Beckham County, OK - Deaths: J. W. Morgan, 1925
03 September 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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MORGAN, J. W.
(17 Apr 1925, Elk City News Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
BLACKS CONFESS TO MURDER AT HOBART
More than two months of intensive detective work was crowned with success
last week when a solution was reached in the mysterious murder of J. W.
Morgan, of this city, at Altus, on the night of January 29.  The trial of
the murderers finally lead to Willie Chatman and Son Lewis and when
confronted with the facts they could not dodge they confessed and related
the full details of the killing.
From the confessions of Chatman and Lewis, which were identical in every
respect, the only motive for the killing was robbery.  Mr. Morgan was in
Altus on business and while there inquired among the negroes of the city
for Cora Mae Bolton, a negress, who owed him $5 for hauling her automobile
from Brinkman to Mangum.  He finally asked Willie Chatman about the
negress and he agreed to take him to her home at a certain hour.  Chatman
then made arrangements with Son Lewis to rob Morgan at the stock yards. 
When Morgan and the negro Chatman started in Morgan's car, Lewis concealed
himself in the back of the car, which had a delivery body.  When they
reached the stock yards, Lewis jumped out and commanded Morgan and Chatman
to get out and hold up their hands, which they did.
He searched Mr. Morgan first and took his watch and money.  To make the
robbery realistic, he then began searching Chatman, holding his gun
pointed at Mr. Morgan at the time.  While searching the negro the gun was
discharged and the bullet penetrated Mr. Morgan's abdomen, resulting in
his death a short time later.  Lewis says he did not intend to shoot Mr.
Morgan but that he pulled too hard on the trigger and the gun went off.
The confession was secured through the efforts of Sheriff Lee English of
Jackson county and Deputy Sheriff E. W. (Lige) Reeves, of Greer county. 
These two officers had worked on the case ever since the murder and
Sheriff English says he worked harder on this case and was more anxious
about success than any case on which he has ever worked.
The day after the murder a negro man and a negro woman were arrested and
some evidence secured against them but the officers were never satisfied
they were guilty.  They were held in jail, however, as they held the only
available clues upon which the officers could work.  Charlie Hodges, the
negro man, already had a larceny charge against him here and received a
sentence of three years in the pententiary at Mc Alester.

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