Cochran County Texas Archives News.....Officer Is Killed, Suspect Wounded December 9, 1939 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Helen McKnight helenmcknight79@gmail.com April 30, 2014, 12:58 pm Dallas Morning News December 9, 1939 Officer is Killed, Suspect Wounded One of Three Men Begins Firing As Sheriff, Aides Halt Him on Road MORTON. Cochran Co., Texas, Dec. 8 (AP) - Deputy Sheriff D. T. Smith was killed Friday and Howard C. Lackey wounded gravely in a pitched gun battle with officers on the higheway near here. The fight started when Sheriff Tom Standefer and several deputies sought to question three men about an automobile reported stolen in Rotan, Fisher County. Unexpectedly, Sheriff Standefer said, one of the men whipped out a pistol and opened fire. Deputy Smith and the Sheriff returned the fire until Smith was hit. Lackey, who had started to open the door of the officers' automobile, fell with bullet wounds in the neck and body. Sheriff Standefer filed a joint murder charge against Lackey, Raymond Davis and J. W. Mann. Davis was arrested at the scene. Mann fled across a field and finally managed to get a fast coupe at a farm house. He drove toward Morton. West Texas officers sought him Friday night. In jail here Davis claimed he was forced to accompany Lackey and Mann at Levelland Friday morning. He said Mann, Lackey and a third man pick him up in a stolen automobile. The men started toward Lubbock and collided with another automobile Davis said. The fourth man left the group at the wreck scene. Davis said he was forced to accompany Mann and Lackey to Levelland and get in his truck and drive with them to his home near Morton. Sheriff Standefer had been asked to question the men about he stolen auto. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/cochran/newspapers/officeri176gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/txfiles/ File size: 2.1 Kb