The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-07-30
ADVERTISEMENT.
LEBSyILLE, VERNON PARISH. La,
July 10, 1881.

III an article lbHDilsileu IN the Lake
Charles Echo, of May 2lst, which j
did NOT see until recently, contains a
communication signed hy J. L. vii
liams, giving a description of the kill
ing of T. W. Stephens, by Sheriff
Lyons and his posse; and as the said J.
L. Williams, in his article, refers to INV
official character in very strong terms,
placing me in no very, cnviable position
before the people, | hope you will do
me the favor of publishing this reply,
not with any intention of newspaper
controversy, bnt in justice to myself
against vile personal SANDER against
my private and official character.
After describing the inannerin which
Mr.. Stephens was killed. }. l.. Williams
Tor his reportcr) goes on to say: "Tom
Stephens and his sons have been, in
this parish, publicly, the most of the
time for several months" etc, aud
little further on he says &C. +. Conerlv,
the sheriff of this parish, was fnrn-
ished with warrants for tle arrest Of
Stephens by the sheriff of Calcasicu
some three or four months AFRO, but
he had failed to take steps to execute
any of them" This is not only false
in fact but vile Islander. lie Clearly
intimaies that ] had warrants for T.
w. Stephens and his sons, whereas |
had but two warrants for them, one for
Tom ami ono for his son, Hobby, the
latter being ont Of the State when ]
received the warrants, and remained so:
aud as the crime had been committed
in Calcasieu, considered il ms much
the dnty of the sheriff of that parish
TO hunt him mp as it was mine. And
as for Tom Stephens, if J. l.. W., or
his reporter, or any citizen had given
me information, as had requested, of
his whereabouts, which ]. l.. W seems
to have known so well, slronll have
summoned a posse aud went immetli-
atcly for his arrest. But perhaps this
patriotic j. /. w, who seemed SO anx-
ious for the arrest Of Stephens, might
have belonged TO q gang that made an
attack upon said Stephens house. one
night some Years ago, hence wouldnot
give the necessary information for fear
of being pressed into service, for no
doubt he, with others,.knew his steel. !
J. l.. w. further says s.ihe where
abouts of these men has been well
known by the people of Vernon, and
any man of capacity could have ex-
ccnted the writs, or forced the parties
10 leave" ] repeat, if j. i. w. or
any reliable man had given me this
definite information. the sheriff of
Caleasien and his gallant posse might
have been saved the trouble of coming
to Vernon for the arrest of said Ste
phens. But that gallant, patriotic and
debt paying man, j. L. Williams, who
knows so mnch of the whereabouts of
said Stephens, reminds me of an an
ecdotc ] heard some years ago, to-wit:
There was bear that made an attack
on a mans house, the man took refuge
under the bed. and left his wife 10
combat with the intruder, which she
in killing, then her husband /
crawled from under the bed and said
''Oh. how brave we are! We have
killed the bear" j think ]. l.. w. is
just as brave. We know lie is brave,
patriotic man By confessing that he
knew SO much Of I. ". Stephens, and
kept it all 10 himself. We know him
to be a law-abiding and debt paving
man, by his name not appearing on the
lax rolls Of this parish; and / would
advise Uncle Abb, the assessor, to hunt
J. i. Williams up, and find out how
much be is worth, for if we are to es-
innate his means by his show of know
edge and patriotism, be would he quite
IN acquisition to the parish treasury.
As for the Stephens boys visiting
.eesville, they insight have done so; /
would not have known them had I met
hem on the street, and ! had no war
ant for any Of them but Hobby, and
he was in Texas. AS for Doc Stephens
,eiDg in Leesville ON business, the day ]
before his father was killed, | shall
'nly say that ! was more than twenty
niles from town on that day, with a
warrant in search of another man; and
lad been at Leessillesand had known
Doc Stephens, | had no warrant for
i'm, notwithstanding j. i. w. clearly |
ntimates that 1 had a warrant, and <
vas in town that day, which ] say is
malicious falsohood. Again, this j
fonld-be brave ]. &. Nv. says: 'sSheriff {
;onerly has had several warrants in his !
'ossessiepf from eightto twelve months, J
o-wii: one for Jim Stephens, 4. m. e., =
or murder one for Mcfarland, for /,
murder; one for Jones, for robbery;
nd Que for William Sanders, {. m. G.,
Or sllpufis,e and flat 4 ..,,sS...,l