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Brisco Nation was succeeded on the city council by another railroad employee, Grady L. Hancock, an appointee of Governor Oscar Kelly Allen. Hancock said that he did not solicit the interim appointment, had no political agenda other than support for [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and would make an effort to work with Mayor Fort and the entire council.<ref>"Grady L. Hancock Succeeds Nation", ''Webster Signal-Tribune'', November 21, 1933, p. 1.</ref>

Brisco Nation was succeeded on the city council by another railroad employee, Grady L. Hancock, an appointee of Governor Oscar Kelly Allen. Hancock said that he did not solicit the interim appointment, had no political agenda other than support for [[U.S. President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and would make an effort to work with Mayor Fort and the entire council.<ref>"Grady L. Hancock Succeeds Nation", ''Webster Signal-Tribune'', November 21, 1933, p. 1.</ref>

Meanwhile, John Fort was incarcerated for two years in Bossier Parish, within the 26th Judicial District, awaiting a [[true bill]] against him that the grand jury never presented. The district attorney at the time was the same Robert F. Kennon, who had unseated Connell Fort for mayor in 1926.<ref name=cemetery/> No indictment against John Fort was ever presented despite the testimony of two eyewitnesses to the shooting, John L. Garrett and J.R. Murph, then the secretary of the city council.<ref name=johnfort/>

Meanwhile, John Fort was incarcerated for two years in Bossier Parish, within the 26th Judicial District, awaiting a true bill against him that the grand jury never presented. The district attorney at the time was the same Robert F. Kennon, who had unseated Connell Fort for mayor in 1926.<ref name=cemetery/> No indictment against John Fort was ever presented despite the testimony of two eyewitnesses to the shooting, John L. Garrett and J.R. Murph, then the secretary of the city council.<ref name=johnfort/>

==Defeat and death==

==Defeat and death==

In the first primary election held on April 10, 1934, Fort was eliminated from his bid for a fourth nonconsecutive term as mayor.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 13, 1934, p. 1</ref> Instead, former Mayor Henry L. Bridges was placed into a runoff election on May 15, 1934, against [[David William Thomas]], a former university professor, journalist, and a native of [[Wales]]. In the [[runoff election]] held on May 15, 1934, Bridges handily defeated Thomas, 624 to 377.<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 18, 1934, p. 1.</ref> Thomas rebounded in 1936 to win the first of his two terms as mayor. Fort never again held office; his defeat was attributed to fallout from the shooting death of Brisco Nation.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_t0BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=Tom+Colten&source=bl&ots=frCU6aVj_E&sig=qa4-IvKaTIzj9BGXTKwRhweGBc0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vTP-VNTKObO1sAS37YHYDg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwDg#v=onepage&q=Tom%20Colten&f=false|title=Lost Minden|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Company|location=[[Columbia, South Carolina]]|author=John A. Agan|pages=113|date=2014|isbn=978-1-4671-1319-9|accessdate=March 9, 2015}}</ref>

In the first primary election held on April 10, 1934, Fort was eliminated from his bid for a fourth nonconsecutive term as mayor.<ref>''Minden Herald'', April 13, 1934, p. 1</ref> Instead, former Mayor Henry L. Bridges was placed into a runoff election on May 15, 1934, against [[David William Thomas]], a former university professor, journalist, and a native of [[Wales]]. In the [[runoff election]] held on May 15, 1934, Bridges handily defeated Thomas, 624 to 377.<ref>''Minden Herald'', May 18, 1934, p. 1.</ref> Thomas rebounded in 1936 to win the first of his two terms as mayor. Fort never again held office; his defeat was attributed to fallout from the shooting death of Brisco Nation.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g_t0BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=Tom+Colten&source=bl&ots=frCU6aVj_E&sig=qa4-IvKaTIzj9BGXTKwRhweGBc0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vTP-VNTKObO1sAS37YHYDg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwDg#v=onepage&q=Tom%20Colten&f=false|title=Lost Minden|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Company|location=[[Columbia, South Carolina]]|author=John A. Agan|pages=113|date=2014|isbn=978-1-4671-1319-9|accessdate=March 9, 2015}}</ref>

Connell Fort was a [[Methodist]]. Upon his death, Fort was interred in the old section of the Minden Cemetery in the Miles plot, where his first wife's family is buried. In addition to his second wife and children from both marriages, Fort was survived by two brothers, Walton Fort (1857–1940) of Minden,<ref name=homes/> a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1932 to 1936, preceding W. Matt Lowe,<ref>''Respect for the Past; Confidence in the Future: Webster Parish Centennial, 1871-1971'', Webster Parish Police Jury, 1971, p. 14.</ref> and Moses Fort of [[Louisville]], [[Kentucky]]. Pallbearers included his business colleague and later mayor, J. Frank Colbert, and Judge Harmon Caldwell Drew.<ref name=fortdeath/> who was subsequently unseated three years later in 1940 by then District Attorney Robert F. Kennon,, prior to Kennon's tenure as mayor.

Fort was a [[Methodist]]. Upon his death, Fort was interred in the old section of the Minden Cemetery in the Miles plot, where his first wife's family is buried. In addition to his second wife and children from both marriages, Fort was survived by two brothers, Walton Fort (1857–1940) of Minden,<ref name=homes/> a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1932 to 1936, preceding W. Matt Lowe,<ref>''Respect for the Past; Confidence in the Future: Webster Parish Centennial, 1871-1971'', Webster Parish Police Jury, 1971, p. 14.</ref> and Moses Fort of [[Louisville]], [[Kentucky]]. Pallbearers included his business colleague and later mayor, J. Frank Colbert, and Judge Harmon Caldwell Drew.<ref name=fortdeath/> who was subsequently unseated three years later in 1940 by then District Attorney Robert F. Kennon,, prior to Kennon's tenure as mayor.

==References==

==References==