Murray Co., OK -- Murder of a Young Bride - 1932 Submitted by: Jackie Sites - jackjan@brightok.net ========================================================================= USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ===================================================================== The DAVIS NEWS: NOV. 3, 1932 MRS. OLIVER KILLED WHEN CAR OVERTURNS Just as we go to press, Mrs. ______ Oliver, who lives north of Davis, was killed when the Ford roadster in which she and two relatives were riding missed a culvert and overturned into the ditch. The accident happened three miles south east of Davis and was said to have been caused when the driver ran off the bridge while looking to see if he had a flat tire. Mrs. Oliver jumped, the car falling on her and killing her instantly. THE DAVIS NEWS NOV. 10, 1932 MRS. CLAUDE OLIVER Mrs. Oliver, who was killed last Thursday afternoon in an auto wreck near the Brassfield home south east of Davis, mention of which was made in last issue, was Mrs. Della Ring Oliver, aged 15, wife of Claude Oliver. His cousin, George Oliver was in the car with them at the time of the accident. She was the daughter of T. L. Ring of Wynnewood, was born in Emery, Ark. and moved to Wynnewood in 1923. She was married to Claude Oliver last August. THE DAVIS NEWS: NOV. 17, 1932 GIRL-WIFE MURDERED FOR INSURANCE; HUSBAND AND NEPHEW CONFESS Mrs. Claude Oliver, who was reported killed in a car wreck 2 1/2 miles southeast of Davis on Nov. 3, met her death at the hands of her husband and his nephew, George Oliver, according to their confession to Murray County Officers Sunday. It was first asserted her death was due to injuries when the car overturned off a bridge into a creek. As the woman was insured for $5,390, which had been in force only a few weeks, the insurance company sent a man here to ascertain if the death was accidental. Investigation by Sheriff Johnson, Deputies Rowe and Samples and City Marshall Ramsey soon showed evidence that the young woman had been slain, within 100 steps or more from where the car was wrecked, clotted blood, hair and parts of her skull were found. Blood in the car indicated the woman had not been killed by the overturning of the car. Claude and George Oliver were arrested Saturday and placed in jail at Sulpher. Sunday afternoon they confessed to County Attorney Fagan in the presence of other officers that they plotted and executed her death for the purpose of obtaining the insurance. Both men were interviewed separately and each told practically the same story, the officers said. They stated they plotted the matter in the summer, and Claude married her in September, then took out more than $5000 insurance on her life. On Nov. 3, the three went riding in a car, drove to a selected place south of Davis where the nephew struck her first and as she appealed to her husband for protection, he finished the job with a rock, it was stated they confessed. The car was then overturned into a ditch and the men went to the home of Jas Brassfield, a short distance away, phoned for help, saying the woman had been killed when the car ran off the bridge. A Wynnewood undertaker was called and came for the body and arranged for the funeral, no suspicion having aroused them. A file, piece of car spring and rock with blood and hair on it, said to have had a part in the killing, were found by the officers near the scene. Signed statements later have been made by the two men, confessing their guilt and giving details of the crime. The murder is a horrible affair and has shocked the community. The murdered woman, who was 15 years of age last April, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Ring of Wynnewood and had lived in that city about 9 years. The Olivers live 2 or 3 miles northeast of Davis on Mrs. Howard Martin's place. Bird Atkins and Vinah Ervin, both colored, were arrested Tuesday and placed in jail in connection with this case. They are wanted as witnesses and officers state they may be otherwise connected. The preliminary hearing will be heard before Justice Shaffer at Sulphur at 10 a.m. Friday. Nov. 24, 1932 Davis News "Two Olivers & Negro Plead Not Guilty; Taken to Pen at McAlester" Not guilty, said Claude and George Oliver who waived preliminary hearing when arraigned before Justice Shaffer at Sulphur Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock. The complaint, charging them with the murder of Mrs. Claude Oliver, wife of one of the defendants, on Nov. 3, was read by County Attorney Fagan, after which they were asked if guilt or not. Neither was represented by counsel. They will be held to the district court which