Beckham County, OK - Deaths: J. Willis Poindexter, 1905
Wednesday, 24 Sep 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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POINDEXTER, J. WILLIS
(31 Mar 1905, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Willis Poindexter shot and killed himself this morning about 7:30.  The
weapon used was a 45-calibre revolver, and the bullet passed entirely
through his head, entering at the right temple and going out at the top of
his head.
He was 34 years old.  He had been sick for several weeks, and had suffered
a great deal, and it is supposed that his sufferings had deranged his
mind.
He was single, and lived with his parents in this place.
The shot was fired while the rest of the family were at breakfast, and he
expired in a few minutes after.
Mr. Poindexter had been a resident of this county for a number of years. 
With his father and brother he had been engaged in the real estate
business, and he was well known in the county.  He was an Odd Fellow, and
had lately transferred his membership to Beaver county, where he had a
claim.
(6 Apr 1905, Roger Mills News, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Willis Pondexter (sic) shot and killed himself at Sayre last Friday.  He
was a real estate agent and unmarried.  It is supposed that bad health was
the cause of the rash act.
(6 Apr 1905, Thursday, Elk City Democrat, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Sad was the news that came over the wires from Sayre, last Friday, of
Willis Poindexter, son of W. A. Poindexter, taking his own life.  On
Friday morning while the family was at breakfast Willis went into his
brother's room, took a 45 from the dresser, returned to his room, placed
the muzzle to his right temple and pulled the trigger, the ball passed up
and out at the top of his head.  He breathed for a few minutes, then
passed out into the darkness of the unknown future where all living must
go.
He had been a long sufferer from some pressure on the brain.  It seems
that when a boy he was kicked in the head by a mule and, although no
fracture showed up, he always had a growing pressure on the base of the
brain.  It made him flighty at times and moody in spells.  A number of
times he had talked with ye scribe about the pain at the base of his
brain.  He was treated by a number of local physicians but was helped only
temporially (sic).  He has often told us that if he could not get
permanent relief he could not always stand the pain.  He has been in bad
health all winter and we are satisfied that he had come to that state
where he believed nothing could help him.  He being an intelligent and
sensible fellow seeing nothing ahead but ferocious insanity, having a
loving and kindly feeling for all humanity, free from any sin against his
fellow man and fearing not to meet his God took the quick and short route
from the sufferings of earth and passed over the great divide.
When science failed to assure him of future safety, in the flash he took
that one honorable step to separate his ethereal spirit from the decaying
clay and passed into the spiritual sphere to watch over those whom he had
left behind.

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