Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Harry Hamilton, 1903
02 Mar 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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HAMILTON, HARRY
(27 Aug 1903, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Sunday morning the news was brought to town that Harry Hamilton had
been accidentally shot by his friend, Chas. William.  The affair occurred
at the home of Bud Roark, on the old Frank Banks' place, 7 miles southeast
of Elk City, Sunday morning about 7 o'clock.  The wounded man lived until
about 1:30 a.m. Monday.
The facts as brought out by the coroner's inquest held on Monday are about
as follows:  The two young men, Harry Hamilton and Charles Williams, had
been staunch friends for years.  Mr. Hamilton, wishing to visit his old
friend came to Mr. Roark's where Mr. Williams was staying on Saturday.  On
Sunday morning about 7 o'clock, while in their room together, Harry having
a revolver from which he had taken most of the cartridges, hand the gun to
Williams and ask him to show him the "Jesse James act."  Williams took the
revolver and supposing that Hamilton had removed all the cartridges began
twirling it on his finger when lo, there was one fatal ball left in the
revolver, which was discharged, the ball lodging in the neck of Harry
Hamilton.  Medical aid was at once summoned, but of no avail.  Monday
morning, between 1 and 2 o'clock, when he passed beyond this vale of
tears.
Deceased had been in Oklahoma about five years coming here from Robinson,
Ill.  He was about 23 years old.  The remains were prepared for shipment
and sent to his Illinois home for interment.
(4 Sep 1903, Elk City Record, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
A sad tragedy occurred at the home of Bud Roarks last Saturday morning in
which Harry Hamilton was mortally wounded.  It appears that he and Charlie
Williams were practicing bad men tricks with a revolver believing the gun
to be empty as Hamilton had taken out what he supposed to be all the
shells in the presence of Williams.
They were called to breakfast by Mr. Roark and Williams stated that
Hamilton asked him just after entering the dining room to show him the
"Jesse James" trick, which he proceeded to do; the gun was discharged
during the exhibition, the ball striking Hamilton in the throat, and Dr.
McComas extracted it from the back of his neck.  He lived until 2 o'clock
the next morning, being conscious all the time, and stated that the
shooting was pure accidental.
The young men were about twenty three years old and had been associates
and friends for several years.
Justice McCullom held an inquest and exonerated Williams from all blame. 
The body was shipped to his old home in Illinois.

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