Obit of Young, E.R. "Brigham" - Stephens County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Julie Coley 20 May 2007 Return to Stephens County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/stephens/stephens.htm ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Beeson Grantham FH--Duncan OK The Duncan Banner March 20, 1940 E.R. “Brigham” Young Dies at Home of Son Veteran Officer’s Career Included Quieting Mob Bent on Lynching Party E.R. “Brigham” Young a peace officer in Duncan since the early days of statehood, died at 7:45 o’clock this morning at the home of his son, Dunn Young, 1007 Cedar avenue. A strong heart and stout constitution had sustained him through an illness that began about six months ago. For several weeks his condition had been regarded as hopeless. Young was 73 years old. He was known as an officer who in 30 years of service had handled small affairs and large equally well. He had captured several bank bandits and notorious criminals. HE STOPPED A MOB Perhaps his most famous exploit was in 1923 when single handed and in his shirt sleeves, standing on the counsel table in the district court room, he subdued and dispersed an angry mob, members of which had already broken with crowbars and axes, the door leading upstairs to the county jail. These deeds and numerous others made Young one of the best known of Oklahoma peace officers. Veteran law enforcers from all over Oklahoma have telephoned that they will be in Duncan to attend the funeral. The services, directed by the Beeson Grantham Funeral Home, will be held at the First Baptist Church at 3 o’clock Friday afternoon. The Rev. T.P. Haskins former pastor here, will be asked to come from Oklahoma City to officiate. TO DUNCAN IN 1901 Young was born in Alabama. He came to Duncan, then a small struggling city, in 1901. R.V. Frensley at that time operated a grocery store in the 800 block of Main, about where the Woolworth store now is. He had a meat market in connection with the store which he had purchased for Charley Price an old time Western trapper and scout. About the time Young came to Duncan, Price became ill and Young took charge of the market in his place. While still a newcomer, someone entered the store and asked him his name. “E.R. Young” he said. A boy standing nearby spoke up and asked, “Brigham?” referring to the leader of the Mormon church. The nickname caught the popular fancy and for the rest of his like Young was familiarly known as “Brigham”. AN EARLY CITY MARSHALL He became a peace officer soon after the incident. The date now is forgotten but among his papers is a certificate of appointment as a city marshal, signed by E.E. Morris and dated in 1907. Morris was the first republican mayor of Duncan. A second appointment was issued in 1908, after statehood, also signed by Morris but making Young the city chief of police. Either in 1913 or 1914 he became the second sheriff of Stephens county, succeeding William C. Cates, father of Bob Cates, present tax assessor. Mrs. Young said that she believed her husband served a total of 18 years. He had one four year term and a number of two year tenures not all of them consecutive. IN A ROUGH READY ERA Young was known as a quiet officer who could hear a complaint, drive out in the country, listen to neighbors and bring back the criminal. It was a rough and ready period, when he entered office and he had his share of work. N.C. “Coke” Williams was Young’s first under sheriff, Raymond R. Sharp later chief of police and now secretary of the Duncan Elks, served during Young’s last term, in 1931-32, and during part of the preceding one as under sheriff. He recalled several of Young’s most noted cases. One was the Loco bank robbery on February 7, 1927. Elvin Henson and Luther McGowen, strangers in this area, held up the bank during the noon hour and escaped with $2400. YOUNG CAPTURED THEM Young caught them, less than 52 hours later, near Pauls Valley where they had buried the loot. On February 16, 1927, he took them to McAlester to start serving 50 year sentences imposed by M.W. Pugh, then district judge, on their plea of guilty. On August 2, 1929, a Negro, James Edward Forrest, raped a white woman at a place southwest of Duncan. Forrest was arrested by Young and placed in the county jail, on top of the courthouse. An angry crowd gathered that night and forced its way into the courthouse, threatening to lynch Forrest. Things looked serious to officers stationed at the two narrow stairs leading into the district courtroom to the jail. UNARMED HE QUIETED THEM Young was at home where a summons was hurriedly sent. He dressed and as he prepared to leave, Mrs. Young started to hand him his pistol. He waved it aside saying, “This is one time I won’t need a gun.” He reached the courthouse still in his shirt sleeves, went to the court room, where he found that the crowd had used crowbars and axes to tear down the locked door giving entrance to the jail stairway. Young mounted the counsel table and from that vantage point started to talk. He knew nearly every man in the crowd. The group lost some of its excitement and eventually dispersed. Fellow officers said that but for Young’s prompt and efficient action, bloodshed would have been almost inevitable. As it was, the only bloodshed occurred when C.M. Mullins, one of those on guard above, discharged a shotgun and a pellet ricocheted from the stone walls, striking him in the abdomen. He was not seriously hurt. LAW TOOK ITS COURSE Forrest and Cham Jones, now district judge, who had been appointed as his counsel, appeared before the district court October 6 and entered a plea of guilty. He was at once sentenced to be electrocuted at McAlester, which sentence was some time later carried out. He was one of the only two men ever executed from Stephens county, the other having been Choc Hembree, charged with murder and rape. Young’s last big case was that involving the arrest of Ed Davis, Earl Schrimser and Jack Allred for the murder of J.R. Hill, Marlow police officer, on April 20, 1931. Davis was executed I California about a year ago, after being involved in other crimes. The other two men are serving life sentences. Young had been retired from active public life for the last few years. During his long illness he had been the objective of inquiries from may old timers, now scattered over the United States. BORN IN ALABAMA Young was born at Kelleyton, Alabama, February 15, 1867. Surviving are the widow, four daughters and one son, Mrs. R.C. Clark, Springfield, Mo: Mrs. Carl C. Good, Duncan; Miss Ready Young and Miss Peggy Young, Oklahoma City; Dunn Young, Duncan; three brothers, Forrest and Kelly Young of Alexander City, Ala, and Homer Young of Waco, Tex., and two sisters, Mrs. W.L. Thomas of Dallas and Mrs. Grace Sanford of Birmingham, Ala. All the children were with Young during the last of his illness. Members of the family said this afternoon that the Rev. Roy L. Hurst, pastor of the First Baptist Church, will officiate at the funeral services, assisted by Rev. T.P. Haskins, former pastor. Pallbearers will be John M. Jackson, Charles Coker, Raymond R. Sharp, Otis Holder, J.W. McIlvain and C.M. Mullins. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Stephens County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/stephens/stephens.htm