ONE KILLED IN TUESDAY NIGHT DANCE FIGHT

Crowley Signal November 27, 1928

One man is dead as a result of a fight at a country dance in the Marais Boulard section last night and his alleged slayer is in the parish jail here following his surrender early this morning.

The victim of the tragedy, which occurred at 10 p.m. Tuesday at the place of John B. Duplechin on the Adam Boudreaux farm, two miles north of Castille, is Ovellien LeBlanc, 24 year old unmarried man of the Marais Boulard section, son of Don Louis LeBlanc.

LeBlanc died without regaining consciousness an hour after he was shot through the head by a bullet from a pistol said to have been fired by Frank Bergeron, 17 year old son of J.B. Alpheus Bergeron, living about two miles north of Castille.

Young Bergeron accompanied by Galbert Thibodeaux of Branch, came to the Crowley jail this morning and gave himself up to Jailer W.W. Higginbotham at 6 a.m. Thibodeaux cautioned Bergeron against talking to anyone except for counsel.

Bergeron’s father was in Texas at the time of the shooting, but returned to his home today upon learning of the affair. A jury impaneled by Coroner Z.J. Francez declared that LeBlanc died as the result of a gunshot wound in the head.

According to reports, the shooting occurred at a private dance at the Duplechin place. It was said that young Bergeron and LeBlanc had gotten into an argument inside the house over the objection raised to the noise made by a cap pistol with a young boy was playing and that LeBlanc had struck Bergeron. Later, the two men went out of the house into the yard, Bergeron walking a little in the rear of LeBlanc. One version of the shooting was that Bergeron walked over by a gate where there were several other persons and that while they were standing there, LeBlanc called out to make room for him to pass and began his advance, football-player fashion, holding his head down as he plunged toward the gate. Here it was, according to the report, that Bergeron drew a pistol and fired, the bullet entering the top of LeBlanc’s head, somewhat above the forehead – this being due to the way in which LeBlanc was said to have fallen to the ground and to have remained motionless, although he did not die until about an hour, just as he was taken home.

District Attorney James Gremillion and Sheriff Luis Fontenot visited the scene of the killing this morning. They brought back with them two knives, one of which was said to have been found in the dead man’s pocket, opened, and another near the place where he was picked up.

TRYING DANCE KILLING CASE

Crowley Signal May 22, 1928

The trial for the killing of Ovellion LeBlanc at a dance in the Marais Boulard section entered its second day this morning, having begun with the swearing in of the jury shortly after 2 o’clock Monday afternoon.

Percy T. Ogden, former district attorney, is counsel for Bergeron, while the prosecution is in the hands of District Attorney James A. Gremillion. Judge W.W. Bailey of 15th judicial district court, is presiding. The jury selected yesterday is composed of the following men: Leon Hebert, Jr., R.J. Boudreaux, Jr., Oscar Faulk, George Lovell, Willie Lantz, J.C. Patin, Ozere Breaux, David Roy, Jr., W.H. Carey, Jr., Roy Truax, Eddie LeDoux and P.J. Letz.

BERGERON IS FOUND GUILTY

Crowley Signal May 22, 1928

Declared guilty after jury trial on a charge of manslaughter, Frank Bergeron had hope of a new trial because of the fact that the deputy sheriff in bringing the jury down from its room to render its verdict last night had locked down two of the jurors in the room and had brought down ten instead of 12 jurors.

Last night when the jury sent word shortly before 8 o’clock that it was ready to report, Deputy Sheriff Joe Amy went upstairs to get the men. Soon ten jurors filed into the court room and were seated. The vacant seats disclosed the absence of Eddie Ledoux and David Roy, Jr., and search of the courthouse finally brought them to light in the locked jury room. Apparently they had just stepped into the ante room just before the deputy arrived and had not joined the ten jurors when the door was closed upon them.

The verdict of “guilty with recommendation of extreme mercy” was then read, and a poll of the jury showed only one man for acquittal, Roy Truax.

Attorney Percy T. Ogden, counsel for Bergeron, asked that a note be made on the minutes concerning what he called separation of the jury, and indicated later that he would ask for a new trial on that point.

Up to rendering of the jury’s report no bill of exception had been filed. Trial was begun on Monday, the case going to the jury at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, and verdict being rendered.

District Attorney sought to prove that the slaying of LeBlanc had been unprovoked, while contention of defense was that Bergeron acted in self defense.