Nephew Killed By Drunk Man In Arkansas

J. C. COMBS of Pine Forest is home from Ravanna, Ark., where he attended the funeral of his nephew, Newell COMBS, who was killed at Ravanna the past week by a man drunk, as COMBS was leaving the Woodman Lodge.

The following account of the killing is taken from the Texarkana Daily News:

Apparently crazed with liquor, Brown, 26, opened fire on four members of the Woodmen of the World lodge as they started to leave a lodge meeting at Ravanna, Ark., 35 miles south of here, shortly before midnight Thursday, killing Newell COMBS, 21.

Brown was brought to the Miller County jail here at 2 a. m. Friday by Chief Deputy Sheriff OLIVER and Constable CROWELL. He was held without bond and probably will be arraigned in Municipal court Saturday.

"I don't remember a thing," said BROWN between sobs. "I was so drunk my mind was a blank. Newell was my friend and I wouldn't have killed him for anything."

Fires Without Warning.

COMBS was killed as he started to leave the lodge meeting with three other men, BROWN giving no warning to the group, officers. He opened fire on the quartet with a .32 caliber Colt revolver.

COMBS was struck by one of the spraying bullets, the slug striking him just above the heart and passing out through his right shoulder, piercing both lungs. He died within a few minutes before medical aid could be summoned. Others in the party were not hit.

The slayer was found a short time later by Deputy Sheriff BRACKMAN in Sulphur township. BROWN was unconscious from the use of alcohol and was entangled in some barbed wire about 150 yards from the scene of the killing.

BRACKMAN was preparing to start for Texarkana with the prisoner when Deputy OLIVER and CROWELL arrived in Ravanna.

Killing Cause Denied.

BROWN was in no condition to make a statement for several hours after the killing, but had sobered Friday and was questioned at some length by OLIVER. He denied having any reason for killing COMBS, declaring that they had been friends and had had no trouble.

Officers learned that BROWN had appeared at the hall in a drunken condition while the Woodmen of the World were meeting. He was cursing, brandishing a shotgun and threatening to "kill someone."

He stuck the barrel of the shotgun in the ground and pulled the trigger, the discharge shattering the barrel of the gun. Members of the lodge, with which he was not connected, talked to him and persuaded him to leave.

BROWN reappeared on the scene after the lodge meeting had ended, but COMBS and three other men were still in the hall, talking.

Angered by Persuasion.

BROWN went into a hallway adjoining the hall where the group was talking and was said to have become angry when the lodge members attempted to persuade him to leave so they could lock up the building for the night.

He suddenly opened fire with his pistol, officers said. He left the scene immediately, after the shooting. When found in the barbed wire, his pistol was by his side. All but three bullets in the automatic had been discharged.

Officers said that the gun had jammed during the firing, preventing the remaining three bullets being discharged.

Mrs. Dora COMBS
Mrs. Dora Combs, 61, former resident of Ravanna, Ark., died at her home in Cloutierville, La., at 3 a.m. (torn)day, following a heart attack. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Concord church near Ravanna. Burial will be in the Concord cemetery.

The deceased has spent most of her life in southwest Arkansas, having moved to Louisiana several years ago.

She is survived by her husband, M. F. COMBS; one son, S. B. COMBS of (torn)ville; two daughters, Mrs. Rodney CARROLL, Boyce, La., and Miss Reba COMBS, Cloutierville, and four brothers, J. E. DAVIS, Shreveport; S. (torn) DAVIS, Rodessa; J. A. DAVIS, Brad-(torn), Ark; and John T. DAVIS, Ida, La.

Mark Franklin COMBS

Funeral services for Mark Franklin COMBS, 75-year-old resident of the Potter community, who died Wednesday at the Polk County Memorial hospital; was held at 9:30 Friday morning at the Geyer chapel, with the Rev. Dillard S. MILLER, pastor of the First Baptist church of Mena, officiating. Pallbearers were George LILES, Lonnie BALDWIN, Walter McCOY, Loyd LANE, Jim ROSS and T. A. BELL.

Following service at Mena, the body was taken by a Geyer funeral coach to Ida, La., where services were held at 2:30 Friday afternoon at the Lion Creek Baptist church near Ida, and burial was in the Concord cemetery near Ravanna, Ark., under the direction of the Geyer Funeral home. Pallbearers at Ida were Joe DAVIS, O. W. OGBURN, J. A. DAVIS, Ulry DAVIS, Alex STEWARD and Raymond SWANDER.

