Criminal Justice Matters: Steward A. Strong, 1888, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: Inquest Book, Office of the Clerk of Court, Winn Parish, LA Inquisition Held Over The Body of Steward A. Strong, Dec'd., Wd. 5 State of Louisiana Parish of Winn An inquisition at the house of W. A. Strong in the Parish of Winn, this the 28th day of March A. D., 1888 before me, one of the undersigned Justices of the Peace in and for Winn Parish, La., upon the body of Steward A. Strong, then and there lying dead upon the oaths of W. F. Eversoll, W. F. McLemore, Victor DeSoto, H. S. McLemore, and H. Sutton, good and lawful men of the Parish of Winn, duly chosen and who then and there duly sworn and charged to inquire on behalf of the State of Louisiana when, where, and as to what manner the said Steward A. Strong came to his death, do say upon their oaths aforesaid that one John Paxton, known as "Dummy", late of the Parish of Winn, did on the 27th day of March, 1888, at about two o'clock p.m. at the domicile of W. A. Strong, situated in the Parish of Winn, maliciously and willfully shoot and kill Steward A. Strong. In witness thereof as well the said Justice of the Peace as the jurors aforesaid have to this inquisition set their hands on the 28th day of March at the place aforesaid. J. M. Jones, J. P. W. F. Eversoll, Juror W. F. McLemore, Juror Victor DeSoto, Juror H. S. McLemore, Juror C. H. Sutton, Juror State of Louisiana Parish of Winn Testimony of witnesses taken on oath at an inquest held over the body of Steward A. Strong before me one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the Parish of Winn and the jury in said inquest impaneled on the 28th day of March, 1888 at the residendce of W. A. Strong in said Parish. This is to certify that after carefully examining Steward Strong wound I found the 6th and 7th ribs shot in two and completely severed in to pieces and that the left side the load of shot range at an angle of 25 degrees upward lacerating the left lung an pericardium of the heart. Respectfully submitted March 28th, 1888, Thos. O. Harrison and J. H. Wilkerson Hannah Smith says that she was washing out doors and heard gunshot and looked in the direction and saw "Dummy" standing in the room door with shotgun in his hand and pointing at her then pointing in room Hannah (X-her mark) Smith Mrs. Sarah N. Sims states that Steward A. Strong left his mother's room in his usual good spirits in a few minutes the boy John Paxton known as Dummy passed through the narrow passageway murmering unusually loud and in a very short time heard the report of a gun, she ran into the room as she passed in the boy Dummy was standing by the door with shot gun in his hand and she found Steward lying dead in the fire place and his feet on the floor. S. N. Sims R. L. Jackson states that being summoned at his home by Sarah Strong that her brother Steward was shot dead rushed to the scene and found Steward Allyn Strong lying dead on the floor with a gastly gunshot wound in his left chest on making inquiry as to how he came to his death was told that Dummy was the only one in the room with him and that the dummy had left, he states that he saw a double barrel shot gun on the gallery in front of the door of the room in which he was lying and upon examination of the gun founhd that one barrel of the gun was empty, the other having freshly discharged shell in it. R. L. Jackson Miss Claria Hicks says that she heard the report of a gun and ran in the room and saw the negro boy Dummy standing inside of the door near the dead body of Steward A. Strong with a shot gun in his hand pointing toward the deadn and that the said Dummy rushed by her and she screamed and the household assembled. Claria L. Hicks Marion Thomson states that he was in the woods splitting rails and Dummy came to him and told him in words that Stewart was shot and dead but refused to tell him who did it and the he would go and tell Billy and that Dummy on several occasions choaked Stewart very bad Marion (X-his mark) Thomson Will A. Strong states that he left his residence at about one o'clock went to where Marion Thomson was at work and from there to Saint Maurice and remained there about an hour when he received a message from his residence that his son Stewart Allyn was shot and killed, went immediately to his residence met Marion Thomson and a mule who told him that Dummy had shot and killed Stewart. He knew of no previous difficulty except of a week previous when the boy Dummy struck Stuart on the head with a board for which he chastised the boy, Dummy. Dummy never came to him after Stuart was shot have not seen him since. Will A. Strong I do certify that the foregoing testimony of the several witnesses appearing upon the foregoing inquest was at the time and place of holding said inquest reduced to writing by me the Justice of the Peace of said Parish and subscribed to by the witnesses respectively in pre_________ of the statutes in such case made and provided. J. M. Jones J. P. 5th Ward E. J. Gambell states that he heard Cloy Hardin say on Friday of the shooting that he Hardin would bet the boy Dummy had shot Stuart as he Dummy had been saying for the last two weeks that he was going to either shoot or kill Stewart. E. J. Gambell Cloy Hardison states that he don't remember who heard say that Dummy threatened to shoot or kill Stuart A. Strong. Cloy (X-His mark) Hardison Recorded April 9th A.D. 1888 R. C. Jones Clerk, 4th District Court AhS