Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Joseph L. Hacker, 1930
29 Feb 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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HACKER, JOSEPH L.
(6 Feb 1930, Thursday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
J. L. Hacker, 63, farmer of near Elk City, is dead and Clarence Summers,
deputy sheriff, is in the Musick hospital at Elk City with a bullet wound
in his left lung, the result of a gun battle that occurred late Monday
four and one-half miles south of Elk City.
Murder Charges To Be Filed.
George Cupp, of Mangum, alleged whiskey-runner and ex-convict, who shot
both Hacker and Summers, was still at large at latest reports.  Charges of
murder in the first degree will be filed against two men, George Stephens,
operator of the Highway Garage in Sayre, and Luther Nabors, former
operator of a place of business near the Red Front store on the Greer
county line, authorities say.
Accounts of the slaying as told by Marvin Hacker, under-cover worker of
Sheriff C. H. Phillip's law enforcement staff, are that Stephens, Nabors
and Cupp drove upon them, as he, his father and Summers were searching for
stolen harness at the home of B. E. Harp, and that the shooting occurred
following a brief quarrel engaged in by Summers and Cupp.
Funeral services for Hacker were held Tuesday afternoon at Ural church
south of Elk City.  Interment was made in the Ural cemetery.
He was born March 3, 1866, in Kentucky.  He lived in Missouri for a number
of years, settling in the Hollis community on moving to Oklahoma about 19
years ago.
Father of 13 Children.
He is survived by his widow and thirteen children.  The children are: 
Mrs. Dwight Chandler, and Mrs. Elmer Jones of Burlingame, Kansas,  Mrs.
Charlie Berry, Mrs. Lee Tosh, Ruby Hacker, Jewell Hacker, Mrs. Lena Wynn
of Hollis, Mrs. Otis Hoy of Grimes; and five sons, Virgil, Marvin, John,
Joe and Claude Hacker.  A number of  the children live at home in the Ural
community.
(6 Feb 1930, Thursday, Erick Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
George Cupp, alleged slayer of J. L. Hacker and assailant of Deputy
Sheriff Summers, was still at large late Wed. afternoon while county
officers combed the county in an extensive search for him.  Officers are
of the opinion that he is in hiding some place near Elk City.
Deputy Summers was reported as resting "fairly well" late Tuesday.
J. L. Hacker, farmer who lived in the Ural community nine miles south of
Elk City, is dead and Deputy Sheriff Clarence Summers of this city, is in
a local hospital in a critical condition with a bullet wound in his right
lung as the result of a shooting which occured late yesterday afternoon,
four miles and a half south of Elk City.  George Cupp, alleged ex-convict
and slayer of Mr. Hacker, is still at large and is thought to be hiding in
the breaks somewhere near Elk City.
Luther Neighbors and George Stevens who were with Cupp at the time of the
shooting and who were out on bond pending trials on charges of selling
liquor, are being held in the county jail for further questioning.  The
shooting is directly associated with the arrest of Neighbors and Stevens
for the selling of liquor and the arrest of Cupp recently for the shooting
of quail out of season, county officers said.  Both arrests were made
about the same time.  Mr. Hacker and his son, Marvin Hacker, were to be
witnesses against the men charged with selling liquor, the officers said.
Deputy Sheriff Summers and the two Hacker men had just driven up to a
farmhouse south of the city to see about some harness which had been
stolen from the Hacker farm about a year ago, Marvin Hacker said.  As the
three men stopped their car in front of the farmhouse the car carrying
Cupp, Stevens and Neighbors paired off with Mr. Hacker and his son while
Cupp and Summers went off to one side to talk.
Would Testify.
Neighbors and Stevens asked the Hacker men if they had told county
officers of buying liquor from the man charged with the selling, Marvin
Hacker said.  The men questioned said that they had given such
information, and when asked further if they were going to give testimony
in the county court to that effect, they said they intended to, young
Hacker stated.
(11 Jun 1940, Sayre Sun, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Brought back by Sheriff Earl Francis to face charges of a murder
perpetrated over 10 years ago, George Cupp, 35 years old, is being held in
the county jail.
Cupp is accused of fatally wounding J. L. Hacker February 3, 1930, four
miles south of Elk City and shooting Clarence Summers, a deputy sheriff at
the time.  Summers was shot in the lower region of his lung and recovered.
 With a bullet hole in his abdomen, Hacker, an elderly farmer, bled so
profusely that he was dead before reaching an Elk City hospital.
Cupp is alleged to have shot Summers because the officer convicted him of
shooting quail out of season and is accused of killing Hacker when the
farmer intervened in Summers' behalf.
Cupp has been the subject of a widespread search since the shooting.  One
of Francis' aims while in office was to capture Cupp.  He realized this
goal Sunday when he learned Cupp was in Lubbock, Texas.  Francis ordered
his arrest and returned him to Sayre Sunday night.
County Attorney Neville Gillum said he had a good case prepared against Cupp.

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