McClain County, Oklahoma   News Papers   Jones, Francis S. A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. One with a Winchester, the Other with a Forty-Four, do Terrible Work. Purcell, I. T, July 30.—At the little town of Lexington, in the Oklahoma country, just across the river from this place, a serious shooting scrape occurred this evening about 2 o'clock, by which Henry Simmons was almost instantly killed and Francis S. Jones received his death wound. The trouble originated over a settlement between the two about cattle. Jones made some threats and Simmons, who is city marshal, attempted to arrest him and Jones shot him with a Winchester, which he held in his hands at the time. Almost simultaneously Simmons fired with a 44 Smith & Wesson revolver, shooting Jones through, from which wound he can not possibly recover, it is thought. After snapping his revolver twice more at his adversary he fell to the ground a dead man. Both have families living near here. Simmons' father lives in Fort Worth, Tex. His wife's relatives reside at Berwyn; this nation, where the body was sent to-night to be buried. His standing as a man with those who knew him was good. Nothing much is known of Jones, only that he is a hunter and trapper of Cherokee extraction and has a claim in Oklahoma about four miles from here, near Simmons'. This is the first serious affray that has occurred in the new town, and is deeply deplored. [31 Jul 1889, Dallas Morning News, Contributed by R. Bergendahl] KILLING NEAR COLE TUESDAY J. N. Mitchell Shoots Charlie Eldridge To Death and Surrenders Self To the Officers J. N. Mitchell, farmer, shot and killed Charles Eldridge, farmer, Tuesday morning about 9 o'clock on a bridge about three miles south of Cole. Mitchell phoned Oscar Morgan, deputy sheriff immediately and Morgan brought him to Purcell. He was taken to Norman Tuesday afternoon and lodged in the Cleveland county jail to await his preliminary which comes up Saturday, March 17, in justice court, answering the information filed by County Attorney W. C. Madison, charging him with the murder of Eldridge. From the information obtainable, it seems that Mitchell and Eldridge, who lived on adjoining farms separated by a highway, had become enemies over stock running loose and had had words over the subject before. It is said that Eldridge had gone to work Tuesday morning and had driven over a bridge on the highway near which Mitchell and his hired hand, Bill Evans, were working in a small timber. Mitchell called to Eldridge and Eldridge came to the bridge and the shooting immediately followed. Eldridge crawled off the bridge and through a small patch of weeds over a distance of twenty yards from where he was shot, and died. Two shells were used, it is said, and the principal wound was in the abdomen. Shot ranged from Eldridges ankles to his neck. Witnesses to the shooting were Jeff Daniels, Charlie Eldridge, Jr. (son of the man who was killed, and aged about fifteen years) and Bill Evans, who was working for Mitchell. Eldridge was aged about forty years and leaves a wife and seven children. Mitchell is about fifty-five years old. THE PURCELL REGISTER - Thursday, March 15, 1923 Biographies Births Cemeteries Census Deaths History Libraries Links Mailing List Maps Marriages Military Miscellaneous Marshalls Native Americans News Obituaries Pioneers Schools Surnames Townships Wills     Email Home   All data on this website is © Copyright 2009 by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters