LAWYERS & CRIMINALS, WINN PARISH, LOUISIANA
Submitted by: Annette (Carpenter) Womack
of Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA
January 1998
(Spelling was retained as in document)

BIOGRAPHICAL & HISTORICAL 
MEMOIRS OF NORTHWEST LOUISIANA

COMPRISING A LARGE FUND OF BIOGRAPHY OF ACTUAL 
RESIDENTS, AND AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL SKETCH 
OF THIRTEEN COUNTIES --ILLUSTRATED--
Nashville and Chicago: The Southern Publishing Company (C) 1890
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LAWYERS & CRIMINALS

The first lawyers of Winn were David Pearson, Daniel Kelly, and Beldon, 
who settled in the parish prior to the war.  Afterward came William Roberts,
who resided in the parish for a few years. S. M. Brian, W. A. Little and 
M. F. Machen settled here before the days of reconstruction vanished.  In
later years R. E. Milling and J. C. Roberts became members of the local bar. 
Crockett Jones studied law at Winnfield and Natchitoches, but has not yet
(1890) been admitted to the bar.

A few heavy criminal cases have been tried here, but the criminal calender 
is generally light in the number and character of cases brought before the
courts.

The era of the West Gang was a dramatic one in many respects.  In 1868 the
murders and robberies by this gang became so numerous, that the people were
driven to take coercive measures.  W. J. Wilson; who lived in the Atlanta
neighborhood, suspected the Wests and others of being engaged in some
mysterious work, and this suspicion led to positive belief in the criminal
character of the men.  Early in 1868 the arrest of the Dean family, by the
self-appointed officers of the gang, raised a storm of indignation.  The
people from Atlanta turned out under J. A. Maybin to effect the capture of 
the desperadoes; while men from Winnfield and other points marched toward 
the West settlement, under their leaders.  John A. West, Grosvenor Thompson,
Ingram and four of their comrades were shot down; Lawson Kimball escaped, 
but was afterward hanged in Texas, while Bill Kimball was killed by Gen. 
McLaughlin.  Frane and Gilchrist were considered members of this robber gang,
but their end cannot be ascertained.  It is said that some leading citizens 
of Natchitoches were interested in the success of West and his comrades, and
an expedition was planned to abduct them from the town, and give them a 
trial before the people's court in the pine woods.  Wiser counsels prevailed
and the people were content with the dispersal or death of the robbers.

...Continued with part 5: Newspapers