John Wood Escape/Kidnap of Winnfield Marshal Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From the February 13, 1949 Winnfield News-American

Big Spree Ends In Parish Jail

One assault with intent to rob and another with intent to kill has been
charged against John Woods, young Winnfield man, who was lodged in the Winn
Parish Jail.  Thursday afternoon after he bolted the city jail earlier in the
day and forced a city policeman to drive him to Georgetown.  Bond has been set
at $ 500 on each charge.

Woods, who has served a term in the state penitentiary for breaking and
entering, reportedly began his spree at about 11 o'clock Wednesday night when
he assaulted the proprietor of the Lowell Electric service on East Main
Street.  He was arrested shortly thereafter and lodged in the city jail by
Policemen John Poisso and Bill Desadier, who had been summonsed by Lowell.

At about 5 a.m. Thursday morning, officers reported, Woods broke the lock on
the jail door, seized an automatic shotgun belonging to City Police Chief
Gamble Carter, and relieved Desadier of his pistol.  He then deposited the
shotgun in a corner of the jail office and, with the pistol, forced Desadier
to drive him to Georgetown in the police truck, officers said.

Desadier was released and immediately called State Trooper Don Steen of Jena,
who arrived in Georgetown in time to capture Woods, it was reported.  Steen
was bringing Woods to Winnfield when he was met at Curry by Police Chief
Carter, whom Desadier had telephoned from Georgetown.

Charges against Woods will be presented at the next meeting of the Winn Parish
Grand Jury, the sheriff's office said Thursday.




>From the April 9, 1948 Winnfield News-American

Woods Pleads Guilty Given Three Years In 'Pen' at Angola

Pleading guilty as charged after a sanity commission adjudged he was sane at
the time he was alleged to have committed simple kidnapping, John Wood, 27, of
Winnfield, has been sentenced to three years in the state penitentiary.

The charge grew out of an incident in which Wood bolted from the Winnfield
jail and forced Deputy Marshal W. W. Desadier to take him to Georgetown.  Wood
later was recaptured and lodged in the parish jail here.

A charge of attempt to commit simple robbery was dropped on motion of the
district attorney.  In this connection Wood was charged with assaulting the
owner of a radio shop on Main Street here.

(Submitted by Greggory Ellis Davies, Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA.)