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There was a big scandal when King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne in 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simson. But that was ancient history by the time the couple made an ever-so-brief appearance on Opelousas.
Edward was the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary. He was said to be a charming rogue during his youth and when he became king in 1936 quickly raised eyebrows by paying little attention to the way kings were supposed to act.
He was only months into his reign when he brought on a constitutional crisis by his proposal to marry Wallis, who at that time had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. When it became apparent that he could not marry her and keep his crown, he abdicated after only 326 days on the throne
He married Wallis in France on June 3, 1937, after her second divorce became final. After abdicating, Edward was made Duke of Windsor by his brother and successor, George VI, and Wallis became the Duchess of Windsor;
In 1940, the Duke was appointed governor of the Bahamas, but he quit that job in 1945, after which the couple shuttled between Europe and the United States, living the life of glamorous globe-trotters.
They were doing some of that trotting on February 2, 1950, when a Missouri Pacific train that included their special car pulled in for its usual five-minute stop at the depot in Opelousas.
It was running an hour behind schedule, and the Windsors apparently hadn’t intended to make an appearance. But about 150 people who were gathered at the deport called for them and, as the Daily World reported, “they descended from their special car at the rear of the train, smiling and gracious.”
They were headed to Texas and had visited in Baton Rouge, where they’d “stopped practically all activity” during a tour of the state capitol that included a call on Gov. Earl Long’s office. That certainly would have been one of their more interesting encounters, but, alas, Uncle Earl wasn’t there.
In Opelousas, the Duke said they were enjoying their trip and had just crossed “that river that is so hard to pronounce” (the Atchafalaya). He wore a boutonniere that had been given him in Baton Rouge in the left lapel of his double-breasted suit, “but graciously accepted another, a lovely camelia, from Mrs. Edna R. Kurtz and Mrs. M. J. Goudeau, local club women, and placed it in his right lapel.”
Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, “erupted into a smile” as she was presented with a bouquet. She was wearing “a two-piece navy blue dress with pearl choker.” Her appearance caused someone in the crowd to exclaim “ Why, she’s as pretty as the day she was married,” according to the Daily World, which added, “She was, too.”
After touring in Texas, the Windsors came back to Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans, again causing a stir. According to a news account, “Not since the Mardi Gras journey to New Orleans by the Russian Grand Duke Alexis in 1872 had the town been abuzz in such anticipation as when news broke that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor would pay a Carnival-time visit to the Crescent City.”
New Orleans writer Ronnie Virgets wrote on February 21, 1950, “The Windsors arrived into the Missouri-Pacific yard on their private railroad cars at 7 a.m. filled with what one witness described as ‘God-knows-how-many trunks.’”
It seems liked the trunks should have held everything they needed, but there was no worry if something was forgotten. Biographer Ralph Martin wrote, “It did not seem outlandish to [the Duke] that a bellhop at the Waldorf in New York [the Windsor’s more-or-less permanent U.S. residence] flew down to New Orleans to bring him his white tie and tails for a big ball.”
There was also another potential dilemma. Carnival protocol demands that the Mardi Gras royalty never bow to anyone. But Rex and his queen were to be presented to the former King of England. Who was supposed to bow to whom?
Once again, the Windsors showed their grace. A history of the Rex organization records, “When the captain of the Comus organization presented the Duke and Duchess of Windsor … the Duchess hit the floor with two of the most beautiful and graceful curtsies ever seen, and the Duke bowed from the waist, almost touching the floor with his forehead. Comus’ 2,500 guests were in ecstasy. They responded with deafening applause.”
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

