‘Ada and the Doc’ returns; presentation set Sunday

In early July of 1927 the body of James LeBoeuf was discovered in a Morgan City waterway.
Police soon arrested the victim’s wife, Ada Bonner LeBouef, and Dr. Thomas E. Dreher, accused of killing the husband after embarking on a scandalous love affair.
Both were hanged at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse in Franklin.
Author Charles M. Hargroder would chronicle the murder, the trial and the hangings in his book “Ada and the Doc: An Account of the Ada Leboeuf-Thomas Dreher Murder Case” which later fell out of print. Copies now sell for $100 to $300.
But thanks to the effort of the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Woman group and member Pam Heffner, “Ada and the Doc” has been reprinted and is available again.
Heffner said she had invited Dr. Donald Augillard, St. Mary Superintendent of Schools, and his wife Karen to dinner about three years ago. “We were sitting down relaxing and Karen announced that she had read an interesting book about Franklin and a double-hanging that happened here,” Heffner said.
Heffner had never heard of that part of local history, nor had any of her other guests.
She visited the parish library and found a copy of the book.
Heffner was intrigued. She learned that the University of Louisiana at Lafayette held rights to the book. She tried to make repeated contacts with the staff member in charge who said the book would be republished.
That never happened, Heffner said. She wanted it available for some of the functions St. Mary Landmarks Society had held. “I told him we would like this book, it’s about our area, it’s about our people, it’s been stolen from us,” she said.
So Heffner contacted former Gov. Mike Foster, St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin, St. Mary Parish Librarian Julie Vidos, Mayor Raymond Harris and Dr. Aguillard to all write to the ULL person she had been in contact with.
There was no reply.
Heffner said “I really got angry” and composed a letter to the head of the university system, along with copies of the previous letters. Within two weeks she received a reply relinquishing the rights but it was noted, “It is incumbent on you to find the heir” of Hargroder to finalize a reprint.
That was a daunting task, and Heffner searched for and had no success identifying an heir.
As fate would have it, she happened to be in a local law office when a computer software sales person overheard her talking about her trouble finding the heir.
“I can find him,” the sales person said. “That’s what we do, find people.”
Heffner gave her the name and she had the heir’s contact information by 5 p.m. that afternoon.
It was Hargroder’s brother. Heffner began negotiations with the heir to see the book returned to publication.
Heffner approached the Community Foundation of Acadiana to assume the rights and republish the books but she eventually decided to approach her Episcopal Church Woman group who accepted.
Oddly, Heffner said she was surprised to learn that virtually all of the lawyers and attorneys spoken to had never heard of the infamous murder case and hangings.
“This should be required reading in every law school,” Heffner said. “It’s been lost. There’s been so many things that happened here. Like, was that body in St. Martin Parish or St. Mary? Ada did not have counsel when she was interrogated…somebody needs to dissect this book.”
When the details were done, she made arrangements with L&H Printing of Morgan City to reintroduce “Ada and the Doc” to the world.
“I don’t know if it’ll ever be printed again” after this printing, Heffner said.
This Sunday Fran Middleton, who has extensively investigated the case of Ada LeBoeuf, will give a presentation on the case at 3 p.m. at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church parish hall.
Copies of “Ada and the Doc” will be available for $20 or can be purchased by emailing Pam Heffner at stmarysecwfranklin@gmail.com or calling her at 337-828-5055.