Criminal: Jonas Watkins Inquest, June 17, 1919, 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 ********************************************** Taken from Inquest Book A, Office of the Clerk of Court, Winn Parish Courthouse, Winnfield, LA. Atlanta, Louisiana June 17, 1919 An Inquisition Taken At Atlanta, Louisiana, June 17, 1919, before the Dy. Coroner of Winn Parish, upon view of the body of Jonas Watkins, there lying dead. We the Jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed, having been sworn to inquire on behalf of the State when and by what means the said Jonas Watkins came to his death upon their oath do say: That the said Jonas Watkins came to his death June 16, 1919 from an unknown cause. In testimony whereof the Coroner and Jurors of this inquest have hereunto signed our names the day and year above stated. Signed: J. J. Peters, M. D., Dy. Coroner A. Bell R. W. Buce B. D. Lanson H. H. Peters O. B. Bice Cornelia Watkins, sworn, says: Yesterday at the breakfast table Jonas told me to go to the trunk and get his pocetbook, he said he wanted to buy some chickens and an Ice Cream Freezer for the 19th (note: June 19th, Emancipation Day, was, and in some places, is recognized and celebrated as "Juneteenth" ). He had two twenty dollars ($20.00)bills in his pocketbook, and fifty cents ($.50) in change, he gave me the fifty cents and told me that he had $ 1.20 on the coupon book and to go to the Commissary and get something for his dinner, said you come to the Commissary at eight o'clock and I'll meet you there and if you don't see me at the Commissary at eight o'clock you go back home and bring my dinner at 12 o'clock and I'll give you the change back. I went to the Commissary at eight o'clock and he was not there. I carried his dinner at 12 o'clock and he was not there. Jonas has fits sometimes, he has one in a day and sometimes he has five or sic in a day one right after another. When they brought Jonas home his pocketbook was gone. Signed: Cornelia Watkins Ed Howard, sworn, says: I live at Emden, Louisiana. I work on the Lumber yard here trucking lumber. I went to work yesterday morning. Jonas Watkins went to trucking lumber when I did at 7 o'clock A.M. He carried one load of lumber and unloaded it, the last time I saw him was when he was unloading his first load of lumber. I worked till 12 o'clock. After dinner I went to Germain Boyd Camp on the log train. Husser Rogers and three women, Aulim Phillips, Ida Small, the other woman's name I don't know. I did not go to any place at the Camp but the Commissary. I stayed at the Camp about 10 minutes. Signed: Ed Howard Husher Rogers, sworn, says: I live three miles from Atlanta, La. I work here at the saw mill. I worked yesterday till 12 o'clock. After dinner Ed Howard and myself sit ont he Commissary gallery till about 1 o'clock, we then went to Mr. Bice's store and sit there on the gallery a short time. We went from there to the post office, from there we went to Mr. Oaks', Ed Howard bought a dime's worth of cakes and a package of tobacco. I bought some chewing gum. We bought these things on credit. We went from there to the log engine we waited there till they unloaded the logs. We then got on the trailer car and went to the Germain Boyd Camp. We stayed at the Camp about 25 minutes and got on the log train and came back. When we got back Mr. Cupples said they had found Jonas Watkins under the train in a hole of water dead. Jonas Watkins had fits I have seen him have them many times. After we came back from the Camp we went down the Rail Road opposite Dr. Pugh's house, then we left the Rail Road and went to the street and down the street nearly to Mr. Bell's store then I turned and went to Jonas Watkins' house and Ed Howard went on down the street, he said he did not want to go to Watkins' house for the reason that his close was ragged. Signed: Husher Rogers Filed for record June 19th, 1919 and recorded this the 8th day of March, 1920. Eugene Beck Dy. Clerk & Ex-Officio Recorder