Waldo A. Williams, Sheriff, Stephens County

Just after midnight on Tuesday, May 13, 1930, Sheriff Williams, Undersheriff Ed Sumrill, Duncan Chief of Police Irvin Gossett, Assistant Chief Charles Coker and Night Policeman W. F. McKinzey had stopped a black Buick that “looked brand new” south bound on Highway 81 about 4 miles north of Duncan. The lawmen were looking for a Buick of this description containing four men wanted in connection with several armed robberies in the area in recent months including one at a service station in Lawton a few hours before. The men in the Buick were the Cunningham brothers, Forrest “Doc”, 27, John B., 25, Emanuel “Skinney”, 23, and Jess “Jake”, 18. As the officers approached the Buick and it’s occupants were getting out, a gunfight broke out. When it was over Sheriff Williams was wounded in the stomach, chest and leg, and died at 2:30 P.M. that afternoon. Chief Gossett was wounded in the stomach. Forrest Cunningham was dead, John was wounded in the arm and stomach, Emanuel was shot in the spine and paralyzed for life and Jess had escaped. Jess was captured later in Colorado and all three surviving brothers pled guilty to the Sheriff’s murder and were given life sentences. Chief Gossett eventually recovered enough to return to work but he was never well and died from the effects of his wound on Saturday, October 7, 1939.

Sheriff Williams’ wife Minnie was sworn in on May 15th to complete her husband’s term as Sheriff. With in a year a monument was erected honoring Sheriff Williams and all peace officers near the Y intersection of Highways 81 and 7 (formerly highway 29) near the scene of the shootout.

 

W. A. Worley, Deputy Sheriff 

Stephens County Sheriff’s Office
 

On the night of Monday, July 25, 1921, Stephens County Sheriff E. H. Rhyne and Deputy Sheriff W.A. “Dick” Worley were summoned to an oil camp just north of Oil City.  The grocery man in the oil camp had denied credit to a man named Tom Rippy (or Rippey).  Becoming incensed, Rippy began shooting up the camp.  When the two officers approached Rippy, he ran into a patch of weeds and opened fire striking Deputy Sheriff Worley fatally.   Sheriff Rhyne shot six times at Rippy hitting him five. Both Worley and Rippy died at the scene.  Worley’s obituary stated he was from Pauls Valley and had been in law enforcement for almost four decades. The report also stated that he had been a U.S. Marshal in territorial times, a Deputy U.S. Marshal and a County Jailer after that service and had been serving as a deputy sheriff at the time of his death.