As taken from The Arkansas Democrat, June 20, 1900

A HORRIFYING CRIME
Searcy County Farmer Kills His
Step-Daughter and is Killed by a Mob

The Marshall Republician gives the following detailed statement of one of the most horrifying tragedies of the year, brief mention of which was made yesterday: On June, the 8th, Mr. William Woodard, living on Richland, twenty miles west of here, shot and killed Miss Lurena Thomas, his stepdaughter, and then shot himself. The tragedy occured about 2 o'clock in the afternoon in a cotton patch near the residence of J. C. Wasson. Miss Thomas lived until 10 o'clock next morning. Mr. Woodard's wound would probably have proved fatal, but he was still living at 4 o'clock next morning when a mob of ten to fifteen men, headed by a man with a huge club in his hand, rushed upon him. The attendants of the dying man were ordered to 'lie low' and the orders were quickly obeyed. The dying man's head was bruised almost to a jelly by the strokes from the mob. Several shots were fired but none aimed at the man. Mr. Woodard drew only a few breaths after the mob disappeared in the darkness.

The occurance was the result of Mr. Woodard's continued ill treatment of his family. He had whipped his wife and stepdaughter on several occasions. The girl swore out a writ for him for more serious crime, and he was placed on trail last Wednesday and bound over to await the action of the grand jury. The balliff, Mr. George Hale, after handcuffing his prisoner, started with him to the Marshall jail. On the way he stopped to borrow a saddle from his neighbor, and was just in the act of taking the saddle when he looked around and his prisoner was fast leaving him. Mr. Hale fired one shot at the retreating man, who, after traveling some distance, left the horse and took to the woods. By some means he freed his hands from the shackles and secured a Winchester and started home to kill his wife and stepdaughter, having previously made threats that he would kill them. On arriving at home he found they were not there. He then proceeded toward the creek one mile from his home and found them in the cotton patch at work. The girl on seeing him began to run and scream. He fired several shots at her but only two struck her, the latter one proving fatal. He then ran back and met his wife and placed the gun in her hands and pointed it directly at himself and told her to pull the trigger or he would kill her. She, however, refused to obey his command, whereupon he pulled the trigger himself, the ball entering his breast. Mr. Woodard said several times he was not sorry about what he had done. Just before dying he said he regretted it. He claimed that the dastardly deed was committed out of love for her.

Excitement has been at a high pitch in that section, and no sympathy is expressed for Mr. Woodard. Both corpses were buried last Saturday.