Richard Coker Thomas

 

Little River News

October 11-1955 

Bullet Kills Prosecutor

ASHDOWN, Ark. 

Prosecutor Richard  Coker Thomas, 40, was shot to death in front of the little River County jail here last night, and a former mental patient whom Thomas was sending to jail was  arrested on an open charge.

 Sheriff Aubrey Thrash said a murder charge would be filed against 67 year old John Spencer Furlow, who lived alone on a small farm three miles outside this small southwest Arkansas town. Thomas was shot in the heart with a .22-ca!iber revolver. Thrash said Furlow fired two other shots into a group of men standing nearby, but no one else was injured. The sheriff said Furlow was committed to the state hospital for the mentally ill at Little Rock from 1936 to 1940. 

Thomas had ordered Furlow jailed on grounds that he had threatened several townspeople with a shotgun. The sheriff said that when he took Furlow's arm to lead him to jail, Furlow drew a pistol and fired at the prosecutor. 

Richard Coker Thomas

1915-1955 

Buried Ashdown Cemetery, Ashdown, Ar

Son of 

Richard Emory & Leona Permilla Graves Thomas

Husband of Alphatique Cole

married 4/13/1941 

Out of Town Papers ~ Little River County Gossip

 Out of Town Newspapers Gossip  about Little River County, Arkansas

1909- Banks at Ashdown get swindled out of nine thousand dollars by a fast talking man who claimed to be John Studstill from Ga. 

1910-Mr. Overton  is under indictment for the shooting of a postmaster in Long, Arkansas on 12-24, 1908. 

1912- Two Wilton men die from drinking cologne after their supply of liquor played out. 

1914- Sixteen buildings in Ashdown are destroyed by a fire that was caused by the explosion of an oil stove in a restaurant. Estimated damage is $25,000.  This is the second fire in four months for Ashdown. 

1916- John Hawkins murdered Mrs. Ben Diles and her 15 month old daughter. 

1920- Mrs. Grover Cobb of Ashdown visits Della Robertson in Jonesboro.