Mr. COMBS was born September 13, 1881, in the state of Georgia. He left his birthplace and moved to Texas, as a young man, where he lived for many years. He was a member of the Concord Methodist church of Ravenna [sic], Ark. He and his wife moved to Potter about three years ago, where he lived the remainder of his life.

Mr. COMBS is survived by his wife, Mrs. Anna COMBS of Potter; one son, Rev. Simon B. COMBS of Heflin, La.,; two daughters, Mrs. Rabie CARROLL of Boyce, La., and Mrs. Reba TURNER, of Houston, Texas; six step-children, Emerson HUFFMAN of Lockwood, Mo., Richard HUFFMAN of Kansas City, Mo., Elbert HUFFMAN of Fort Hood, Texas, and Roland HUFFMAN of Grain Valley, Mo., Mrs. Carmen ABNEBY of Independence, Mo., and Mrs. Alice NALLENMEYER of Kansas City; five brothers, Ben COMBS of Birmingham, Ala., Brad COMBS of Blanchard, Okla., Parker COMBS of Jourdanton, Texas, Chester COMBS of Como, Texas; two sisters, Mrs. S. F. SHARP of Red Water, Texas, Mrs. L. L. Brewer of Pickton, Texas; ten grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.

Jun 1975 (Texarkana Gazette)

James Monroe COMBS, 69, of [address omitted] Fouke, Ark. died Saturday afternoon in his home after a short illness. Services will be at 2 P.M. today in the Sylverino Baptist Church with the Rev. Boyce GREEN officiating. burial will be in the Sylverino Cemetery under the direction of Texarkana Funeral Home. Born Dec. 24, 1904 in Miller County, Ark., Combs had been a lifetime resident of this area. He was a retired mail-handler and a member of the Springhill Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Nettie COOPER Combs of Fouke, three sons, [names omitted], a brother Charlie P. COMBS of Fouke, three half-brothers, J. D. COMBS, Henry COMBS, and John O. COMBS, all of Fouke, four sisters, Mrs. Mildred WEBB, Mrs. Mable BURGESS, Mrs. Christine PILGREEN and Mrs. Cora SMITH, all of Fouke, five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

May 1985 (Texarkana Gazette)

Nettie Jewell COMBS, 79, of Fouke, Ark., died Friday at her home after a short illness. Services will be 2 P.M. Monday at Sylverino Baptist Church with the Revs. Boyce GREEN and William V. GARNER officiating. Burial will be in Sylverino Cemetery under the direction of Texarkana Funeral Home. Mrs. COMBS was born May 9, 1905, at Fouke, Ark., and had been a lifetime resident. She was a member of Springhill Baptist Church and the widow of James Monroe COMBS, who died June 15, 1974. Survivors include three sons, [names omitted]; two brothers, Clarence COOPER of Heber Springs, Ark., and J. B. COOPER of Fouke; one sister, Lottie SUMMERS of Texarkana; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

May 1991 (provided by Jean Scott)

Charley P. COMBS, 88, of Fouke , Ark., died Tuesday, May 28, in Fouke. Mr. Combs was born March 8, 1903 in Fouke. He was retired from the railroad, a member of Pisgah Baptist Church, a school teacher, farmer, rancher, worked for 24 years at Union Station Trust as a mail handler and was recorder for the city of Fouke for 16 years. Survivors include two brothers, John Combs and Henry Lee Combs of Fouke, three sisters Mable Burgess, Cora Smith and Christine Pilgreen of Fouke and a number of nieces and nephews.

Nov 1998 (provided by Jean Scott)

Monty COMBS, 65 of Fouke, Ark. died Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1998 in a Shreveport, La. hospital. Mr. Combs was born Oct. 5, 1933 in Fouke. He was a retired teacher and coach and member of Masonic Lodge 192, Linden, Texas and Springhill Baptist Church. Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law Carol and Charles Smith of Texarkana; one son and daughter-in-law Monty Jr. and Wendy Combs of Linden; two brothers and sisters-in-laws Wayne and Jo Ann Combs of La Marque, Tx. and Ernest and Bobbie Combs of Texarkana; 5 grandchildren; and a number of neices and nephews.