Beckham County, OK - Deaths: James Corbett Brewer, 1921
26 Sep 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) 

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BREWER, JAMES CORBETT
(5 May 1921, Elk City News-Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
J. C. BREWER SHOT BY BANDIT.  Dies From Wounds Monday at Lawton Hospital -
Body Shipped to Sayre.   Would-Be Robbers Caught After Auto is Disabled -
Surrounded in Plum Thicket by Posse.
Corbett Brewer, formerly of Grimes, died at the hospital at Lawton last
Monday, from a gun wound received last Friday afternoon when an attempt
was made to rob the Citizen's State Bank of Geronimo of which Corbett was
a cashier.  When the bandits, who were identified as James M. Hamm and
Arthur Baulcom of Walters, Okla. walked in the bank about three o'clock
Friday afternoon, Brewer was alone.  Baulcom pushed a gun through the
grating with a command for him to throw up his hands.  Brewer wheeled
around quickly and was shot in the neck.
Citizens of the town heard the shot and rushed to the bank, but the
would-be robbers became frightened and jumping into their car tried to
make their get-away.  They plunged into a bank and bent an axle when
several miles from town and were later captured in a plum thicket by
(missing line) identified by Brewer as the men who attempted the robbery. 
 A woman was with them, but says she was forced to make the trip.
It was thought Brewer had a premonition of trouble for he had locked up
the money early and was just turning away from the safe when the men
entered.
Baulcom, a rural mail carrier assumes all the blame, saying he was out of
money and expected to loot the bank and return to Walters without any one
suspecting him.  Murder charges were filed against the two men and the
woman, who are now in the county jail at Lawton.
The body of young Brewer was shipped to Sayre Tuesday night and taken to
the Berlin (cemetery) Wednesday where he was buried by the side of his
father.  The mother and two sons were with him at the time of his death. 
A sister, Mrs. Zula Barnaby of near Elk City, arrived in Lawton Monday
after the death of her brother.
The News-Democrat family has known Corbett since he was a young boy and
have watched with gratification his success in the business world, and
also knew of the great pride of his widowed mother toward her son.  Our
deepest sympathy is extended to the bereaved ones.
We hope to have a fitting obituary for next week.
(5 May 1921, Thursday, Beckham County Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK)
J. C. BREWER DIES OF WOUNDS.
J. C. Brewer, cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Geronimo, Okla. and
formerly assistant cashier of the First National Bank of this place was
shot and fatally wounded in an attempted robbery of the Bank at Geronimo
last Friday, and died Monday night in a hospital at Lawton.
The remains were laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 at the Berlin
cemetery north of Sayre, Okla.  Several from here attended funeral
services.  Mr. Brewer made may friends while here and was held in high
esteem by all.
(19 May 1921, Elk City News-Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
JAMES CORBETT BREWER
Born, June 18, 1893
Died, May 2, 1921
J. Corbett Brewer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gus Brewer, was born near Duncan,
Okla., and on December 25th, 1889, with his parents moved to Roger Mills
county.  In July 1901, the father died and the mother, Mrs. Mattie Brewer,
kept the family together until they were grown or married and went to
homes of their own.  She still lives on the old homestead near Grimes.
The brother and sisters of the deceased are Frank Brewer of Cheyenne,
County Superintendent of Roger Mills County; Mrs. Zula Barnaby of Elk
City, Mrs. Noel Dodson of Clayton, New Mexico; Lloyd and August Brewer of
Grimes, Okla.
After completing the common schools in Roger Mills county, Corbett went
one year to the A. & M. College at Stillwater.  The next year he was with
his brother Frank at Tonkawa, where he took a business course.  Following
that year he attended Southwestern Normal at Weatherford and taught in
Jefferson county for two years.  He was in the Normal in 1917 at
Weatherford.  One week after the Normal closed he volunteered in the army,
and was soon put in the Balloon Corps and sailed for France in November
that year.  He was with the Headquarters Co., First Balloon Wing, 1st Army
Corps.  In July he was in the big drive at Chateau Thierry, where he was
gassed, then in October was hurt while on guard in the Argonne Forest.  He
was in the base hospital for four months at Bordeaux.  He was mustered out
at Camp Travis, Texas, June 23, 1919, having spent more than eighteen
months over seas.
In the fall of 1919, he was principal of a large rural school in Jefferson
county.  At its close he began work for the First National Bank of
Weatherford, Okla., later going to the First National Bank at Erick.  In
January 1921, he severed connections with that bank and was made cashier
of the Citizens Bank at Geronimo, and it was there that he was fatally
injured by bandits, when attempting to rob the bank.
Before his death, Corbett told his friends he was not afraid to die.  He
became a member of the Baptist church and therefore death had no terror
for him.  This is a great consolation to his relatives and friends who
know if they are faithful they will some day meet him again in the
Beautiful Beyond.
One of his soldier buddies, Ben Stoury, of Alabama, who went with him
through his army service, was at Lawton, and did all he could for his chum
and comrade during the days Corbett was in the hospital and his grief was
intense when death separated them.
Corbett belonged to the Masons and had almost completed his thirty-second
degree.  Members of the Masonic lodge at Lawton took charge of the funeral
services which were held in that town in the First Methodist Church.  Some
lovely special music was furnished and one of the ministers there made an
address.  The body was then taken to Berlin where services were held in
the largest building there, the school house, and there were so many there
that all could not gain admittance.  Rev. Twitty of Sayre, made an address
and music was furnished by the Berlin singing class.  The Masons of Sayre
had charge of the interment service.  The body was laid to rest in the
Berlin cemetery by the side of his father.
Corbett was of a kindly disposition, with a smile for everyone, carrying
sunshine wherever he went.  Every acquaintance was a friend.  The
beautiful flowers that came from the various towns where he had lived
covered the casket and were banked around the platform, attesting the high
regard in which he was held.
The widowed mother, of whom he was so proud, and the brothers and sisters,
have the deepest sympathy of the News-Democrat family and their legion of
friends in the great bereavement.