Extracted from The St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL)
Thursday, February 7, 1924

TWO DIE AFTER PISTOL BATTLE OVER POLITICS

Woman Candidate's Slayer Succumbs to Wound From Her Gun

SHE WAS KILLED BY FIVE BULLETS

Slain Man Backed Her Foe in Fight for Office of Mayor

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 6. -- Louis Meyer, who shot and killed Mrs. Rowland Clark during a pistol battle last night at Palmetto, La., after he had been wounded by the woman, died at a local hospital late tonight. Meyer, a merchant of Palmetto, was brought here early today for treatment.

Wilda Clark, a daughter of the dead woman, who with Cleon Clark, a brother, also participated in the shooting, was wounded from a bullet fired by Meyer. Cleon escaped unhurt. The shooting was the outgrowth of a political controversy.

LONG CONTROVERSY

OPELOUSAS, La., Feb. 6. -- A pitched battle last night at Palmetto, a village near here, in which two women and two men participated, ended with the death of one woman and the serious wounding of the other and one man. Mrs. Rowland W. Clark, 56, was killed, her daughter, Wilda, 18, is suffering from one bullet wound and Louis Meyer, 31, merchant, is in a New Orleans hospital probably fatally injured. Cleon Clark, 19, escaped unhurt.

Lost by One Vote.

According to the version of the affair received here from Palmetto the trouble was the outgrowth of a political controversy of several years standing. Mrs. Clark some years ago was elected mayor of Palmetto over a candidate supported by Meyer. In this year's election, held recently, Mrs. Clark was defeated by Meyer's candidate, a man named Isaacson, by one vote and it was charged by the woman that Meyer had sent for his brother in Port Arthur to come to Palmetto and vote for Isaacson.

A witness at the coroner's inquest today testified that Mrs. Clark and her daughter appeared at the railroad station late yesterday, encountered Meyer and that Mrs. Clark entered into conversation with him. The witnesses said the words he overheard indicated they were discussing an automobile.

Profane Language.

Both Mrs. Clark and Meyer indulged in profane language, the witness said, and Mrs. Clark suddenly drew a pistol and shot Meyer twice. Meyer threw his arms around Mrs. Clark, and the daughter, according to testimony, struck the wounded man as Mrs. Clark threw him from her. Meyer drew a pistol, backed away and exchanged shots with the woman until Mrs. Clark fell mortally wounded. Then, according to the witness, Meyer turned the pistol on Miss Clark, a bullet striking her in the hip and emerging from her abdomen.

In the meantime Cleon Clark, it was testified, fired on Meyer with a shotgun from a place of concealment behind a freight car, the load of shot striking him in the leg.

Woman Shot Five Times

Mrs. Clark was said to have been struck by five bullets, two in the arm and one each in the side, abdomen and chest.

All of the parties concerned are members of prominent families in the Palmetto section. Mrs. Clark leaves a husband and several children. Meyer is unmarried.
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Extracted from The Evening Leader (Corning, NY)
Thursday, February 7, 1924

FORMER WOMAN MAYOR KILLED IN GUN BATTLE

Mrs. Clark of Louisiana Shoots Merchant who Returns Fire; Girl is Wounded

OPELOUSAS, La., Feb. 7. -- Mrs. Roland W. Clark, former mayor of Palmetto, La., was shot to death, Louis Meyer, merchant of the same place, wat [sic was] fatally wounded, and Wilda, 18 years old, daughter of Mrs. Clark, was seriously wounded in a pistol battle at Palmetto Tuesday night. Cleon Clark, 19, son of the dead woman, who also participated in the shooting, was not wounded.

Mrs. Clark was killed by Meyer after she had shot him twice, inflicting wounds from which he died late last night in a New Orleans hospital. After Meyer had fatally wounded Mrs. Clark he was said by witnesses to have continued firing, one of the bullets striking the Clark girl, inflicting a serious wound. A bullet from the girl's pistol struck Meyer in the head, and a load of shot from a shotgun, said to have been fired by her brother, Cleon, found lodgement in the merchant's leg.

According to advices received here from Palmetto, the shooting was said to [illegible] of a political controversy which started several years ago, when Mrs. Clark was elected mayor of Palmetto over a candidate supported by Meyer. In a primary held recently Mrs. Clark was defeated for re-election by A. Isaacson by one vote, which Mrs. Clark was reported to have charged was obtained by Meyer sending to Port Arthur, La., for his brother to go to Palmetto and vote for Isaacson.

Witnesses testified at the inquest that Mrs. Clark after questioning Meyer about alleged disparaging remarks the woman charged he had made about her daughter, she drew a pistol and shot Meyer. He clinched with her, and as she broke loose from his grasp both began firing. Mrs. Clark was shot five times. Meyer, witnesses said, then turned his pistol on the daughter. Meyer declared he made no remarks detrimental to Miss Clark's character, authorities stated.