Beckham County, OK - Deaths: John S. Thurmond, 1911
Saturday, 07 February 2009
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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THURMOND, JOHN S.
(26 Apr 1911, Elk City Record, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
John Thurmond an old and highly respected citizen of Sayre was shot and
instantly killed Sunday afternoon about one o'clock at the livery barn
where he was employed by E. T. Jones who runs a shooting gallery.
The trouble seemed to grow out of an altercation between "Shorty Meyers"
an employee of the barn and Jones.  Jones was getting the best of Meyers
by beating him severely over the head.  When Thurmond saw that Jones
outmatched Meyers he went into the office and secured a gun and requested
them to "cut it out."  This interference was promptly resisted by Jones
who carried a gun in his pocket.  Each fired three shots at the other, the
loads from Thurmond's gun went wild from the mark neither hitting him. 
All three shots from Jones gun entered Thurmond's body, one passing
through the region of the heart, another through the stomach and another
through the arm.  At the first shot from Thurmond's gun, Jones dropped
behind a box.  Thumond died instantly.
The City Marshal Gaither appeared on the scene shortly after the shooting
but Jones refused to surrender to him, but stated that he would to the
Sheriff.  H. C. Cope was not far behind, his attention being called by the
reports of the gunshots.  Jones was arrested and placed in jail.
John Thurmond was 47 years old, a bachelor.  His father was killed early
in the Civil War, and at the age of eight years John went to the home of
E. G. Thurmond, his uncle, and grew up with the Thurmond boys as a member
of the family.
Jones has the name of being a bad man and reports are that this is the
third man he has killed.
Funeral services were held at Sayre Monday at 2 p.m.  The First National
Bank at this place was closed during the afternoon.
(27 Apr 1911, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
John S. Thurmond was shot and almost instantly killed Sunday at his livery
stable in this city, by E. E. (sic) Jones, who for some time has operated
a shooting gallery on Main street.  The shooting occurred at about 12:30
p.m., and was witnessed by a number of people.
The immediate cause leading up to the shooting appears to have been a
fight between Jones and "Shorty" Myers (sic), an employee at the Thurmond
stable.  Myers was under the influence of liquor.  Thurmond walked out
from the office into the driveway where the fight had taken place and
addressed both Myers and Jones with the remark that they would have to
"cut it out," referring to the trouble they had had.  Jones' reply was the
act of drawing his pistol and in the scuffle that followed, in which both
Thurmond and Jones clinched, several shots were fired.  It was immediately
following this, when Thurmond was standing perhaps five or six feet from
Jones, that the latter fired the fatal shots which resulted in Thurmond's
death.  Two of the bullets passed through his lungs and one through his
left arm just above the elbow.
Dr. Baker was summoned by telephone.  It is his opinion that death came
instantly.  The remains were taken to the undertaking rooms.
Among out of town relatives and friends who were here to attend the
funeral were:  Mrs. E. G. Thurmond, J. P. Thurmond, Mr. and Mrs. A. L.
Thurmond, Mr. and Mrs. John Coffy, Joe Purdy, Frank Hunt and Rev. Sebe
Thomas, Elk City; Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Thurmond, Erick; I. C. Thurmond,
Oklahoma City and C. E. Gannaway, Clinton.
From Cheyenne were:  Leon Young, A. S. McKinney, C. O. Gause, Beauford
Field, R. M. Turner, L. A. Anderson, W. T. Bonner, Cosmo Falconer, and H.
S. Mayes.
(28 Apr 1911, Friday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
The burial of John S. Thurmond took place Monday afternoon services being
held at the Baptist church conducted by Rev. Sebe Thomas of Elk City,
interment taking place at the Sayre cemetery.  He was born August 1863 and
was consequently 48 years of age.  His only relatives are the family of E.
G. Thurmond of Elk City, who was his uncle and his sons, who are the
cousins of John.  They were all present in Sayre to show respect to their
relative and the attendance of friends from Cheyenne, Elk City, Erick and
the county.

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