The Ouachita Telegraph - Dr. W. P.(B?) Jones Killed after Election Date: Oct. 2000 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** *********************************************** The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, November 12, 1880 Page 2, Column 2 The North Louisiana Republican comes to us this week with its columns draped in mourning for its late editor, Dr. William B. Jones, who, the Republican informs us, was assassinated on the night of the 3d inst. The Republican reserves comment for a future day and we are left in the dark as to the facts of the case. We can but deplore such occurrences, agreeing with the Republican, “for the harmful effects which such crimes always entail upon any christian and civilized country.” It is only a few days since that a citizen of Morehouse parish was taken from his house, tied to a tree and shot to death. It is urged in extenuation, in this case, that the party, one Long, bore a bad character and was open and defiant in his violations of law and that his many offences merited the penalty meted out to him. The law should have been allowed to have taken its course. A wrong does not make a right. The parties who took the law into their own hands, are themselves violators of the law. The law should take its course in the case of the assassination of Dr. Jones. If possible the guilty parties should be brought to justice. For the good of the country, for the fair name and reputation of law abiding citizens, such crimes should not be allowed to go unpunished. An example should be set that would deter others from a repetition of a like offense in future. Our country cannot prosper, we cannot expect immigration, and the investment of capital in our midst if such crimes are committed among us. We say let the law be enforced. The Ouachita Telegraph Friday, December 31, 1880 Page 1, Column 5 THE KILLING OF DR. JONES, IN CARROLL. [From the N.O. States, 24th.] Jacques A. Gla, senator from Carroll parish, was yesterday evening seen by a reporter of the States, at his house, and questioned about the killing of Dr. W.P. Jones, editor of the North Louisiana Republican, on the night following the day of election. Mr. Gla, who by the way is a colored man, and a Republican, said: I reside on a plantation, three miles outside the town of Providence. On the day preceding election day and on the morning of that day I went into Providence, and there learned that a misunderstanding, arising from a misconstruction of words spoken by B.H. Lanier, had taken place between him and Powell, the sheriff of the parish, who is a Democrat. No disturbance of any kind was noticeable in the town the next morning and the election was going on very quietly. All through the day I received messages stating that everything was quiet in the town and that no disturbance had occurred. “On the night after the election as I was sitting in my house on the plantation, a negro man by the name of Charles Brown came running to my house, and informed me that Dr. Jones had been killed. “Who killed him and how was he killed?” I asked. ‘Brown made answer that Dr. Jones, at about dusk, was standing in front of Phil Maguire’s saloon, with a walking stick in his hand, and that, as he was looking into the street, three men came up and shot him, killing him almost instantly.’ “This was all that Brown could tell me of the killing. Three days after this I went into town, and there found that the death of Dr. Jones was deeply regretted, and that all the citizens thought the affair very unfortunate. “I also learned that on the night of the killing of Jones, Lanier had left town and did not come back until next morning. I can not imagine why it was that he left town, he was not in any manner threatened. “When Jones was killed, and Lanier had left town, a committee of citizens, composed of two Republicans and three Democrats was appointed to wait upon Powell and Lanier, and if possible to prevent any more trouble, as it was supposed, if the two men should met, a disturbance of some kind would arise. “The committee waited upon Powell who said that he would see Lanier and fix up matters. The committee then went to Lanier’s house and found him at home. Powell walked to Lanier’s house while he was at home and the committee was waiting on him, Powell and Lanier then held a quiet and peaceable conversation, the substance of which I could not learn. During all this time no trouble had taken place in Providence, and, in fact, everything was remarkably quiet. Dr. Jones was a man of about forty years of age, was stout, was always well-dressed and had a very large practice. He came to Providence about five years ago from Alabama, and was from the first well liked. He was quiet and unassuming, and only at times took part in political matters. He was only engaged by Mr. Lanier to edit his paper when Lanier received the nomination for Congress. Lanier and I are personal friends; Lanier is well liked, but is getting himself in trouble by the stories which he has circulated about the trouble in that parish during the election times. Lanier supported Powell for sheriff during the election. Powell is a Democrat. The best of feelings exist between the two parties, the Democrats being particularly opposed to bulldozing of any kind. They are a decent, respectable set of fellows. No investigation of any kind was made into the killing of Dr. Jones. The persons who killed him, from what I can learn, were all drunk and were desperadoes from the borders of the parish and State. When we catch any of their stamp we know what to do with them. # # #