Beckham County, OK - Deaths: J. A. Mays, 1904
19 August 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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MAYS, J. A.
(9 Jun 1904, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
J. A. Mays Arrested.
J. A. Mays, president of the closed Elk City National Bank, was arrested
at Fort Worth, Texas, and brought to Oklahoma City to answer to a charge
brought against him by the American National Bank of Oklahoma City for
obtaining $3,100 on a worthless check.  R. E. Echols, the attorney for the
closed bank, went to Oklahoma to defend Mays.  Mays was put under bond and
he came to Elk.  On Monday night just as Mr. Mays was to depart on the
east bound train he was again arrested on another warrant sworn out by
Dave Mayer for obtaining $6,250 under false pretenses.  He was quickly
carried before Geo. McCollum, a justice of the peace in Elk and without
even notifying the county attorney, was allowed to wavor (sic) examination
and was again given his liberty on a one thousand dollar bond.
Later the district attorney filed notice to vacate bond on account of its
being too small to cover the offense and a hearing was set for Friday.
Grave, hard stories are told of Mr. Mays' peculiar transactions while
president of the defunct bank, and the people are just getting worked up
about it.
Uncle Sam has not acted as yet, and no report from the comptroller has
been made public.
(23 Jun 1904, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
J. A. Mays, president of the closed Elk City National Bank, committed
suicide last Friday night in the Dallas county, Texas, jail by firing a
bullet from a revolver into his brain.
He was at the time under arrest for misapplying the funds of the Elk City
National bank, having been arrested in Dallas a day or two before and
carried to Guthrie.  He was later returned to Dallas where he thought he
could make bond in the sum of $5,000.  Failing there he had requested to
be brought to Elk City thinking he could secure bond here.
He and the officers having him in charge were awaiting the arrival of the
train in the office of the jail in Dallas, when he told them that he
wished to secure some linen from a grip that had been brought to him from
his hotel.  He stepped into another room to get the grip and immediately
the report of the revolver sounded.  The officers rushed into the room and
found Mays lying across the bed with the bullet through his brain.
It is supposed he secured the gun from the grip which had been left there
in the afternoon.

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