North Caddo Parish: The Widow of Jesse Stroud

From the area's early oil boom days comes a sordid incident that made national news when it occurred in 1913. A pretty young woman was placed on trial for the shooting death of her husband. While there was no question she pulled the trigger, at issue was whether it was an act of self defense, or cold-blooded murder.

The Incident

Though conflicting peripheral details appeared in some newspapers, the generally reported sequence of events was as follows:

On Monday 14-Apr-1913, Della Stroud and Edward Beeler were horseback riding approximately four miles south of Vivian on the road toward Oil City. (1)

Her husband, Jesse Stroud, confronted them, threatening to kill both; and got into a struggle with Beeler on the ground. (1)

Seeing Jesse getting the better of Edward, Della shot him in the chest. (1)

She accidentally hit Beeler in the leg, then shot Jesse a second time in the back of the head, killing him. (1)

Della was jailed in Vivian, while hearing the news, Jesse's friends in Oil City became outraged. (2)

A lynch mob formed, intent on hanging both Della and Beeler. (3)

The Vivian City Marshal transported her to the parish jail in Shreveport for her safety (3), while Beeler was taken to Schumpert Sanitarium, also in that city, for treatment. (4)

She was charged with murder, with her defense being that Jesse had abused her; for example claiming to have been tied to a bed for a week, and displaying unhealed wounds. (3)

The Principals

Della Stroud, aged 25, was variously reported to have been an "inmate in a house of shame in the oilfield" (5) (on Oil City's notorious Reno Hill, perhaps?); and resident of the restricted (red light) district in Shreveport. (6) She never revealed her maiden name, or the identity of her family to even her lawyers. (7) It was reported however that her father was a minister in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She also had a sister living in Texarkana, where reportedly she and Jesse had met and married eight months earlier. (8) Della had told others the marriage was not going well and she planned to get out of it. (5) She spoke freely with authorities and the press and even published a written story with details different from prior accounts given. (8) After the event she made two separate confessions - to the Vivian marshal and to an 11 year-old girl living with her. (9) Some newspapers quoted her as stating she planned to marry Beeler once acquitted. (10)

Times-Picayune 18-Apr-1913, Page 8

Jesse Stroud, 28, appears in the 1900 U. S. Census as the son of William and Sally Thomas Stroud, living with his family in Victoria County, Texas. (11) At the time of his death, he worked as a rigger in Oil City where he was reportedly well-liked. (2)

Edward Beeler was a resident of a boarding house run by Della in Vivian. Not charged, he was expected to be the prime defense witness. His wounded leg eventually had to be amputated. In June, he attempted an escape to Arkansas, but was captured on a train near Myrtis, LA (approximately four miles north of Vivian) and returned to Shreveport. (12) He generally corroborated Della's early story, however his account differed from her written version. When Initially confronted on the road, he thought Jesse was joking (4)

Other Notable Details

Under suspicion as a possible motive was the existence of a $5,000 (~$121,000 today) insurance policy taken out on Jesse, listing Della as beneficiary. (6)

A rich unnamed oil man in Oil City offered to post her bond up to $20,000 (approximately $483,000 today). (3)

A former parish district attorney, apparently moved by her story, defended her for free. (13)

Location

Below is a map showing communities and roads at approximately that time. Roads would have been likely wagon-rutted dirt thoroughfares, as even a gravel road in that day was considered "improved."

1906 U. S Geological Soils Map of Area

The Trial

Originally scheduled to be held in June, the trial took place December 10-12, 1913 in Shreveport; with Judge John R. Land presiding. Prosecuting was Caddo Parish District Attorney W. A. Mabry, while former D. A. James M. Foster represented Della (as previously mentioned for no charge). (13) Twelve men were selected as jurors out of two pools of 20 and 12 respectively, with several having been disqualified due to their opposition to the death penalty. (14)

Below: A retouched picture with added floral scroll-work and hearts helped portray a sympathetic figure to newspaper readers.

New Orleans Item 17-Apr-1913, Page 14

The proceedings piqued local interest, as a social column appearing in a Bossier Parish newspaper mentioned two ladies from that area attending. (15) A surprise to many following the case was the absence of Edward Beeler, said to have moved to Texas and therefore not available to testify. (14) D. A. Mabry was apprehensive Beeler would corroborate Della's story (16), but the defense may have also preferred his absence. By that time there were several versions of what occurred (including her written one) and Mabry might have used Beeler's account to highlight discrepancies and pick holes in Della's alibi.

Witnesses

The first witness called was 11 year-old Josie Millsaps. She had been boarding with the Strouds, as her father worked in Oil City, and had ridden part of the way with Della and Beeler that day. Della told her Jesse had beaten Beeler and was about to do the same to her when she shot him. (17) Josie mentioned that Della's riding skirt was dirty (17) and she was not crying when she came back and told of the incident. (18)

The next witness, Vivian City Marshal W. L. Lewis, claimed, though he had made no promises (e.g., for leniency), Della confessed on the train ride to Shreveport, stating "I killed the (blank) and I'm glad of it." (The marshal would not state the word(s) she used.) He said she appeared intoxicated and acted nervous and excited, so he made efforts to keep her seated. (18)

B. G. Skinner testified that on that morning he had asked Della how she and Jesse were getting along to which she replied "Not very well; I made him leave once, but he came back. I'm going to get rid of him for good this time, and you'll hear of it soon." (17) Justice of the Peace C. E. Dunson was reportedly the first person to reach Jesse's body, and stated there were signs of a considerable struggle having occurred. (19) Others were called to corroborate earlier testimonies. (17)

Della's Testimony

However the only person in the courtroom present when the killing occurred was Della. When the two men began struggling, she said she took the gun from Beeler to keep it from Jesse. After beating up Edward he turned to her and, for fear of her life, she began firing; not knowing how many shots had been fired. She was aware however that Jesse was dead and that Beeler had been hit. She spoke Jesse's cruelty, claiming he routinely beat her. He also intended for her to return to a life of shame (prostitution) and share proceeds with him. (18) Her only interest in his insurance policy was to confirm his mother had been named beneficiary in place of her. (20)

The Verdict

After closing arguments, the case went to the jury members, who deliberated for only two hours. (21) After an initial vote of eight not guilty, three for manslaughter, and one for conviction (22); they became unanimous for acquittal. (21) In the celebratory aftermath of the trial, Della was presented a bible by one of her attorneys. (23)

Aftermath

The verdict caused outrage, with some feeling justice for the dead man had not been served. Shreveport paper "The Caucasian" called the trial a "mockery of justice" and criticized the court as well as local peer publications, the Times and Journal respectively, for being swayed in judgment due to it being an attractive young woman on trial and for a general inability to convict a woman for the killing of a man. They further noted that, though a defense attorney had quoted bible verses in court, one not used was Genesis 9:6 - " Whoso sheddeth man's blood by man also shall his blood be shed." (23)

Two months after the trial, Della was awarded the proceeds of Jesse's life insurance policy, after his family withdrew protests. (24) Nothing about the subsequent lives of Della and Beeler has been found to date. Jesse Stroud (1885-1913) is buried in Troup, Texas. (25)

UPDATE:

Despite being awarded Jesse's insurance proceeds, Della apparently fell back into her old profession as in Jun-1914, she was cut up by another woman, one Buddie Allen, who objected to her walking with a man in the St. Paul Bottoms area of Shreveport. It's not a stretch to surmise this was two hookers fighting over a customer.

Shreveport Times 22-Jun-1914, Page 12

The following day, Buddie was charged with "assault to kill" and transferred from city court to district court. The outcome of her case, is not currently known. Della Stroud's ultimate fate is still a mystery.