starts the criminal docket on Dec. 12. Bert Adkins, colored, also is charged with being an accomplice in the murder of the Oliver men and asked for a continuance of his preliminary which was granted. He is represented by Holmes Colbert, Sulphur Attorney. Mrs. Claude Oliver, aged 15, was killed at a point about three miles southeast of Davis on Nov. 3. The husband, Claude Oliver, and his nephew, George Oliver, confessed to officers that they plotted her death to obtain $5,300 life insurance taken out on her a few weeks ago. in a signed statement, they confessed to killing her, then placing her body in a car an overturning the car into a ditch in order to make her death appear an accident. When arraigned in justice court last Friday morning, they asked for an extension of time in which to plead. The hearing was then postponed until Tuesday morning. Great crowds were in attendance at both hearings and the case has attracted wide attention. IN DISTRICT COURT Tuesday afternoon the case was transcripted to the district court and the tow Olivers taken before Judge Long; each plead not guilty. No attorney was assigned to represent them, but the Court stated if they failed to get an attorney he would appoint them one to represent them in the case that is expected to be called during the week of December 12. Immediately after the plea in district court, Judge Long ordered the two Olivers and the negro, Bert Atkins, taken to the pen at McAlester for keeping until their case is called. Dec. 1. 1932 Davis News Bird Atkins, Col., Pleads Not Guilty Bird Atkins, colored, charged with George and Claude Oliver, in the murder of Mrs. Della Oliver, preliminary was heard Monday at 2 o'clock in the county attorney's office. The defendant plead not guilty and the state pout on J. D. Ramsey of Davis, Earl Rowe, Bose Johnson and Venah Ervin as witnesses. H. H. Colvert, representing the defendant, demurred to the testimony. Justice Shaffer ordered the defendant held to await the action of the district court. Atkins along with two Olivers had been held in the penitentiary at McAlester since arraignment of the Olivers last week. Sheriff Bose Johnson and Deputy J. H. Samples drove to McAlester and brought Atkins back for the preliminary hearing Monday. He was returned until the 12th, when the three defendants are to be tried. DEC. 15, 1932 Davis News Olivers Get Death Sentence on Plea of Guilty of Murder Death in the electric chair is the fate awaiting Claude Oliver, 28 and his George Oliver, 18, according to the sentence passed on them Wednesday noon by District Judge W. G. Long at Sulphur. The extreme penalty was pronounced after both plead guilty to the murder of Mrs. Delia Oliver, age 15, wife of one of the defendants. Claude Oliver, with his attorney, J. L. Pullen, appeared n district court Monday morning, withdrew his plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty. Tuesday morning, his nephew, George Oliver, jointly charged with murder, appeared with his attorney J. H. Dunn and with drew his former plea of not guilty and confessed his guilt. The two Olivers were to go on trial at this term of court for the murder of Mrs. Claude Oliver on Nov. 3. They lived a short distance north of Davis and according to their signed confession, they plotted that one of them should marry the girl, daughter of T. L. Ring, Wynnewood, insure her life for a large sum then kill her. The marriage took place in August, then $5,300 life insurance was taken out and on Nov. 3, she was reported killed in an auto wreck two miles southeast of Davis. Her husband and nephew were with her when the supposed accident occurred. Later the Olivers confessed to having killed her with a tire tool and pushed the car off the bridge into a ditch to leave the appearance of a wreck. Her death so soon after taking out the insurance, caused an investigation and county and city officers soon unearthed one of the foulest murders ever known in this vicinity. Public sentiment seems to be that the sentence of the court was merited by the character of the crime. Bird Atkins, 36 year old negro, is in jail charged with being an accomplice in the murder. He has refused to plead guilty, a demurrer was offered yesterday by his attorney Holmes Colbert, but same was overruled. Motion for a continuance was granted. DEC. 16, 1933 Davis News Oliver Brothers Asking Mercy Claude and George Oliver, who confessed they murdered the former's bride to collect insurance, Thursday appealed to the state criminal court of appeals from death sentences passed upon them when they pleaded guilty before W. G. Long, Pauls Valley District Judge in Murray County last