Beckham Co. OK - B. F. Willcoxen Suicide

Submited by Paulyne Taylor  pingtiger@arn.net

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              MERRITT BOY BUILDS OWN FUNERAL PYRE
              BEFORE KILLING HIMSELF WITH REVOLVER

Services for B.F. Bud Willcoxen were conducted Wednesday afternoon with the 
Rev. George C. Hutto Elk City officiating.
In perhaps one of the strangest known suicide cases in the state , Willcoxen 
met his death at 9:00 Monday morning . The 18 year old Merritt youth, despondent
over ill health , went to a small canyon behind the barn 200 yards from the 
farmhouse, gathered wood, and stacked it near the barn. He then saturated
himself and the wood with coal oil , ignited his own funeral pyre, pointed
a 38 special revolver to his chest and fired twice.

When he pitched forward his feet fell into the fire and immediately he was 
enveloped in flames. The youth had not been gone from home long, before
his mother, Mrs. L.E. Willcoxen missed him and left the house in search
of him. When she saw his blazing body, she screamed at S.V. Ely who
happened to be standing in front of the house and called Claude Robinson.
Ely was first to reach the scene of the catastrophe, and he put out the fire. 
The dead youth was burned beyond recognition, the flesh was burned completely 
away from the leg bones and flesh had been seared open in several places.
When F.W. Snoddy, Elk City justice of the peach reached the Willcoxen he 
selected Ely, Jay Scott, W.S. Grimes, W.G. Furrin, Buford Johnson, and
W.A. Lewis to serve as coroners jury and a verdict of suicide was
returned. Neville Gillum, and K.T. Henson were the investigating officers.
Internment was made at the Fairview cemetery at Elk City.