Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Edward A. Sweatt, 1906
Monday, 15 December 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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SWEATT, EDWARD A.
(28 Mar 1906, Wednesday, Elk City Record, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Shooting Affair.
A report came to town yesterday morning of a shooting affair on the Billy
Duke farm on the Sandstone creek, about fifteen miles northwest of here. 
While it is impossible to get the details of the unfortunate affair, we
have been able to get only this much from rumor.
Knox Price who has the farm rented kept a man over night whose name is
reported to be Swat, a crop insurance agent.  A quarrel over the price
charged for the accommodations, report has it, resulted in a gun play in
which Swat was killed and Price severely wounded.
Undertaker Owen went out yesterday evening and embalmed the body of Swat
and brought it to town.  At the time of going to press Coroner Riley is
holding an inquest over the body.
Price received two shots from a pistol, but at this time it is impossible
to ascertain the extent of his injuries.
(29 Mar 1906, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Saturday morning about 8 o'clock a shooting affray occurred on
Sandstone, seven miles northeast of Berlin, in which E. A. Sweat, of
Oklahoma City, representing a farm crop insurance company, was instantly
killed and Nox (sic) Price, a farmer, was dangerously, if not fatally
wounded.  According to report Sweat had stopped over night at the home of
a Mr. Duke and feeling aggrieved over the charges engaged in a quarrel
with Duke.  He decided however to make settlement but did not have the
amount required in change and requested Duke to accompany him to the home
of Price, who, he said owed the company, and he would get the change from
Price.  At the Price home the quarrel was renewed, Price becoming
involved.  The quarrel waxed warm and guns were resorted to, Sweat using a
revolver and Price a shotgun.  When the smoke of battle cleared away Sweat
was lying stark dead and Price had a fractured arm and a bullet hole
through his body over the heart.
(30 Mar 1906, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
At the result of a quarrel over the price of a night's lodging, E. A.
Swett, a special agent of the State Mutual Insurance Co., is dead, and
Knox Price, a farmer, is in jail at Cheyenne, with a bullet wound in his
side and shoulder.
The affair happened at the home of a farmer named Betts, on Sandstone
creek, northeast of Berlin.
It seems that Swett stayed all night with Price at Duke's ranch, where
Price was working, and that Tuesday morning there was a quarrel over the
amount which Swett would pay for his night's lodging.
The two went to Betts' place where the shooting occurred.  Swett had a 32
caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, and Price had a shotgun.  A full charge
of shot struck Swett in the head and face, killing him instantly.
A bullet from Swett's revolver struck Price under the arm, ranging under
the shoulder blade.
Swett's body was taken to Elk City, where it was embalmed and sent to his
relative.
Price waived preliminary investigation, and was held for the grand jury.
(Mar 1906, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Tuesday morning on Sandstone Knox Price, an employee on W. W. Duke's
ranch, shot and killed Edward A. Sweatt, an insurance agent.
The particulars of the tragedy seem to be about these:  Price and his
sister are running Duke's ranch and Sweatt came along and stopped with
them Monday night.  Tuesday morning Sweatt claimed that he had no money to
pay for his night's lodging but said he would go over to Mr. Betts', who
lives near the Duke place, and collect some money Mr. Betts was owing on a
policy and pay it.  From what transpired later it seems hot words must
have been indulged in at this time.  At any rate Sweatt went over to
Betts' and later Price followed with a Winchester shot gun.  Sweatt asked
Betts if he had any money, that he owed Price for a night's lodging, and
that he wanted to pay it.  About this time Price rode up and he and Sweatt
engaged in a quarrel.  Price was still on his horse and Sweatt was
standing in the house.  Finally, Sweatt said, "I took all the abuse off of
you this morning that I'm going to take," drew his pistol and fired two or
three shots at Price over Betts' shoulder.  Betts, becoming alarmed for
fear that Price would shoot in the house and kill him or some of his
family, pushed Sweatt outside and closed the door.  After the shooting he
went outside and found Sweatt lying dead by the side of the house, and
Price was riding off towards home.
Price received two wounds, one in the side and one in the hand.  His
wounds, while serious, are not considered necessarially (sic) fatal.  He
went immediately after the shooting to Cheyenne to give himself up and
that he might get medical attention.
Sweatt was shot in the face, shoulder and hand with No. 4 shot.  The face
wound was the fatal one.  Among the valuables found on Sweatt's person was
a gold watch, between $50 and $60 in money and a diamond ring said to be
worth $500.
Coroner Riley held an inquest over Sweatt's body yesterday morning, and
the jury returned this verdict: "That the deceased came to his death from
a shot from a gun in the hands of Knox Price, with felonious intent."
Sweatt was head agent for the Oklahoma State Mutual Insurance company,
with headquarters at Oklahoma City.  He was not very well known in this
county.  He had the appearance of a prosperous business man and was a
mason in good standing.
His body was embalmed and shipped, we are informed to Red Oak, Kentucky,
his former home.  We do not know whether Sweatt was married or not.
--- W. P. Doekins of Russellville, Ky., is in town.  He is an uncle to
Edward Sweatt, the man killed by Knox Price on Sandstone, and will remain
until after court.
--- J. W. Sweatt of Boynton, I.T., brother of the Mr. Sweatt who was
killed by Price, came in Monday, and will remain until after court.
(28 Sep 1906, Friday, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
DISTRICT COURT AT CHEYENNE
Several Important Cases Disposed Of.
District court convened at Cheyenne, Monday, Sept. 17., and continued in
session for over a week.  A number of important cases were disposed of the
one attracting the most attention being the W. P. Price case, who was on
trial for the killing of Hood Yandell in Sayre three years ago.  The case
occupied several days, and the jury returned a verdict manslaughter in the
second degree.  The sentence was fixed at four years.  A new trial was
denied, and notice was given of appeal to the supreme court.
In the case of the Territory vs. Knox Price, charged with the killing of
E. A. Sweat, a verdict of acquittal was returned on the grounds of self
defense.
A change of venue was granted Elmore Vance and his case will be tried at
the November term at El Reno.
The court adjourned Tuesday having disposed of all the cases on the
docket.  The grand jury returned several indictments.  A full report of
the proceedings will be published next week.

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