Alexander A "Griff" Anderson, City Marshal/Deputy Sheriff
City of Verden/Grady County Sheriff's Office
Marshal Anderson’s body was found in a Rock Island Railroad boxcar the morning of December 3, 1925. His gun and extra bullets were missing. He had been dragged 350 feet into the boxcar from in front of Bruce’s Garage in Verden where “his head had been pounded into a jelly” sometime during the night. Marshal Anderson left behind a wife and four children.
Green Pryor William Cude, Deputy Sheriff
Grady County Sheriff’s Office
Monday morning April 19, 1909, about 9 A.M. Deputies Cude and Marshall went to the home of Jim Moore near Alex to arrest him for forcing everyone out of his house at gun point. Moore is described as an Indian who was recently released from the insane asylum at Ft. Supply. When the officers arrived Moore met them at the gate and invited them in to the house. Both officers refused. Moore then walked to the back of the house and returned with a shot gun. He sat down in front of the house with the gun across his knees. Finally Deputy Cude, 36, thought he could talk Moore into surrendering and agreed to go into the house to talk with him. Moore walked to the door and as Deputy Cude got near him Cude tried to grab the shot gun from Moore but Moore shot him in the chest and face killing him instantly. Deputy Marshall then backed out of the yard as Moore aimed the shot gun at him. Deputy Marshall sent word to Alex for a posse. When the posse of armed men arrived at the scene Moore ran to a field behind the house. Moore then fired at the approaching posse and they returned fire killing him. Deputy Cude was survived by his wife Lucy and five children.
James E. Wilson, Deputy
Sheriff
Grady County Sheriff’s Office
On Friday, May 31, 1935, Charles Sands and Leon Siler robbed the bank in Elgin. Four days earlier these two men and another man, Ray “Pete” Traxler killed Officer George Loper in Pauls Valley. The men had also taken a family named Medrano hostage at their farmhouse. When the officers saw the farm in the area, they decided to check there for the fugitives. When Deputy Wilson went to the door he became suspicious because of Mrs. Medrano’s actions. Upon entering the home, Wilson was shot in the chest with a .38 pistol and in the back with a shotgun. Deputy Wilson was able to wound Sands in both legs and one foot before he died. A group of Oklahoma City Police Officers arrived on the scene but not before three more officers were wounded and Mr. Medrano killed. The Oklahoma City officers charged the house. Sands and Siler were captured. Phyllis Sands, 15 year old wife of Charles Sands and Ruby Herring, 18 year old girlfriend of Siler were also arrested. Traxler was supposed to have assisted with the bank robbery but never showed up. Sands and Siler were both convicted and electrocuted at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on June 11, 1937. Ruby and Phyllis were also sentenced to lesser terms in prison. James “Tete” Wilson was survived by his wife and six children. The statewide depredations of Sands and Siler was one of the case that caused the Oklahoma State Legislature to create the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in August of 1937.