Jul 28, 2020

Murder of William Nichols



Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK
7/17/1911
Man and Wife to Prison Together
Ashdown, Ark., July 16-- For the killing of William Nichols, a former state representative, John Ford and his wife, Lelia, must serve twelve years each in the state prison. They were found guilty of second degree murder by a jury in the circuit court here Saturday and the court passed sentence immediately after receiving the verdict.  Nichols was slain at Lockesburg last September.  A jury in the first trial found the defendants guilty and they were both sentenced to hang.  The Supreme Court reversed the case.




Arkansas Supreme Court Case: 
Event: 
John R Ford and Lelia (Wilson) Ford were tenants of W.F. Nichols and lived on his farm near Lockesburg in Sevier County, Arkansas.  On the night of September 30, 1910, the Fords quarreled with Nichols about him letting down a fence and driving through one of his fields, which they had rented.  J.R. Ford killed Nichols by cutting or stabbing him with a barlow knife.  

Jul 27, 2020

Ashdown Gossip ~ September 1942


Ashdown Happenings-L.R. News
September 10, 1942

Mr and Mrs Jett Orton and son of Fulton spent the weekend with Mrs. J.J. Crotty. 

Mrs. Pearl Orton of Texarkana is visiting Mrs. J.J. Crotty this week. 

Joe Steele left Monday for Fayetteville to attend the University of Arkansas. Miss Ruth Lambright left Sunday to teach this year in Wilton. Mrs. Walter Pruitt was taken to the hospital in Texaarkana Sunday for medical attention. 

Miss Elizabeth Lay left Sunday for Arkadelphia to attend Henderson State Teacher’s College. Miss Octavia Lay went to Longview, Texas Friday to teach this yeaar. Miss Erma Jean Crawford went to Texarkana Sunday to begin her commercial course. Miss Mary Sue Piercy left Saturday for Fayetteville to attend the University of Arkansas. Mack Reed Christian left last week for Magnolia where he enrolled at A and M College. 

Mrs. L.F. Wheelis spent the weekend in Hot Springs with relatives. Miss Nora Bowman of Texarkana spent the weekend with her parents, Mr and Mrs Ed. Bowman. 

Jimmy Choate and Henry Kaufman were Thursday business visitors in Mena. Mrs. Willella Baughman of Arkadelphia visited Mrs. O.T. Graves last week. 

William Pond of Foreman was a Sunday guest of Mr and Mrs J.L. Roden. Miss Frances Locke of Little Rock spent the weekend with Mr and Mrs T.J. Locke. Mr and Mrs Arthur Lott of Okay spent Sunday with Mrs T.J. Lott and family. 

Miss Lillabell Floyd of Lockesburg is visiting Mr and Mrs Martin Ross. Mr and Mrs J.P. McIntyre of Marlow, Oklahoma are visiting Mr and Mrs Leon Autry. 

Mr and Mrs George Mooney have moved to Kilgore, Texas, where Mr Mooney is employed. 

Misses Ola Mae Pennington and Orhea Johnson spent the weekend visiting Camp Crowder, Missouri. Miss Kathryn Bone of Little Rock spent the weekend with Miss Dorothy Shaver. Mrs Mack Christian spent the weekend with her parents, Mr and Mrs Reed, at Mineral Springs. 

Worth McGraw of Pine Bluff spent the weekend with Mr and Mrs W.P. McGraw. Richard Latimer of Camp Claiborne, Louisiana visited here the first of the week. 

Misses Beulah and Irene Carroll of Hot Springs are visiting Mr and Mrs Joe Jester and family. Mr and Mrs J.H. Welch spent Sunday with their daughter at Texarkana. Mr and Mrs W.P. Leslie spent Thursday night in Nashville with Vas Leslie. 

Misses Ruth Ringgold and Annie Maude Yates left Sunday to attend Arkansas State Teacher’s College at Conway. Miss Evelyn Simmons returned Thursday from a visit in Longview, Texas and is now employed at Evans Variety Store. 

Mary Lou Owens, daughter of Mr and Mrs Louie Owens, had her tonsils removed at a Texarkana hospital last week. Mrs Charles Stewart Allen of Ft. Worth, Texas arrived last week for a visit with her parents Mr and Mrs A.J. Scibner. 

Buck Wright, who is stationed somewhere in California, is visiting his parents, Mr and Mrs Fred Wright. Miss Maranel Good who is taking technical work at St. Louis, spent the weekend with Mr and Mrs E.R. King. 

P.E. Collins of Longview, Texas, spent last week with Mr and Mrs O.G. Roberson, Mrs Roberson returned to Longview with them for the weekend. 

Misses Charley Marie Bowles, Mary Toland and Frances Ann Wright left Sunday for Arkansas State Teacher’s College at Conway. They were accompanied by C.I. Bowles and J.Y. Wright. Mr and Mrs H.R. Price and big baby girl (Barba Ann) of Gladewater, Texas, stopped over in Ashdown in route from a weekend visit with Mrs Price’s mother who lives in Horatio and his cousin who lives in Ashdown. 

Mar 4, 2020

Early Little River County Arkansas Physicians

Name, Age, Birth State, Occupation, Township

1860
L.B. Dowd 40  Ct physician -Franklin Tp
John D. Rowland 31  Tn physician -Red River Tp
W.F. Simmons 40 Ga physician -Red River Tp
John D. Bellah 42 Tn physician -Red River Tp
Edwin L. Hamilton 24 Al physician -Red River Tp
P.R. Bowman 35 Ny physician -Red River Tp
Alexander Lovett 37 Tn physician -Red River Tp
William Hawkins 27 Nc physician-Little River Tp
Honesta Bizzell 24 Nc physician-Jackson Tp
J.W. Harmon 34 Tn- physician-Jackson Tp
M.W.C. Frazier 29 Ky -Jefferson Tp

1870
J.M. Parker 46 Ga doctor -Franklin Tp
Soloman Wyatt 71 Va doctor-Lick Creek Tp
John M. Simms  37 Va physician -Red River Tp
Henry J. Hunter 36 Va physician -Red River Tp
John T. Butler 28 physician  Tn-Red River Tp
William H. Hawkins 37 Nc physician -Red River Tp
James C. Wright 45 Nc physician -Jackson Tp
Orville Alexander 32 Mo physician-Jackson Tp
Joshua Gray 28 La physician -Jackson Tp
Ulisses U. Ware 34 Tn physician -Jackson Tp

1880
W.H. Hawkins 47 Nc  physician-Rocky Comfort
W.W. Roberts   1846  Ar physician -Little River Tp
Samuel H. Pruett 1836 Tn  physician- Little River Tp
W.S. Waits 1848 Ms physician Jackson Tp
J.H. Gray 1840 Al physician Jackson Tp
J.P. Lawley 1845 Al physician Jackson Tp
Joseph Poole 1844 Mo physician Little River & Burke
John Crum 1852 In physician Little River Tp
John Parker 1826 GA physician Franklin Tp
Richard Smith 1853 England physician Lick Creek Tp
J.M. Dunn 1834 VA physician Richmond Tp
E.L. Hamilton 1836 AL physician Red River Tp

information from US census