Extracted from The Monroe Morning World (Monroe, LA)
Sunday, March 10, 1940

MAN IN CALDWELL IS BADLY SLASHED

Columbia, La., March 9. --(Special)-- Roy Strange, 28-year-old WPA worker, was critically wounded early tonight when he was slashed with a knife as the result of an alleged argument with a neighbor over a stove, Sheriff G. E. Erskine said.

Gus Armstrong, about 28, a farmer, was being held by sheriff's officers as the assailant, pending the outcome of Strange's condition.

Strange, who was in the Columbia hospital tonight, was slashed once across the lower part of his abdomen. The gash was about 12 inches long, it was stated.

According to Sheriff Erskine, the cutting occurred at Strange's home in Ward 5 about 7:30 p.m.

Strange was said to have sold a stove to Armstrong and the latter allegedly claimed he was unable to pay for it at this time. In an argument which allegedly followed concerning payment for the stove, Armstrong was said to have pulled a knife and slashed Strange once.