BATON ROUGE—Newly-elected Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called on lawmakers Monday to erase many of the criminal justice reforms signed by his Democratic predecessor in 2017, urging them to limit parole and good time, expand the death penalty and toughen juvenile justice.
Landry said criminal justice has “forgotten” crime victims and their families, including the more than two dozen he asked to stand in the House balcony overlooking the joint session of the Legislature. He cast those promoting efforts to reduce the state’s high incarceration rates as “radical activists hard at work to empty our prisons.
“The propensity of some to signal their virtuous compassion for criminals has become a liberal custom to many,” Landry said,“without forethought of the consequences to society and the danger it creates in our neighborhoods and homes.”
Though Landry and other conservatives blame the criminal justice reforms for increases in crime, critics point out that crime rose across the nation during the pandemic, a trend that Baton Rouge and New Orleans have started to reverse. The 2017 criminal justice reforms passed with bipartisan support and were signed by a Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.
Republicans hold a supermajority in each chamber, and lawmakers have already filed more than two dozen bills in the special session that can run until March 6. The proposals can only cover topics laid out by Landry’s 24-item agenda for the session.
House Minority Leader, Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, a leading member of the House Democratic Caucus, repeatedly objected to the House rushing bills to committee without discussion on the floor.
“There is no reason for us to move things quickly.” Willard said, adding, “We should take our time, be deliberate about our actions and give the public adequate time to review proposals and to weigh in on those proposals.”
The Democratic Caucus said they did not have input on the legislation and feel Landry’s proposals do not address crime in a holistic way, instead taking a reactive approach that disregards what they believe are root causes of crime such as mental health and substance abuse.
Despite the objections of Willard and members of the House Democratic Caucus, the majority of the House voted to suspend the rules and refer the bills to committees.
One bill would allow death penalties to be carried out through electrocution, nitrogen gas and lethal injection, following the nation’s first execution by nitrogen in Alabama last month. If it passes, Louisiana will join Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi in allowing nitrogen as an execution method. Louisiana has not executed a death-row inmate since 2010.
Landry said alternative execution methods would only be used if the drugs for lethal injections could not be obtained, which has halted executions in the past.
“When these sentences are handed down, they form a covenant between the state and the victims, and their family and their friends,” Landry said. “Justice requires that we uphold that covenant.”
While Landry proposed more executions by more means, he called for less transparency around those deaths. He asked for legislation that “would declare any and all records or information pertaining to carrying out a sentence be strictly confidential and not subject to public disclosure.”
Another proposal would treat 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system, a reversal of the state’s 2016 “Raise the Age” law, which mostly treated those younger than 18 as juveniles. A different bill — which Landry called “transparency legislation” — would allow greater online access to data and records from the juvenile justice system.
“These juveniles are not innocent children any longer; they are hardened criminals,” Landry said.
Other bills seek to narrow parole opportunities, increase penalties for carjackings to five years from two years (and impose a minimum of 20 years if there is bodily harm), and create a state public defense office under the governor. Landry also lambasted the reduction of sentences for good time, calling the practice “a participation trophy for jail.”
At the same time, Landry has urged lawmakers to pass legislation allowing concealed weapons to be carried without a permit. He said “lawful gun owners are our most law-abiding citizens.”
“This body has repeatedly passed it,” Landry said. “Now, you have a governor who will sign it,” he said, flinging his arms open to a standing ovation.
He also called for qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, which would limit their vulnerability to lawsuits.
Though lawmakers remained poised for disagreement over the coming days, they united in recognizing the crime victims who came to the Capitol. “To the ladies and gentlemen of this Legislature, I say, let this session be about them,” Landry said, motioning to the crime victims, “and those who protect us.”

KAPLAN — Devin Turner had a terrible start to his Saturday morning when he realized his 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck was stolen from his workplace in Kaplan. However, things started looking up by 2 p.m. when his S-10 was found parked in a driveway on Leroy Road, north of Kaplan.
On that Saturday morning, Turner arrived at his workplace around 7:30 and was informed by a friend that his S-10 truck was not parked where it usually was.
After searching around the shop, they realized that it had been stolen. Turner subsequently reported the crime to the police.
The video footage showed that around 6 a.m. on Saturday, an unidentified male had walked around the unlocked truck and sat inside it, but he had trouble figuring out how to start it because it was a racing truck and had several buttons and switches. Turner had invested $20,000 and his time and money to turn the small truck into a racing truck that he used to race in Baton Rouge. He had even driven it up to 135 miles per hour on a quarter-mile race track.

Turner not only reported the theft to the police but also posted a picture of his silver S-10 on Facebook to let people know that his truck was stolen and to ask them to be on the lookout for it.
Thanks to Facebook, a person recognized the truck parked in the driveway of a home on Leroy Road, and they called Turner to let him know.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office was also informed, and they took fingerprints from inside the truck.

As of Monday, nothing was damaged on the truck, and no one has been arrested.
Turner thanked everyone who helped him search for his truck and expressed his gratitude to the person who found it and called him.
“Thanks everyone who shared the post about my truck and everyone who came out to search for it. It was a long, stressful day. I appreciate all of the help. It is back home and running well.
“Daniel Rigsby, you are the man. Thanks for finding it and calling us. I owe you one.”

The Vermilion Catholic Lady Eagles got 20 points from Jenna Beth Hagle and 16 from Ali Broussard, but it was not enough to help the Lady Eagles beat St. Mary’s in the first round of the playoffs.
St. Mary’s beat VC 54-44 to advance to the second round of the Select Division IV playoffs.
The Lady Eagles made it a game for three periods.
At halftime, St. Mary’s was ahead 25-22. After three quarters, VC was still in the game, 37-33.
Hagle scored seven points in the third frame, including a three-pointer.
However, the big difference in the game was at the free-throw line.
VC went to the free throw line nine times and made five.
St. Mary’s went to the charity stripe 32 times and made 21.
Ava Harrington of St. Mary’s made 10 out of 12 free throws.
VC’s only other scorer was Keiya Greene, who scored five points.