The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1914-01-17
Citizens Deplore
Hebert Killing
By Buck Harper
Appeal to Authorities Over Sig
natures to Protect Them
From Future Bad
Acts of Harper.
ADVERTISEMENT
Colfax, La, R. F. D., |
Jan. z. 1914.


Editor Progress-Nea0s:
We, the undersigned citizens of Grant
parish, have read the write-up of the
killing of Phil Hebert, Jr., in the last
issue of the Colfax Chronicle, and from
the scattering information contained
therein it is misleading and tends to
create sentiment in favor of Buck Har-
per. and rather justifies him in commit
ting the horrible deed, and the write-up
does not mention the fact that after
staying the youth he turned and cut the
throat of an inoffensive horse which
was hitched to a wagon in the public
road and owned by young Hebert's ia
Their. The horse lay in the road for
several days to the horror of passers by.
Every one who knows Buck Harper
knows tina. he goes on rampage every
few years and terrorizes the country
for miles around him, and generally
winds up by getting into serious trou-
BILE with some one. Only a few years
since he was adjudged insane and sent
to an asylum. Since returning he has
been very peaceable until few months
since when he acquired considerable
money in a timber deal. 1t has only
been few weeks since he went to the
home of Mr.. George White while on a
drunk and terrorized the women and
children; and young lady teacher who
was boarding there was so frightened
that she fied into the cold dark night to
a neighbor's, and more recently he pull
ed off some of his wild west stunts in
PineviIle, and ended by being taken in
charge of officers.
Now, concerning the killing of young
Hebert there is no evidence to show
that Harper was justitiable in the aw-
full slaughter of man and beast. He
bert was slick faced youth barely Fl
years old, and the support of his mother
and little children and his white haired
father who is 65 years old. The facts
are, Harper was baling hay on the Bob
LeSage place and LeSage owed young
Hebert's father some hay and young
Hebert's mother who was i'll in bed
sent her son with wagon after the hay.
Knowing Harper's disposition as bad
man young .Hebert armed himself with
a revolver for protection. Coming up
to where Harper was Hebert asked for
the hay but was refused by Harper who
was drunk, and started towards the boy
with knife saying he would kill him.
Hebert drew his gun to protect himself,
and was quickly seized by Harper's son
and hired man and firmly held until
Harper's other son could bring shot
gun, when young Hebert was deliber-
ately shot to death by Buck Harper
while being held, and it was after being
shot and turned loose that Hebert fired
those random shots before expiring. As
young Hebert lay, on the ground in a
death struggle Harper laid down his
gun and got his knife and tried to get
at young Hebert, saying he would cut
his throat. Failing in this. he turned
and plunged the knife in the neck of a
defenseless horse, severing the vein,
and the animal dropped dead in the har-
ness.
Harper then went home and barri-
caded himself in his home and defed
the law, and after bluffing with the Of
ficers until ne seemed to be satisfied,
he proceeded to go all over this com.
munity, accompanied by his son William.
both armed with shotguns, and were
laughing, shouting ard growing like
ROSTERS over the awful crime jus; ON
mitted; saying they had put the boy in
his black box and trey intended to get
the Old man, meaning youIg Hebert's
fa her. They only surrendered when
VITA a bench warrant and
half dozen winchester rifles in the hands
of men whom they knew would shoot
to kill.
We wish to thank the officers and
citizens who assisted in the capture of
Harper, and assure them of our heart
felt gratitude. And We pray the courts
and our Honorable Judge to give him
the extreme penalty of the law. We
implore you not TO turn Buck Harper !
loose in this community again, as he
has threatened to kill half dozen other
men if turned loose.
Now, dear reading public. the forego- |
ing are the cold facts in the killing of
young Hebert by Buck Harper, and a !