Extracted from The Alexandria Weekly Town Talk (Alexandria, LA)
Saturday, October 26, 1907

KILLING AT OAKDALE

Robt. Odom Stabbed to Death by His Cousin, Wm. Monk.

From Monday's Daily.

A tragedy which caused the death of one man and placed another behind the bars, occurred at Oakdale on the Watkins road, last Saturday night.

Robt. Odom, a young white man, aged 24 years, was brought to this city yesterday afternoon, on the Watkins train, suffering from a deep wound in the throat which severed the windpipe. He was conveyed to the sanitarium, where he underwent an operation, which was without avail, and the young man passed away in the afternoon at 5:15 o'clock, a few hours after reaching this city.

From Dr. J. D. Stalsby of Oakdale, who accompanied the wounded man to this city, Town Talk learns the following facts:

On last Saturday night in Oakdale, at 8 o'clock, William Monk and Robt. Odom, aged 19 and 24 years respectively, and who reside a few miles from the above named place, met in Oakdale. The young men, it seems had had trouble before over a family affair, and it was brought up again when they met. After a few words had passed between the men Odom knocked Monk down. When he arose Monk pulled his knife and stabbed Odom twice in the arm and then made a stroke for his throat, severing the windpipe. There was only one witness to the affair.

After stabbing Odom, Monk went to Lake Charles where he surrendered to the sheriff of Calcasieu parish.

The families of both the men involved stand high in the Oakdale neighborhood and this tragedy is deplored by all.

The remains of Robert Odom were turned over to the Hoyt Undertaking establishment of this city and prepared for burial and shipped over the Watkins road for Oakdale this afternoon, interment being made on the arrival of the train at that place.

It will be remembered by many of our readers that Robt. Odom is the man who killed a man at Oakdale last year by striking him on the head with a piece of scantling, while working for a mill at that place.

The man killed by Odom was a brother of the man who stabbed Odom on Saturday night. The Monks and Odom were first cousins.