The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-04-17
FIGHTING FOR LIFE ON KIDNAPPING CHARGE
W. C. WALTERS ON TRIAL IN OPEL0USAS IN CELEBRATED CASE
Bobby Dunbar Role Similar One in Case Solomon Decided
Is Bobby Bobby or Bruce?-Two Women Claim Boy to Re
Her Own--Man's Life Probably Hangs on Decision

A problem in psychology, a
parallel one with that recorded
in the bible which Solomon cut
the knot of by ordering the child
to be cut in two, is now being
tried in the District court at Ope-
lousas. 1t is that of the State VS..
". c. Walters, charged with hav-
ing kidnapped little Bobbie Dun
bar. All readers of The Watch
man are familiar with the news
paper reports Of this case, but
we give a brief resume and shall
endeavor to give our readers the
latest particulars of the trial un-
til a verdict is reached.
This is probably the most ia
nous case that has ever been in
a Louisiana court, and but few in
other states can equal it in the
apparently impenetrableness of
its mystery and of the intensity
of interest manifested in it's out
come. The history of the case,
in brief, is:
Bobbie Dunbar disappeared on
Aug. %, 1912. He had left the
camping party of his parents, c.
P. Dunbar and wife, in company
with a negro boy Of his own age.
Bobby was then nearly 5 years
old. When he was missed a
search traced him to the banks of
Lake Swayze, not far from the
Dunbar home. At first it was
feared that he had been drowned
but the lake failed to give up the
body and the little boys hat was
found some distance from the
lake a day qf issSS later q. Ihsh Il tbs
\ theory Of 8 3; g Nasr Eelop
ed and the father offeredAa re.
ward of 81, 900, the town of Ope.
lousas adding one of S., 1000.
In the next eight months doz'
ems of clues were followed, but
to no result. April Is, 1918,
suspect was arrested near Column
bia, Miss, and a group of womer
in the case telegraphed Mr.. Dun.
bar that W. C. Walters, a travel
ing tinker, was there with a chile
who, from newspaper photo
graphs, they believed to be Bob
bic. The father went there with
out delay, saw the boy and par
TALLY identified him. To make
sure, he telegraphed for his wife
She saw the lad and partially
identified him. The next day,
examining him, she made the
Identification positive. April q
the boy was brought to New Or
leans, where he was identified by
relatives and a little girl play
mate.
The homecoming the following
day was an event in the history
of Opelousas. The Dunbars were
met at the station by a brass banC
and almost the entire population
In the meantime Walters, II
iail at Columbia, developed hi!
side of the case. He said thu
child is the illegitimate son of hi
brother and Julia Anderson O.
J GAINESVILLE, N. c., and that HI
had carried the child about will
him for months, long prior to tn
KIDNAPPING. He said he had lief
| the child at the home of Mr.. ant
Mrs. Jeptha Bilbo in Poplarville
Miss, some weeks before tn
, kidnapping.
The statements of Walter
, were investigated. The Bilbo
came forward and identified tn
boy as the child they kept TO
Walters prior to the Dunbar boy
disappearance. Other witnesse
, were developed substantiatin
Walters claims of having bee
, elsewhere at the time of the dis
, appearance of Bobbie.
Julia Anderson was brought t