Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Earnest or Gene Williams, 1927
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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WILLIAMS, EARNEST or GENE
(20 Oct 1927, Sayre Journal, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Negro Killed by County Officer
Earnest Williams, negro, who lives east of Sayre on State Highway 41, was
instantly killed Sunday afternoon about 6 o'clock when he is alleged to
have resisted being arrested by Deputy Sheriff Ralph Jones of Elk City.
The negro is alleged to have used profanity toward two boys, Fred Cain and
H. Lindy and to have shot at another car just in front of the one the
officer was riding.  Williams is said to have been drunk and was creating
as much disturbance as possible on the Highway.
The shooting occurred eleven miles south of Elk City.  Williams was shot
twice through the breast and died instantly.
(20 Oct 1927, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
DRUNKEN NEGRO IS KILLED BY DEPUTY ATTEMPTING ARREST
Would Not Lay Down Gun and Got Two Bullets Through His Body.
Deputy Sheriff Ralph Jones, south of Elk City, shot and instantly killed
Gene Williams, a negro, Sunday afternoon, when he resisted arrest.
Stories of the killing vary somewhat as to detail but the best information
we can get is that Williams was under the influence of liquor.  His car
had been stopped or stalled in the road eight miles south and one-fourth
mile east of the city.  Reports are that he attempted to stop several
passers-by by cussing and brandishing his gun, but no one cared to stop. 
Later two white boys passed and he attempted to stop them.  They kept on
going and Williams cussed them out and fired the gun one or more times as
they retreated hastily.
Deputy Sheriff Ralph Jones was notified and went to where Williams was and
as he approached he ordered Williams to "put 'em up."  This the negro
would not do, but grabbed his gun and started toward Jones, calling out,
"It's Gene."  When the officer realized that he could not get the negro to
lay down his gun and keep away from him he opened fire, two bullets taking
effect in the upper part of the body and he fell mortally wounded.
A physician was summoned, but the negro was dead before he arrived.
Williams, it is said, has been known as a bad actor.  City Marshal Chas.
Smotherman, something like a year ago, arrested him for carrying a gun.
The body was brought to Elk City and prepared for shipment to Tulsa by
Grubitz & Son.
We are told that Williams had several thousand dollars in money at the
time of his death.
(21 Oct 1927, Carter Express, Carter, Beckham Co, OK):
Deputy Sheriff Ralph Jones of the Highway community, shot and killed a
threatening negro last Sunday evening on the road out northeast of the
Highway schoolhouse a few miles.
The negro was out on the road and was evidently under the influence of
bootleg whiskey as it is stated that he would halt the motorists as they
would come along and fire his gun off and frighten them.
The details of the shooting as reported to us were that some boys, Floyd
Graves, Herman Lundie and Fred Cain, after being given a scare by the
negro and his gun, reported the matter to Mr. Jones who went back with the
boys to the place and the negro was still there with his gun and when the
officer told him to drop the gun and instead of dropping it he showed
flight and started drawing the gun but Ralph was too quick for him and
stopped him with a couple of shots.
The negro's name we understand was Gene Williams.
Everyone that we have heard say anything about the affair fully justify
Mr. Jones in his action.  We have often wondered if the public appreciates
fully the efforts of our officers, and risks that they oftentimes take, in
the performance of their official duties for the protection of the law
abiding public.  For instance in this case if the negro had shot first the
results might have been far different to what they were.  We mention this
to make the people appreciate to the fullest extend our officers when they
risk their lives in the protection of the law abiding public.

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