Beckham County, OK - Deaths: William Davis, 1911
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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DAVIS, WILLIAM
(Nov 1911, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Cordell, Okla. Nov. 23. - William Davis, an automobile salesman, fatally
shot his father-in-law, D. A. Vaughn, Vaughn's daughter, Miss Eva Vaughn,
age 13, and then blew out his own brains at the Vaughn farm two miles
southwest of Cordell at about 6 o'clock Thursday morning.  Davis also
attempted to kill Mrs. D. A. Vaughn and Will Masonheimer.
The shooting and suicide are the sequel to a sensational divorce suit
which began two years ago, when Davis was living in Chickasha, where he
worked as a barber.  Wife No. 1, of whom nothing was known, suddenly
appeared upon the scene.  Wife No. 2, who before her marriage, was Miss
Vaughn, left her husband and went to her father.  She instituted divorce
proceedings and obtain a decree about eight months ago.
Davis was arrested for bigamy, jumped bond and disappeared, and until his
appearance in Cordell this morning, had not been seen since.  Wife No. 1
has not been heard of.  He went to the Vaughn home this morning, Mr.
Vaughn, head of the family, saw him enter the yard and went out to meet
him.  Davis ordered him to throw up his hands.  Vaughn complied.  Davis
then opened fire.  One shot took effect in Vaughn's body and a second
struck him in the arm.  The shot which passed through his body pierced the
lung and his recovery is doubtful.
Mrs. Vaughn and her daughter Eva, hearing the shooting, rushed from the
house.  Davis then began firing at them.  The girl was struck by six or
seven bullets and it is feared that her death is imminent.  Mrs. Vaughn
fled, bullets whistling all about her.  She escaped unhurt.  Will
Masonheimer, a neighbor, attracted by the commotion, ran to the Vaughn
home.  Davis fired several shots at him, none of which were effective. 
Davis' former wife was not at home at the time of the tragedy.
Davis then entered the house and, lying down on a bed, sent a bullet
through his own brain.  His death was instant.  On the bed beside the dead
man two pistols were found.  An empty bottle, supposed to have contained
chloroform, also was found on the bed.
In the dead man's pockets two letters were found, both of which indicated
that he was insane.  One was addressed to his former wife, telling her of
his trouble and wonderings since she left him.  The other was addressed to
the sheriff of this county in which Davis told the officials that he
intended killing himself after he had shot his former wife, his
father-in-law, Vaughn, Mrs. Vaughan (sic), two sons and a brother-in-law
named Bliss.  In one of his pockets a roll of bills amounting to $175 was
found.  The letter to the sheriff stated the money was to pay funeral
expenses.
Mr. Vaughn and family will be remembered hereby the old timers, they
having lived on the farm 2 1-2 miles north of Erick about seven years ago.

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