that two white men had helped him across the D’Arbonne, and, through their assistance, he had managed to get off. He gave the names of the men, and there is much doubt among those who have heard the story as to whether the negro has told the truth about it. His capture, in West Monroe, was caused by one of his own race, Prince Carr, who was raised here and knew the Wiltz negro. Carr located him on the outskirts of town and immediately went and told the officers of West Monroe of it, and through this information he was captured. ------------------------------- The Shooting and Its Lessons. The tragedy which was enacted here last Friday created a great deal of excitement among the negro population of the town, and, especially after the burning of their lodge, quite a bit of uneasiness was felt among them, as some of them were of the opinion that the white people might hold them all responsible for the act of the Wiltz negro, and take vengeance upon them all. These fears were entirely unfounded for we do not think that at any time, even during the most intense excitement, that there was anyone who would have harmed an innocent negro. It is true that, at first, there were some who thought that the shooting might have been due to a conspiracy among some of the negros to get rid of Marshall Ward, but it is not hardly probable that anyone knew of or had anything to do with the affair except Simps Wiltz alone. The incident should, however, teach the colored people of this vicinity a very important lesson. This is the first occurrence of this kind, so far as we know, that has ever occurred here, and the feeling which was caused by it should teach them that one lawless negro among them can, by his individual acts, get them all into trouble; it should teach them that it is their duty at all times to take the stand for law and order, and, as good citizens, co-operate with the officers of the law in weeding out the law breakers and the criminals among them, and not, as has sometimes been the case, cover up their crimes and assist them in evading the law; it should teach them a lesson that they should already know, and that lesson is this: That the white people of this country are their best friends so long as they do right and live right, but that at all times the white man is the master and will always maintain his supremacy, even by force of arms if necessary. Taken as a whole there is no better class of negroes anywhere than they who live here. The white people know and appreciate this fact, and, so long as the negroes act right and attend to their own business, they will always have friends among all good white people. Now, just a few words to the negroes of this community: Simps Wiltz is now in jail and will be dealt with according to law. His capture was caused by one of your own race, and, in giving the information to the officer of West Monroe, Prince Carr did nothing more than his duty as a citizen; none of you need have further uneasiness about this matter, for so far as Simps Wiltz is concerned, no one will suffer for his crime but himself. ------------------------------- Negro Lodge Burned. Sometime during last Saturday night the negro lodge, situated about half a mile south of town was burned. No one seems to know anything as to the cause of the fire, although it is generally believed that the fire was of incendiary origin, growing out of the trouble which occurred Friday. ------------------------------- Young Man Accidentally Wounded. Quite a serious accident befell one of the party out searching for the negro who shot Marshal Ward, last Friday night. The unfortunate young man was Mr. Horrie Brazier of this town. He was carrying a shotgun loaded with buckshot, and, in some manner the gun was discharged and the whole load entered his left arm just below the shoulder, making a very ugly wound. Fortunately, the wound was only a flesh one and, as the bone was not injured, it is not thought that he will loose his arm unless some complications arise. ================================================================================= Farmerville "Gazette", issue of Wednesday, 13 April 1910 ================================================================================== Town marshal L. A. Ward, who was shot by the negro, Sim Wiltz on April 1st, is rapidly improving and will be able to be out and about his duties again in a few days. ================================================================================= Farmerville "Gazette", issue of Wednesday, 20 April 1910 ================================================================================== I wish to thank all of my friends for the many kindnesses and acts of sympathy extended me during my confinement at home from the effect of the wounds which I received; I also wish to thank the officers and citizens of Ouachita Parish for their efforts which resulted in the capture of the negro who shot me. Respectfully, L. A. Ward ================================================================================= Farmerville "Gazette", issue of Wednesday, 4 May 1910 ================================================================================== The negro, Sims Wiltz, who shot Town Marshal L. A. Ward about a month ago, was brought back here last Friday and arraigned before the district court on the charge of shooting with intent to murder. He plead [sic] guilty to the charge and Judge Dawkins gave him the full limit of the law, which is twenty-one years in the penitentiary. ###########################################################