CHARLES FRANCOIS KILLED BY WILL McGEE

Saturday, May 26, 1900

Obit date Saturday, June 2, 1900

SHOOTING AFFRAY. A fatal shooting affray took place in Prairie Hayes Saturday night, which resulted in the death of Charles Francois.

News of the shooting reached town Sunday morning and Deputy Sheriff Louis Deputy went immediately to the scene where the shooting took place, and came to town Monday morning with a man by the name of Will McGee, charged with having fired the fatal shot.

Acting Coroner H.C. Webb was notified, and immediately left for the scene after enpaneling a jury returned home and the inquest was continued at his office Monday morning.

From the evidence gathered from the witnesses at the inquest, the particulars of the affair are about as follows:

The shooting took place about 12 pm Saturday night at the home of A.J. Prator, in Prairie Hayes, about twenty miles north of Crowley. The young people of the neighborhood were enjoying a dance, which was at its height, when some unpleasantness over some trivial matter was started in the house. It was impossible to establish the fact as to who started the fuss, but it is known that the principals were the deceased, Charles Francois, and Will McGee. After considerable talk in the house it was decided between them that the matter should be settled in the yard. There was a general rush of all those inside to get out. The testimony goes to show that some words passed between them on the outside, after which Charles Francois struck Will McGee, knocking him down. McGee quickly rose, and pulled his gun and said: "If you have gun powder to burn, so have I." and fired at Francois, killing him instantly. The ball entered the left breast and pierced the heart.

McGee was brought to Crowley and is now in jail. Francois was buried at 8 o'clock Monday morning at his home.

The Coroner's jury composed of Acting Coroner H.C. Webb, Louis Deputy, Warren Lyons, Allen Loxley, Alex Lormand and Edmond Amy. The verdict rendered by the jury was that Francois met his death from the effects of a ball fired by a pistol from the hands of Will McGee.