Beckham County, OK - Deaths: C. or Frank Smith, 1930
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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SMITH, C. or FRANK
(28 Jul 1930, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
C. Smith, 41, was dead today and his wife, Nellie Smith, is free on a
$2,000 bond and charged with manslaughter as the result of a family
quarrel at their home one mile northeast of Sayre yesterday afternoon, in
which Mrs. Smith allegedly fatally wounded her husband with a butcher
knife.
The quarrel started, Mrs. Smith said, when her sons asked to go to the
golf course and caddy during the afternoon.  Her husband refused to take
the boys and did not want her to take them, Mrs. Smith told county
officers.  Words followed and the couple went into the house.  As she
passed through the kitchen Mrs. Smith picked up the butcher knife, she
said.
When Mr. Smith followed his wife and allegedly attacked her Mrs. Smith
struck him with the knife, officers were informed by the defendant.
Inman Makes Arrest.
Acting Sheriff M. L. Inman was called soon after the stabbing.  Mrs. Smith
was arrested and taken to the county jail and her wounded husband was
rushed to a Sayre hospital.
The knife entered Mr. Smith's left side and punctured his intestines and
his stomach.  His condition was reported as serious when he was taken to
the hospital and little hope for his recovery was held by attending
physicians.  He grew worse early this morning and died about 9 o'clock.
Mrs. Smith was arraigned before Justice of the Peace R. S. Andrews today
and charged with manslaughter.  Bond was set at $2,000.  Mrs. Smith was
released after making bond and is to face preliminary hearing on August 2.
(4 Sep 1930, Thursday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Woman Is Tried For Man's Death.
Preliminary hearing for Mrs. Lillie (sic) Smith, charged with manslaughter
in connection with the stabbing to death of her husband, August 3 will be
held in the district court room this afternoon (Wednesday).
Mrs. Smith is charged with the stabbing of her husband, with a butcher
knife following a family quarrel at their home near Sayre.  Immediately
following the stabbing Smith was rushed to the local hospital where he
died a few hours later.
Before his death Smith is said to have made a statement clearing Mrs.
Smith of blame, stating that she acted in self defense.  She has been at
liberty on a $2,000 bond.
(8 Sep 1930, Monday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
The case against Mrs. Frank (sic) Smith, charged with manslaughter in
connection with the death of her husband July 28 who had been injured by a
knife wound inflicted by his wife at their home near Sayre, was dismissed
when heard before Judge Andrews in the county court room Wednesday
afternoon.
Reason for dismissal was insufficient evidence in the case.  Mrs. Smith
was arraigned before Judge Andrews following the death of her husband. 
She entered a plea of not guilty and was released on a $2,000 bond.
Dr. G. W. Phillips who attended Smith following the stabbing was called on
the stand as the first witness.  He stated that before Smith's death he
made the statement that Mrs. Smith was not to blame that the stabbing was
an accident.
The only other witness called on the stand was Mrs. Smith.  She told her
story in clear straightforward manner.  "We were eating when the accident
occured.  I was opening a can of milk with the butcher knife when my
husband pushed me and then lost his balance.  I fell back on a chair and
he fell on me.  When I fell I took the knife back with me and he fell on
it," she explained.  She added that they had not been quarreling before
the accident.  The fact that he had been drinking prior to the accident
was brought out at the trial.
The accident which took Smith's life occured on Sunday and he was rushed
to the Sayre hospital for treatment.  He was in such a weakened condition
when he arrived at the hospital that attendants held very little hopes for
him.  He died Monday morning after making the statement that his wife was
not the blame.

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