Criminal: Inquest of Juella & Eugene Hollingsworth, Calvin, 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 A, Office of the Clerk of Court, Winn Parish Courthouse, Winnfield, LA An inquisition taken at Winn Parish, La., on the 8th day of August in the year 1920, before the Coroner of the Parish of Winn, upon view of the body of Juella Hollingsworth, 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 said Juella Holllingsworth came of her death upon this oath do say that the said Juella Hollingsworth came to her death Aug. 8th, 1920, from Gunshot wounds inflicted by a shot gun in the hands of Eugene Hollingsworth, the evidence showing it to have been premeditated murder. Therefore we recommend that a warrant be issued charging the said Eugene Hollingsworth with murder and that he be arrested and held to answer said charge. J. J. Peters, M. D., Coroner G. E. Smith H. H. Peters J. R. Gorham (X) his mark H. J. Perkins J. G. Teagle Lee Roy Gans, sworn, says: My wife received a letter from Eugene Hollingsworth, about 2 months ago written from Owasso, Okla., stating that his wife or that gal is going to get me in trouble and if she can't stay here she can't stay there for he was going to come out here and put her in her grave. Last night I was sitting up talking to the preacher. The dog kept barking and finally backed back under the house this was between Ten and Eleven o'clock. We went to bed at 11 o'clock. I heard no more barking of the dog after I went to bed. I had one horse in the pasture with her head tied down to her forefoot. This morning about 10 o'clock Mr. Floyd Milam came to my house and asked me if I missed a horse I said no, he told me that one of my horses was at William Riser's pasture. I went and looked for the horse and found it was gone. I also found it in Mr. Teagles pasture near William Riser. I did not see Eugene Holllingsworth last night or any other time lately. Last night some one pulled a picket off my yard fence and came into the yard and walked up to a window in the room where the preacher slept. The preacher's name is S. B. Scott, he came in on the 8 o'clock train, came from the north. L. R. Gans Aug. 8th, 1920 William Riser sworn says: I got up this morning about 5 o'clock and stepped out of doors and returned and stopped on the porch about that time Mrs. Gene Hollingsworth began screaming out back of the house and just at that time a gun fired and a few seconds later another gun fired. I did not go out there to see what the trouble was. I was afraid of being shot myself. I do not know who did the shooting but I have reason to believe that Gene Holllingsworth did it. I sent to Winnfield immediately for the sheriff and when he came I went with him to the place where the shooting occurred and found Mrs. Gene Hollingsworth dead. W. M. Riser James Riser sworn says: William came to my house early this morning and asked me to go to Winnfield to get the sheriff to come to this house, that somebody had shot Juella. I started a foot to Winnfield and when I got about 2 hundred yards from my house a man appeared in the road some fifty yards a head of me and told me to go back and repeated twice, go back to that house-go back to that house. I wheeled and ran back. The man had a gun. James Riser (X) his mark Attest: J. J. Peters, M. D. Filed for record, August 9th, 1920. Recorded this the 25th day of September, A. D. 1920. Eugene Beck Dy. Clerk & Ex-Officio Recorder Inquest of Eugene Hollingsworth An inquisition taken at Calvin, La., August 9th, 1920, Before the Coroner of the Parish of Winn. Upon view of the body of Eugene Holllingsworth there lying dead. The Jurors of this inquest having been sworn to inquire on behalf of the State where and by what means Eugene Hollingsworth came to his death upon their oath do say: that the said Eugene Holllingsworth came to his death August 8th, 1920, from gunshot wounds inflicted with a shot gun in the hands of one Isaac Calhoun, it being in our opinion a case of Justifiable Homicide. In testimony thereof the Coroner Jurors of this inquest have hereunto signed the day and year above written. J. J. Peters, M. D. Coroner James R. Bevill J. T. Jones Everett Felix E. H. Bailey C. M. C. Martin Calvin, La., 8-9-20 Richard Garner, colored, sworn, says: Eugene Hollingsworth and my mother had some trouble last spring about his conduct with her little granddaughter, he left and went to Oklahoma, he came back and killed his wife yesterday morning and later in the day I heard that he said he was going to kill my mother and her granddaughter and Jim Austin my brother. Myself, Jim Austin, Amos Graham, and Isaac Calhoun armed ourselves and went to Charley Hollingsworths where my mother and her granddaughter lived. We arrived there between 3 and 4 o'clock. Mr. Carl Robbins, Deputy Sheriff came then between 5 and 6 o'clock and told us to stay there and if Gene Hollingsworth came and we couldn't stop him to kill him. Later Buford Bice came and told us he had heard from Gene and that he said he was going to Charley Hollingsworth's that night, about 8 o'clock, he came. Isaac Calhoun told him to halt twice and fired killing him dead. I did not see him before he was shot but I heard Isaac tell him twice to halt before the gun fired. Richard Garner (X) his mark Attest: J. J. Peters, M. D. Calvin, La. 8-9-20 W. T. Heflin sworn, says: I told Jim Austin yesterday that I wanted the Colored people to help me to catch Eugene Hollingsworth and that if any of them saw him and he wouldn't stop to shoot him. The same instructions were given to white people. W. T. Heflin Calvin, La., 8-9-20 Amos Graham, sworn, says: I was helping to guard Charley Hollingsworth's place last night to keep Eugene Hollingsworth from killing Sarah Austin and arrest him if he came there. About 8 o'clock I heard some one say halt-halt-twice and a gun fired. I ran around the house where the shooting occurred and Eugene Hollingsworth was lying on his back grasping for breath. He died in a few minutes. Isaac Calhoun was the one that killed Gene Holllingsworth. Sarah Austin is my mother and I felt it my duty to protect her as I had heard that Gene said he was going to kill her. Amos Graham Calvin, La., 8-9-20 John T. Bice, sworn, says: Carl Robbins, Jim Austin, myself, Buford Bice, Randle Jackson, and Heard Chandler went yesterday evening about 6 o'clock to Charley Hollingsworth's place for the purpose of arresting Eugene Hollingsworth should he come that way. We arrived there about 6 o'clock we were stationed at different places around the house. I was stationed about 100 yards east of the house, Ike Calhoun was stationed about 20 yards west of the house. About 8 o'clock I heard a gun fire in the direction of the house from where I was and I heard some scream 3 times. I hasten to where he was and I found Eugene Hollingsworth lying on his back in a dying condition and in a few minutes he was dead. I heard but one gun. I did not hear anybody say halt before I heard the gun. It was possible for some one to have said halt and I not heard it. I was behind a hill, a dense thicket, and the house from where the gun fired. I do not know of my own knowledge who fired the shot. Ike Calhoun says he fired the shot that killed Gene Hollingsworth. John T. Bice Filed for the record August 10, 1920. Recorded this the 25th day of September A. D., 1920. Eugene Beck Dy. Clerk & Ex-Officio Recorder