December. Their attorneys contended the penalty excessive in view of the guilty plea. Claude Oliver, 28 years old, is an uncle of George Oliver, 18 years old. They told a strange story of how they agreed that Claude should marry and that the bride's life would be insured and that she would be murdered for the money, according to attendants of Murray County officers when the guilty pleas were entered. The bride, Mrs. Della Oliver, was killed near Davis, Nov. 3. The appeal will stay execution, set March 10, pending outcome of the plea. JUNE 22, 1933 Davis News High Court Affirms Death Verdict for Oliver Brothers The death sentence of Claude Oliver, 28 year old Murray County farmer and his nephew, George Oliver, 18, for the killing of Claude's 15 year old bride to collect her insurance, was affirmed by the criminal court of appeals last Friday. Execution date was set for Aug. 26th. The Olivers formerly were engaged in farming a short distance north of Davis. They plead guilty before District Judge Long last December and now are in death row at McAlester penitentiary. After pleading guilty and getting the extreme penalty placed on them, an appeal to the higher court was made in their behalf. Reciting the testimony in the Oliver case to the effect the nephew struck Claude's bride with a file, beat her to death while her husband held her, then upset a car on her body to give the death the appearance of accidental; Thomas H. Edwards, presiding judgewrote: "The plea is more in the nature of one for clemency than one for a legal right.......the facts here show a heartless murder, coldly planned and deliberately and cruelly executed. The motive - a procuring of money for the life of the victim. "The age of the defendant, George Oliver, appeals to this court , as no doubt it did to the trial court, but under the admitted facts, if this crime is not deserving of the death penalty, then indeed few crimes justify it. It is not a province of this court to extend clemency. That belongs to the chief executive." JULY 20, 1933 Davis News Oliver Boys Denied New Hearing Oklahoma City, July 18 - Claude Oliver, young farmer and his nephew, George Oliver, sentenced to die for the murder of the former's wife for her insurance, were denied a rehearing by the criminal court of appeals today, leaving gubernatorial clemency their only avenue of hope. AUG. 24, 1933 Davis News Olivers to Die After Midnight Claude Oliver, 28 years old and George Oliver, 18 years old, confessed slayers of the former's 15 year old bride, will die in the electric chair at the penitentiary at McAlester shortly after midnight tonight. Their only hope of escaping the chair was through executive clemency and that fell yesterday. when Gov. Murray stated, "I'm going to let them go". Claude Oliver is an uncle of George Oliver. Last December, they were sentenced to the electric chair by Judge Long after having confessed the murder of the bride near Davis last November to collect her insurance. In the confession, they told of the agreement to wed the girl (Della Ring of Wynnewood) and have her life insured for $5,000, then kill her. The scene of the killing was two miles southeast of Davis, a short distance off Price's Falls Road. She was attacked and killed with a file and piece of car spring and the car overturned into a ditch to give the appearance of an accident. The Olivers were farmers and lived north of Davis. The men had previously borne good reputations, it is said. AUG. 31, 1933 Davis News Olivers Executed Last Friday Morning George Oliver, 18, the youngest person ever to die in Oklahoma's electric chair, was executed early Friday morning at the penitentiary at McAlester with his uncle, Claude Oliver, 28 for the "insurance murders" of Claude's girl bride, aged 15. George was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m. after telling the 227 witnesses "I did a crime and now I must die for it. I feel like I am going to heaven". He warned all that crime does not pay. Claude went to his death mumbling to himself, but without any statement to the crowd, said to have been the largest ever to witness an execution in Oklahoma. He was pronounced dead at 12:19 a.m. Della, Claude's bride, was beaten to death with a tire tool and file near Davis last Nov. 3 and left under a motor car in a ditch to make it appear she was killed accidentally. Later, the Olivers confessed a preputial plot to marry the girl, insure her life for $5,000 and kill her. Bodies of the Oliver boys were brought to Wynnewood, where the funeral was held last Saturday. Large crowds viewed the bodies at the Coonrod Funeral Home and also attended the funeral.