Articles from the Minden Signal Democrat, concerning the murder of O.Z. Gresham Contributed by Sherry Gritzbaugh. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Minden, Louisiana Fri. Oct. 13, 1912 No. 20 The Signal Democrat O. Z. Gresham Murdered OLD MAN TAKEN FROM HIS HOME BY HIS MIDNIGHT ASSASSINS--FOUR MEN JAILED O. Z. Gresham, a farmer living about eight miles east of Minden, near the Claiborne Parish line, was foully assaulted and beaten at his home Sunday night shortly after midnight, dying Monday evening from the effects of the wounds received at the hands of his midnight assassins. The first the family claim to have known of the assault was when one of his sons heard him come up the steps and enter the kitchen. When the boy heard the groans of his father, he went to his side and found that he had been beaten into unconsciousness. When found the old man was in his night shirt and hatless. He evidently had been taken from his bed or had been induced to go out into the yard on some prefixt or other where he was set upon and beaten up by his murderers. Mr. Gresham was an important state witness in cases pending in the District Court against two young white men, John Fretwell and Felton Green, who are charged with burglarzing Caplis Bros. store last fall. This case was to have come up for trial last Monday morning. Sunday night these two young men, who were out on bond went to Mr. Gresham's home, in company with Otis Green and Jesse Gresham (the later being NO RELATION to the murdered man.) These young men talked to Mr. Gresham about the case. It is said that he had previously been warned not to appear against them. Last week he was in town and asked a lawyer what ought a man to do had sworn to certain facts before the grand jury and had been warned not to swear the same before the trial court. Corner Tompkins went to the scene of the crime Monday night and held an inquest. The jury was composed of the following citizens: J. N. Youngblood W. T. Frye M. J. Hough T. I. Adkins W. C. Harris After investigating the case the jury returned the following verdict: "We the coroner's jury, appointed by the coroner, Dr. R. C. Tompkins, after retiring to deliberate upon our verdict without outside parties, reach the conclusion reach the conclusion that deceased, O. Z. Gresham came to his death by being beaten with a heavy club or stick in the hands of: Jesse Gresham John Fretwell Felton Green and Odis Green, and we recommend that they be held unto law.: The four young men have since been arrested and are now confined in the parish jail. Mr. Gresham was about 59 years old at the time of his traggic death. He was inoffensive and was regarded as an honest, lawbiding citizen by his neighbors. He had lived in that community for many years. His fould murder is greatly regretted by the whole community and it is hoped that his brutal assassins will be made to pay the full penalty of the law. It is hardly conceivable that any man or men could be so black hearted as to take an inoffensive old man out of his bed and beat him to death within hearing distance of his own home. Such a crime is too horrible to contemplate and it is a slur and a blotch upon the good name of the parish. .............................................................................. Note: At the time of Uncle Zee's death, my great grandfather, William Thornton Gresham was living in his home. My own grandfather, M. Allen Gresham, found great grandfather hiding in a hollow stump..fearing for his own life. Great Grandfather lived with Rebecca and Allen Gresham until his death in 1914 in the Evergreen Community located near Bernice, Louisiana in Union Parish. ............................................................ Signal Democrat - Friday, Nov. 8, 1912 Minden, Louisiana GATER CAPTURED IN DORCHEAT SWAMP Tuesday, R. L. Petty captured a two-hundred pound alligater in Dorcheat swamp just below the L & A railroad bridge. Mr. Petty noticed the tracks of the gater in the swamp and thinking the tracks was those of a bear he tracked the gater to the lair and dug him out. He proved to be so ferocious that Mr. Petty was unable to take him alive. He had to shoot him. It has been along time since an alligator was killed in this locality. He measured eight feet and weighed 200 lbs. CONFESSION IN MURDER CASE Felton Green Implicates Himself, & Fretwell, Mrs. Gresham and Son in the Murder of Old Man Gresham. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Monday Mrs. Gresham, wife of the late O.Z Gresham and HER SISTER, Mrs. Fretwell, and her son, Jesse, were arrested, charged with implication in the murder of old man O.Z. Gresham on Sunday night October 13th. Another Jesse Gresham, John Fretwell, Felton Greene and Odis Green, who have been in jail since the murder occurred are still being held in connection with the crime. The preliminary trial of these parties has been set for today, Friday, November 8th. LATER DEVELOPMENTS Thursday Felton Green, one of the young men implicated in the murder of old man O. Z. Gresham on Sunday night, October 13th. made a confession to the District Attorney and Sheriff implicating himself, John Fretwell, Mrs. O. Z. Gresham and HER SON, Jesse. Greene claims that Mrs. Gresham and her son, Jesse planned the murder of her husband, and that he and John Fretwell carried it out. The two young men, according to Green's confession, got that old man out of the house and Green pushed him over and Fretwell beat him up with a piece of scantling. The preleminary trial that was set for today has been postponed. Jesse, the son of the murdered man and his Aunt, Mrs. Fretwell are being held in the Caddo jail and Mrs. Gresham is confined in the Minden jail with John Fretwell and Felton Green, all of whom with the exception of Mrs. Fretwell are implicated in the murder according to Green's confession. Odis Green and Jesse Gresham the later being NO RELATION of the murdered man have been held since the murder was committed have been released from jail as Green's confession did not implicate them. ............................................................. The Signal-Democrat January 17, 1913 Volume XX (Please note some of the words are cut off or unreadable.) GRESHAM MURDERS INDICTED Grand Jury Returns ___ True Bills Against Four Mrs. Mary Gresham, Jesse Gresham, Felton Green and John Fretwell in the Gresham Murder Case. ?______ Indictments for murder were returned this week by the grand jury against four of the parties ?____indicated in the murder of O. Z. Gresham at his home near ?______ last fall. His wife, Mrs. Mary Gresham, and son Jesse, and Felton Green and John Fretwell were the parties named in the bills of indictment as the murderers of the old man. The prisoners were arraigned Wednesday evening and their trials were fixed for January 22nd. The two young men, Fretwell and Green, according to streets rumors confessed to the murder several days ago, implicating others, but they intered pleas of not guilty on being arraigned before Judge Sandlin. The matter of the alleged confession will likely come out at the trial. When court convened Monday Judge Sandlin empaneled the following grand jurors after appointing: W. H. Webb of Minden, foreman; J. W. Dawson Wm. Morris J. T. G. Morgan ? T. Hardeman W. I. Dickinson ? W. HARKNESS C. L. Gruner ? B. Kirkley S. B. Boyet D. D. Lunsford H. A. Colbert With the exception of fixing cases and arraigning prisoners the time of the court has been taken up all week in the disposal of civil matters. The petit jurors have been drawn for service next week when the criminal docket will engage the attention of the court. The following are amond the cases fixed for trial next week; W. W. Simpson, manslaughter fixed for Tuesday, Jan. 21st. Joe Kinsey, murder, fixed for 21st., Ike Parmer, incest and rape, two cases, fixed for Monday, January 20th. Felton Green and John Fretwell, burglary and larceny fixed for January 20th. .............................................................................. Also in the paper was this quotation: The pretty and accomplished girl does not mind the passing of leap year. Wanted - Farm and mill hands 1.25 to 2.00. C. Gandy Goodwill # # #