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OXatULGEE SLAUGHTER .i:.-Lheters-II-stysiOKMULGEE,_ Ofeia, Soy. IT.—Although yesterday a general, and widely destructive race riot threatened this city as a result of the horrible crime enacted late Sunday evening last when *ed Declare. negff© desperado, slew four officers of the Jaw and wound cd eight others when attempt was made to arrest Jilin for the shooting of a drnnfcen Indian and was himself killed, after life Home was burned over him all threatening arc now seemingly orcr and Oknialgee his proved the excellency of Its citizenship by a i dreaded tranquility *oa the part of both whites and negroes today There is not a clrcomsiiiDce: to Indicate race feeling over the unfortunate battle of yesterday, which .laid, .low .two of the popular officers of the county, two respected negroes aud caused eight others to suffer wounds, nil at the hands of one desperate negro who, craz od with drink, swore he would neverbe taken alive.• « .* »Tbe murder of Henry Klaber and the battle wfilrh followed it was one o« the most tragic, incidents that has ever occurred within, the state and the results, most dreadful. Sunday after-; poon.'Newt Dcckard' came In on an afternoon train‘from Muskogee. It is clatmed that be was drunk when he .pot off tbc train, At the Frisco station Dcckard met Jim Grayson, an Indian boy. who lives at Honryetta. It is said that he too. was drunk and that the negro and the Indian got into a dispute over buying some ducks.^and that the Indian interrupted while the negro was about to make a purchasc.the result was the Indian was struck. over the head with a brick and an ugly gash cut in his he ld.Crying In his drunken rage and pain he rushed up and down the depot platform which was crowded -with passengers waiting for -Incoming trains, declaring that he would got revenge through the law and would have Deck-ard under arrest, within the hour Dcckard . whose brain had also commenced co craze under the Influence of liquor GoastfulJy swore at the Indian and told him: Get ail of your Indian Triends and all of the officers In the town and country and bring them along- r.nd I would kill the whole crowd/'How near he made good is told in the sorrowful story which follows. Grayson came down town from the depot and* gat Henry Klaber, assistant chief of police, and took him back with him to arrest Dcckard.The First 3Turdcr,As soon as Klaber stepped upon the ground. Dechard said to him. “G- d yon, don't try to arrest me. ‘ Taen Drechard shot Klaber through the head killing him instantly. Felix Chapman immediately sprung upon the murderer aud was shot throngh the head. Dechard then shot Red Chapman. and in .the gathering gloom of the evening made for bis home across a deep ravine uy the station, leaving tbe three victims of his pistol In the' stTfiet by the school bouse.Citizens Tnke Arms.The sound of the shots and the news of what bad been, done on the hill spread like wildfire and the streets of Okmulgee up town were soon filled wji.li hundreds of ei-.cited men. Every gun In town and aii the ammunition possible was pressed into service and •the crowd, not fully advised of whar had happened, rushed headlong down the street toward the station.In the meantime the bodies ot Assistant Chief of Police Klaber and s his two victims, were brought back to the tcwu which served to inflame the crowd even more. A great cry wont up to Rcchard. Ir. the meantime Jailor J. A. Ramsey. Shicf or Police Dick Farr and Sheriff TV. E. Robertson led the unorganized posse to Dechard's house, near the high embankment of the Frisco tracks.Sheriff Robertson Killed.Dcchard heard the tramp of the approaching posse and exiinguisbed bis light. When tbc crowd reached ’ Dechard’s home. Sheriff Robertson (i Chief of Police Dick Farr and Jailer J. a. Ramsey shouted to Dechard to t come out and surrender. The sheriff promised the negro protection, but the words were hardly out of his mouth when a shot rang out and Robertson pitched forward on hte face. Dozens of hands lifted the limp form of the sheriff, with tbe blood gushing from his face, but Robertson was dead.Attack Dechard’s Home.In less than fifteen seconds a hundred shots poured Into the house and a woman, schearning and struggling, ran tbjT igh the back yard in tbc darkut/s. It was Decbc.rd’s wife who had btsj nshot through the legs by. seme one ir. the crowd. •There were, answering shots from Dcchard's house which did deadly work, tor In a moment Chief o£.Police Dick Farr. Jailor Ramsey and Ed Ager were op the ground, shot by the. concealed force in Drekar’s house.Dechard was killed and A. J. Wallace. negro, was shot' through both legs a number of times. .Doc Worthey, another negro, was shoe in the arm. Worthey and Wallace were hastily flung out of the way. of tbe crowd and a shout went up' to burn the houses thot bnd been the barricade of murderers.Two Houses'In Flumes.Some one. In tbc crowd went for oil and In less than five minutes the flames of Decbard; bouse were Illuming the ghastly scene.The body of the dead negro could be seen distinctly whenever the'flames, burst through the house, but there was no effort made to remove It. • The. . ; • lcrowd then fired the house .of a! jr. Wallace that stood next to the; Diehard house- and stood hundreds.; deep while the two frame shacks tumbled' in;to- their fiery beds... . . •.‘The body of Dreckar was tlien drag-.god out of the fire s grew some sight, with its head, burned down to a knob.. Of bone and- its left leg burned com-* pTetoly off. As the crowd * picked * Breckar's body up. it was;so thoroughly roasted by the flames that great chunks of fresb fell off IL:. TVhcn laid out upon the embankment which Serves for a sidewalk, the body smoked ‘ for many minutes. .- , . ^.
Newspaper Details
Lawton Constitution Democrat
Lawton, Oklahoma, US
Thu, Nov 19, 1908
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Reinhart B.
USA 17 May 2016
Other Publications Near Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton Constitution Democrat
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