New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1920-11-13
BABY MURDERED BY
UNKNOWN PROWLER.
Two-year- old Child of MIR. and
Mrs. Roy Stafforu, Former
Iberians, Killed in Mothers
Arms,

| revolver as the only clue, OncerS
are still searching for the I'M
known person who shot and killed
Muriel Stafford, the 2-year-old
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Roy
Stafford, seven miles south Of
Temple near the Guadalupe In
dian reservation about II 30
o clock Friday night No motive
for the firing Of the mysterious
shot which struck the baby in the
back Of the head has been learned
by the officers. 1t is thought that
the shot was intended for the
former owner of the store
The inquest was held in Tempe
yesterday afternoon by Coroner
Cummings. The verdict was
death due to a gunshot wound in
flicted by an unknown person. Flu
neral services for the little one
were held yesterday afternoon in
Tempe, Arizona.
According to the story told by
Mr.. Stafford, about II 80 o'clock
on Friday night he heard some one
rattle the front door Of the store
building and then the back door. |
Mr.. Stafford lives in an. apart
ment over the store, Of which he
is manager, stairway at the |
back of the store being the only |
entrance to the apartment. After
listening for several minutes, Mr.
Stafford said, he heard the sound
of crashing glass in the front part
of the store and he got up out Of
bed and lighted a light.
Greeted by Shot.
His wife got up at the sanne
time, he said, and their small
daughter was awakened by the
crash of the glass. Stafford said
he got his automatic revolver and
and went to the door
leading out to the stairway. His
wife, he said, followed him with
the baby in her arms, its head
resting on her left shoulder. Mr..
Stafford said he opened the door
and stepped onto the small porch
at the head Of the stairs. |,
At the instant he started to
flash his light, shot was fired
from the ground about thirty
feet away. The shot went through ,
the panel of the door and struck
the baby in the back of the head. :
Mrs. Stafford, he said. was ap-
preaching the door when the shot
struck the baby. The bullet ]
passed through the baby's head,
struck a panel in the dining
room Of the apartment and then
rebounded into the kitchen where
it was found.
Mr.. Stafford said he fired one
shot in the direction Of the flash
Of the other gun and then his gun
jammed and he could not use it.
No other shots were fired and the
unknown murderer left the place.
Officers investigating the affair
found that an iron bar, used
about the store to prop open the
screen door, had been used by the
unknown person to punch hole
through the window. The bar
mad been left in the window after
t was thrust through the glass.
Had No Enemies.
Mr.. Stafford stated that he had
been at the store about a month
md had come from Texas recent
Y for the health of his wife. The
store formerly was owned by
frank W. Turner and II. J. Robi-
.haux but about a month ago
Turner sold out to Robichaux.
Mr.. Turner was unable to throw
any light on the murder yester-
lay. He stated that he had some
rouble with several Mexicans in
he neighborhood over their con-
Iuct in the store but could not as
ign any motive for them shoot
mo- at Saffor,1 thinking that it In