News Gleanings Of Hansford County

A Killing in Hansford County. This community was sorry to learn of a shooting affray in Hansford county which occured early Sunday morning. The shooting as we learned it, which occured between J, M. Simmons and George Aikens, was caused over some of the latters hogs getting into a field belonging to Simmons. It seems that Simmons is built along the quarrelsome order and accordingly took his shotgun along to herd the hogs with. Aikens came down to the fence with a rifle in his hands, so it is said, but had no sooner got close enough to exchange words with Simmons before the latter opened fire on him, shooting him in the neck and killing him instantly. The best of feeling had not prevaled between the two for some time. Alfred Kenibrew, who was fixing some fence at the time and who was about 300 yards from where they was, heard but one shot and looked around when he saw Aikens was the one hit. He immediatly ran to the scene, but Simmons would not permit him to approach or render any assistance to the injured man. Simmons and his son were the only ones present, and they claim Aikens drew his rifle on them, and the shot was fired by the older Simmons in self defense. Sympathy appears to be with the dead man but that doesn't avail him much, just now Simmons does not seem to be the most popular man on earth with his neighbors. His disposition borders on arrogancy, and his reported nature is petulant. The dead man has the reputation of being a peaceable and inofensive fellow, but at the same time possesing enough temper to command respect for his wishes when it became necessary to press his demand. He leaves a wife and chilfd who are now in Scotland, the baby having been born since the mother left for her visit to that country. She has been apprised of the shooting. The moral that we dig out of this lesson is that settling disputes with shotguns and rifles is not the best plan on earth. Asside from the present misery it gives the man who does the killing it engenders hatred that it takes generations to wipe out. - Guymon Herald. [Source: “The Beaver Herald”; Beaver, Beaver County, Oklahoma, Thursday, July 18, 1907; Transcribed by Andaleen Whitney Transcribed as it appeared in paper - lots of differently spelled words then and now (if my spell checker is to be believed] Dallas Morning News 1902-11-22 Hansford County Officials Elected Hansford, Tex., Nov. 21 - County Judge, Nelson B. Crosby; County Attorney, W. M. Goodnight, County and District Clerk, J. G. Grubbs; Sheriff and Tax Collector, B. O. Catoe; Tax Assessor, H. O. Chappell; County Treasurer, E. A. Hitch. {Submitted by Dena Whitesell} Beaumont Enterprise 1911-01-29 Surrendered to Authorities Dalhart, Texas, jan. 28 - In connecton with the killing of Sheriff Martin, of Hansford county two days ago, T. P. Fifer surrendered and was placed in jail at Canadian, Hemphill county, yesterday. A posse with bloodhounds was out on the case for a time. {Submitted by Dena Whitesell} Dallas Morning News 1941-04-27 Hunt for Killer of Matrimonial Agency Wife Ends After Month's Chase by Texas Sheriff Chicago, Ill,, April 26 (AP) - More than a month of dogged detective work ended Saturday in the detenton of Orion J. Borwn, 50, on a charge of killing a woman poet he met through a matrimonial agency. Sheriff H. L. Wilbanks of Hansford County, Texas, who traced clues through three states, said the prisoner was an ex-convict and that he was seized here Friday on a murder warrant based on the death of Mrs. Leota Frances Murphy, 45, of Marion, Ind. the battered body of the victim, who had published a volume of verses, was found in a ditch near Spearman, Texas, March 20. The Sheriff said he had information that Brown, using the name of Robert E. Lawrence, married the woman, robbed her of between $800 and $1,000 during a honeymoon trip to Mexico and then killed her. Dist. Atty. W. L. McConnell of Hansford County, was expected here soon with extradition papers, but brown denied any connection with the killing and said he would contest any removal attempts. Sheriff Wilbanks said that through his investigation and relatives and friends of Mrs. Murphy he had peiced together this story of the romances: Brown rented an office here last January for the Lawrence Produce Company. He and the Marion poet became members of the Get Acquainted Correspondence Club of Denver. They exchanged letters, met here March 10 and, the Sheriff believes, were married in Missouri March 12. After the body was found, the Sheriff traced the victim's shoes to Marion. A brother and a friend established her identity through a photograph of the body. The trail led to Chicago, where the police have aided in the hunt for Brown since April 15. Brown's wife, the former Erna Mae Auweiler, was questiond during the day. She said she was living at San Mateo, Calif., when she contacted him through the Stanley Ideal Hearts Club of Oakland, Calif. She added that they were married Oct. 29 at Reno and came to Chicago. She said she knew of no other women in her husband's life and asserted: "I never want to see him again." Sheriff Wilbanks said Brown's criminal record, dating back to 1915, showed that he was sentenced to San Quentin prison in 1935 on charges of stealing $3,500 in jewels from the home of Earl M. Daniels at Highland Park, Calif. Sheriff Wilbanks did his sleuthing in Texas boots and ten-gallon hat. He drawied to reporters that he enjoyed the city, particularly when the fire trucks were screaming to fires. He was especially interested when they came to put out a fire at his hotel. {Submitted by Dena Whitesell} Dallas Morning News 1915-01-08 Engine Hits Automobile One Man Dies of Injuries in Oklahoma, Another May die and Third is Injured Guymon, Ok., Jan. 7 - An automobile in which were W. H. Carlisle and C. Mabra of Guymon and S. K. Rauch of Hansford County, Texas, was struck by a Rock Island engine here yesterday and carried about ninety feet. Carlisle, who was driving the car, was badly burised and cut by broken glass from windshield. Rauch is suffering from concussion of the brain and internal injuries. His conditon is serious. Mabra sustained a fractured skull and died at 7:10 this evening. Both have families .{Submitted by Dena Whitesell} Dallas Morning News 1959-11-26 Three Persons Killed In West Texas Collision Amarillo, Texas - Three Panhandler perssons were killed and two critically injured Wednesday in a 3 car traffic accident near here. Witnesses said one car struck a second auto a glancing blow and then crashed head on into the third vehicle. Killed were Mrs. Trixie Wilbanks, 74, of Spearman, wife of a former Hansford County sheriff; Mrs. Dorothy Clark Fox, 40, of Borger, and Earnest Clark, about 70, of Amarillo, father of Mrs. Fox. Injured were Mrs. Wilbans' husband and Jimmy Fox, 5, son of one of the women killed. Both were reported in critical condition. Highway Patrolmen said the car driven by Mrs. Fox struck a car driven by R. A. Norman, 30, of Borger, and then plunged into the path of the Wilbanks car. Norman and a passenger, Howard Jack, 37, of Pampa, escaped injury. Wilbanks, a rancher, retired from the sheriff's office in Hansford County after 20 years in the office. Since his 1945 retirement he has spent his time managing his farm and ranch lands. He is noted for having solved a series of murders severeal years ago in which wealthy women victims were lured through lonely hearts clubs.. {Submitted by Dena Whitesell}