Beckham County, OK - Deaths: W. H. Sharpshear, 1910
Saturday, 01 November 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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SHARPSHEAR, W. H.
(other spellings: Schropshire, Shopshear, Shropshire.)
(26 Aug 1910, Sayre Citizen, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Shooting Near Elk City
Early Sunday morning D. E. Dalton, a farmer who lived southwest of town,
came hurrying into town and notified Drs. Standifer and Low that he had
shot and wounded Mr. Sharpshear at his home just west of St. Mary's
academy.  He came on down town and gave himself up to Deputy Constable
Wells.  The doctors and officers went at once to the scene of murder and
found the wounded man bleeding freely from a shot in his left leg above
the knee, the ball severing the large artery.  The blood had checked to
some extent, but he had already lost so much that his life was almost
gone.  He lived until about 1 o'clock.
There were no witnesses to the killing except Dalton and Mrs. Sharpshear
and from reports is appears that the woman was a disreputable character
and that Mr. Dalton went to her home very early in the morning and while
there her husband came in.  The men were both drinking and they began to
quarrel.  Mr. Sharpshear drew his razor and Mr. Dalton shot him.
The body was brought to Carpenter's undertaking rooms and embalmed to
await the inquest which was held behind closed doors Tuesday afternoon at
the city hall and a verdict rendered that W. H. Sharphsear came to his
death by a gun shot at the hands of D. E. Dalton and Mrs. Sharpshear.  The
preliminary trial was waived to await the action of the grand jury. - Elk
City Record.
(1 Sep 1910, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Sunday morning the news spread that D. E. Dalton had shot and wounded one
Will Shopshear, residing in the northwest part of town, cutting the
femoral artery, from which the man suffered great loss of blood.
Dalton immediately called Drs. A. G. Low, Johnson and John Standifer, and
though everything possible was done to relieve, the shock from loss of
blood was so great that the wounded man never revived, and about noon he
died.  Dalton gave himself up to Marshal Crabtree, and on Tuesday County
Judge Hendrix, acting as coroner, held an inquest.
After taking the testimony of witnesses, the jury held Dalton and Mrs.
Shopshear for homicide.  Wednesday morning a preliminary examination was
waived by the defendants, and the record certified up to Judge Brown, to
fix the amount of their bail for their appearance at the September term of
the District court.  The defendants were represented by Echols & Merrill
and McMurtry.  From all accounts, it seems that the parties stopped at the
house early in the morning, and after imbibing somewhat, Shopshear got
excited and assaulted Dalton with a razor, and Dalton fired low to stop
him.  The first shot missed, the second striking a little above the knee,
the bleeding from which caused death.  Application for bail is being heard
at Mangum.  Another striking example of what intoxicating liquor may
produce.
(2 Sep 1910, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
The report came in Monday, that a party by the name of D. E. Dalton had
shot and killed one W. H. Shropshire at Elk City, Sunday.  According to
the report there is a woman in the case at the bottom of the killing and
another human life has been snuffed out criminally.
The story goes that Shropshire came home and found Dalton in possession. 
An altercation ensued which came to blows when Dalton pulled a gun
shooting Shropshire thru the fleshy part of the leg cutting the femoral
artery.  This is a fatal wound and caused him to bleed to death.
No other particulars were received here since the inquest at which the
jury found the killing felonious and Dalton and Mrs. Shropshire are both
held.
(2 Sep 1910, Carter Express, Carter, Beckham Co, OK):
Last week a man named Dalton shot a Mr. Schropshire at Elk City.  It seems
that the trouble came up over Dalton's too frequent visiting of the
latter's wife.  The shot severed an artery in Schropshire's leg and he
bled to death in a few hours.  Dalton gave himself up to the officers.

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