Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Walter Sweeney, 1930
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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SWEENEY, WALTER
(10 Nov 1930, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
While Charles Sweeney, 21, of Hatfield, Mo., was undergoing an operation
here Sunday morning for a dangerous head infection word was received of
the death of his half-brother, Walter Sweeney, of Bard, New Mexico, killed
in an automobile accident 12 miles west of Amarillo, Texas, while rushing
to the bedside of the youth here.
Walter Sweeney had never seen Charles but when Walter W. Blackburn, county
commissioner here, Saturday night telephoned that the young half-brother
was in serious condition Walter said that he would get here as quickly as
possible.  He evidently left immediately for this city for he was killed
only a few hours after the telephone conversation, Mr. Blackburn said.
Father Is Ill Too
Charles Sweeney came out of the operating room in much better condition
than had been hoped and late yesterday he was told of the fate of his
half-brother.
When Mr. Blackburn called the Sweeney residence near Hatfield he found
that further difficulties lay in the Sweeney family.  The father, Jim
Sweeney, 79, was very ill.
Charles Sweeney was brought to the hospital here a week ago from Cheyenne,
where he became ill.  His friend with whom he was working apparently
abandoned him after placing him in the hospital.  But Charles, who has
gone into operating rooms numerous times before to have one of his limbs
whittled away, assumed responsibility for himself and told the doctors to
operate.
The only survivors of Walter Sweeney are his immediate relatives for he
was never married.  He was a large land owner in New Mexico, having
several thousand acres of land and much stock, Mr. Blackburn said.
How the accident occurred in which the elder brother was killed had not
been learned by early this afternoon.  It is presumed that while hurrying
to the bedside of his half-brother whom he had never seen that be became
excited or went to sleep while driving, losing control of his machine and
wrecking it.

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