The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-05-21
Letter from Vernon Parish.
VERNON PARISH, La,
MAY IA, 1881. 1

Editor Lake Charles Echo:
Sheriff David Fl. Lyons, of Calcasicu
parish, with more than twenty men of
the substantial citizens of his parish.
surrounded the ''ncw" residence of
Thomas ". Stephens, of this parish,
Thursday morning, the 18th instant,
about ten miles from the courthouse.
Just at daylight Stephens discovered
them and broke for the thicket, which
was near By, with his gun in hand,
The men ordered him to shalt" but he
refused and fired his gun at them,
changing his direction little, and in
creased his speed down the ravine for
the main thicket. The shooting be-
came general, and Stephens fell dead
with a rifle bali through the head,
which was the only wound he received.
His wife ran ont in the direction of
the firing and caught stray ball
through the top of her shoulder. The
men had been well located and were
firing from various directions, and that
just at daylight, before they could well
see.
Deputy sheriff Tom Smart saw Mrs.
Stephens during the firing, and advised
her to get into the house. Sheriff
Lyons at once sent for the coroner to
take charge of the body, and for DIR.
S. j. Smart to attend to Mrs. Stephens.
The coroner summoned a jury, who
examined the body, heard evidence,
and rendered a verdict generating
the sheriff and his posse of any charge
of any criminal guilt, but were acting
in self-defencc, as well as in the dis
charge of official duty. DIR. Smart was
not at home to receive the call, but
returned in time to visit Mrs. Stephens
early next morning, and reported the
wound us not serious. Tom Stephens
and his sons have been in this parish,
publicly, the most of the time, for
several months, the old man proclaim
ing his intention never to surrender to
any authority, and when attacked
would fight &c the last. c. F. Conerlv,
the sheriff of this parish, was furnished
with warrants for the arrest of the
Stephens by the sheriff of Calcasieu,
some three or four months ago, bu,
had failed to take steps to execute any
of them.
The whereabouts of these men has
been well known by the people of Yer
non, and any man of capacity could
have executed the writs or forced the
parties to leave. The boys are in the
habit of visiting Leesville, the parish
site, without any attempt to arrest
them by the sheriff. Doc Stephens
was in the courthouse having some
land papers fixed up the day before his
father was killed, and told it publicly
that there was warrant for him in
Calcasieu, and that he had escaped
being arrested by the officers by fast
running after he had fired his gun at
them. He remained in town for some
time, and left without the sheriff at
tempting an arrest. No arms were
seen on him.
Sheriff Conerlg has had several
warrants in his possession, from eight
to twelve months, to-wit: One for
Jim Stephens, f. IN. C., for murder
one for Mcfarland, for murder; one
for Jones, for robbery; and one for
VIM. Sanders, f. m. c., for shooting,
and none of them have resided more
than forty miles from the courthouse,
bnt no arrest has been made, notwith-
standing their whereabouts has been
publicly known.
How can We expect the enforcement
of the law with such deficient officer!
If the law breakers leave the parish they
are safe from Conerly, and if they come
here from other parishes, with pistols
and guns and make heavy threats,
they are safe from Conerly. / am
trnly proud to know that the parish of
Caleasieu has sheriff of capacity,
who knows his duty, and has the nerve
and pride to execute all writs in behalf
of the commonwealth; and when it
becomes necessary to travel into this
parish for said purpose, and especially
to give us the protection we are en-
titled to under the law, (which we have
failed to receive from our sheriff, J that
he can command the confidence and
assistance of the first class citizens of
Calcasieu parish. Yours truly,
j. Il. WILLIAMS. /