Criminal Justice Matters:  Cody Bevill, 1931, Winn Parish, LA.
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From:  Inquest Book A, Office of the Clerk of Court, Winn Parish
Courthouse, Winnfield, LA.

Cody Bevill Inquest

State of Louisiana
Parish of Winn

An inquisition taken at Winnfield in the State and Parish aforesaid, on
the 4th day of June, A. D., 1931, before the Coroner of the Parish
aforesaid, upon view of the body of one Cody Bevill, there lying dead.

The Jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed having been sworn to
inquire, on behalf of the State, when and by what means the said Cody
Bevill came to his death, upon their oath do say:

That the said Cody Bevill came to his death on the afternoon of the 4th
day of June, A. D., 1931, in the Parish of Winn, State of Louisiana, in
the following manner, to wit:

At about 3:30 o'clock P.M. he was riding on a truck in the service of the
Roberts Paving Company, the truck being driven by one Louis Plummer, an
employee of the Roberts Paving Company, the said Cody Bevill also being in
the employ of the Roberts Paving Company at the time.  The deceased and
one Wilmer Terral were sitting on the bed or floor of the truck on the
left side with their legs and feed hanging over the side of the truck.
The truck was proceeding in a westerly direction and had reached a point
about thirty yards east of the Dugdemona Bayou Bridge on the
Winnfield-Olla Highway, when it met a car proceeding in an easterly
direction driven by Mrs. Howard Drewett.  The left wheels of the truck
extended to hte left of the center of road approximately one foot, and the
left edge of the bed over which the legs of the deceased were hanging
extended several inches beyond the wheel.  Mrs. Drewett drove her car as
near the edge of the road as was safe, the testimony showing that her
right wheels were within twelve to eighteen inches of the edge.  Wilmer
Terral who was sitting in front of Bevill lifted his feet up on the truck
but in some manner some part of the car driven by Mrs. Drewett struck the
legs and feet of the deceased causing him to fall off the truck into the
roadway;  in addition to striking the roadway deceased was probably struck
by Mrs. Drewett's car or by the truck or by both of them.  A car driven by
Mr. W. B. Mucker was following Mrs. Drewett's car just a few feet in the
rear, he having just started to pass her car when he was the truck
approaching and dropped back behind her car again; the wheels of his car
passed over the body of deceased.  All of the above mentioned vehicles
were travelling at about twenty-five miles per hours.

That the death of the said Cody Bevill was caused by his being struck and
knocked from the truck as aforesaid and by his body being struck and run
over by one or more of the above mentioned vehicles.

It is the further conclusion of this Coroner's Jury that said death was
caused partially by the negligence of the deceased himself, and partially
by the negligence of the driver of the truck, we do not find that Mrs.
Drewett was negligent in any manner contributing to the death of the
deceased.

We do not find anyone guilty of criminal negligence contributing to the
death of the deceased.

In witness whereof, the said Coroner and Jurors have set their hands to
this inquisition on the date held as first above written.

S. C. Fittz, Coroner

E. G. Carter
J. A. Madden
E. D. Carter
J. P. Warren
J. M. Teagle

Filed for record, June 6th, 1931, and recorded June 8th, 1931.