Franklin Parish
LAGenWeb
A DESPERATE SCUFFLE FOR LIFE
Walter Bell, having stolen
a horse in Franklin parish, was subsequently arrested by citizens of Catahoula.
Bell was turned over to the mail-rider who was going to Franklin, to be carried
to jail in Winnsborough. What occurred is thus detailed by the mail-rider:
They asked me if I would carry him to Winnsborough. I said I would if Bell
said so, and he said he was more than willing. I then told McVey I wanted to
swear out a warrant, and was sworn in as special constable. I started for
Winnsborough with Bell, and had a gun I got from one of the party who arrested
him. Between a half and three quarters of a mile I discovered Bell fumbling at
his boots; told him to get down and pull them off. I says "I believe you have a
pistol in them." says he, "all right," and got down and asked which boot he
should pull off first; I having got down and stood within five feet of him said,
"the left boot first and both of them." He pulled them off; catching them in his
hand as if to set them down, says I, "threw them boots to me." He threw them
beyond me, at the same time ran at me; my gun failing to shoot he grabbed the
gun. We then tussled some five minutes, he trying to take the gun, he said,
"turn the gun loose; I want your horse, and this gun, and the mail bags, and
what money you've got, and you can take the black horse and go to h-ll with
him." Said I to him; "after we have had another scuffle I'll tell you more about
it." He then hit me in (the) face with one hand still holding the gun with the
other, and I hit him also, retaining a hold of the gun with the other. He
tripped at me several times, trying to throw me down, and then I tripped at him
and succeeded to throw him. He fell with the gun across his breast, and me on
him. While holding him I managed to get my knife out of my right pocket, and
clutching the knife against my leg I managed to open it, and then I cut his neck
vein; he exclaimed to me, "I am a dead man;" I says to him, "you will be
directly," and cut the other neck vein; I then cut his heart. I then got up off
of him, left everything laying as the scuffle commenced, got on my horse and
went back to McVey's and told him that I killed Bell. He summoned a jury and
went back where the body was and examined his boots, and shook a derringer out
of them. They then held an inquest over him, and after the Justice released me,
I proceeded to Winnsborough with my mail and Mac Scott's horse.
This
statement of Mr. Watson everybody believes to be, "the whole truth and nothing
but the truth" of the affair. The two men in size and strength were well
matched, and nothing but his courage and coolness enabled Watson to overcome his
daring assailant. Bell showed at times that he had good raising, and letters to
the postmaster here in inquiring about him, afforded proof that he had relatives
who had a strong solicitude for him. But there is no doubt that he has for some
time been involved in the meshes of dissipation and has sought occasions both
here and elsewhere, to indulge in the nefarious business of horse-stealing, and
in the pursuit of which he was caught and lost his life.
Contributed 2021 Sep 27 by Lora Peppers loradpeppers@hotmail.com
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