William T Beasley, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Beasley, 52, was one of several deputies who concealed themselves around a bank in Red Fork, a small town four miles west of Tulsa, after they were tipped off that the bank would be robbed on September 11, 1919. Deputy Beasley was concealed in a barn behind the bank. At 1 P. M. the bank was robbed and when the robbers exited and started down the alley next to the bank a gun battle broke out. One robber, H F “Frank” Tyson, 23, was killed and another, William Rooker, 22, was wounded. The third robber, John Scott, the informant, was uninjured as he stopped just outside the bank’s door. Beasley was later found dead in the barn apparently hit by a stray bullet from one of his colleagues. Five adult children survived Beasley.
Joe Cecil Clark, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
On Wednesday, February 18, 1959, Deputy Clark, 59, was in Tulsa driving back to the Sheriff’s Office from Collinsville, where he had investigated a burglary, when he was broad sided by a Tulsa Fire truck at First and Boston Avenue. Clark had entered the intersection on a green light and apparently did not hear the siren or see the flashing lights of the fire truck. The 12-ton fire truck knocked Clark’s 1957 Ford approximately 35 feet into a telephone pole. The impact tore the front seat loose and ripped the top off of the car. Clark, a widower, had two adult sons
Wesley Green Cole, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Cole, 46, was working off-duty security for the Camelot Inn Hotel, at I-44 and Peoria in Tulsa the early morning hours of Thursday, June 9, 1972. About 2 A.M. Cole was checking for a reported suspicious person prowling around cars in the parking lot. Cole found Bobby Lynn Clark, 25 in the parking lot. Cole approached Clark and asked for some identification. Clark drew a .25 automatic pistol, fired five rounds and shot Cole in the heart. Cole was able to wound Clark before he fell dead. Clark was found dead a few blocks away in his car. Cole left behind a wife, a son and three daughters.
Dewitt Clinton Cooley, Jailer
Tulsa County Sheriffs Office
About 10:30 P.M, Wednesday, September 15, 1915, Night Jailer Cooley was locking up for the night when one of the prisoners, John Murphy, who somehow had pried his cell door open, struck Cooley in the head with an iron casting causing a gaping wound and a fractured skull. Murphy drug Cooley into a cell and locked it. He then released another prisoner, William Moore. Cooley’s wife had brought him supper and upon hearing the disturbance went into the cell area and was also struck in the head and locked in a cell. The two prisoners then released a third man, Charles Smith and escaped. Mrs. Cooley recovered from her wound but D. C. Cooley died a week later at 9:30 A.M. on Wednesday, September 22, 1915. Cooley was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
John Nelson Ernst, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Ernst was summoned to quell a disturbance resulting from a game of
craps on Christmas Eve 1910. Upon his appearance the crowd turned on the deputy.
During the melee, which followed deputy Ernst was shot and killed.
James Alexander “Daddy” Sewell, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
One of the best known and most popular deputy sheriff’s in 1925 was a man named J.A. Sewell. Deputy Sewell came to Tulsa County from Lawrence County, Missouri, in the pioneer days. He was a cotton buyer in Bixby until Bob Sanford was elected sheriff in 1923. Sewell became a deputy sheriff by a personal selection by newly elected Sheriff Sanford. To all of his fellow deputies, he was known simply as “Daddy” Sewell. Deputy Sewell was the transportation deputy for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. He lived in Bixby, with his wife and four children, and was 56 at the time of his death. Sewell was described as “one of the most courageous and kindly-hearted men who ever wore a star.” On Tuesday, March 24, 1925, Deputy Sewell was transporting three inmates to their respective correctional facilities. After dropping off Daniel Scott, 14, at the Pauls Valley industrial school, Sewell proceeded to Chickasha, where he customarily stopped overnight on his trips to the Oklahoma Reformatory in Granite where he was taking Howard Love, 16, and Ernest Huges, 20. Before being transported back to Granite, Hughes was overhead to say he “was going to pull something” if he got the chance. When Deputy Sewell and his prisoners were about 15 miles east of Chickasha, Love claimed that while Deputy Sewell was taking off his coat, Hughes grabbed the officer’s pistol and shot him to death. Deputy Sewell staggered from the car and fell to the ground. Love claimed that Sewell’s last words were, “It’s a shame to do an old man this way.” The two prisoners shot the handcuffs off their wrists and placed Deputy Sewell’s body in his car. They drove to a nearby farmhouse and placed Sewell in the front yard. The entire Sheriff’s office was stunned at the news of Sewell’s death. The inmates in the County Jail even mourned the death of Deputy Sewell. Most of the inmates had known “daddy” Sewell due to his assignment as transportation deputy. The inmates knew him for “his kindness in handling them and his sympathy for unfortunates generally.” Both Love and Huges were later apprehended after a statewide manhunt and charged with murder in Grady County where the shooting had occurred. Both defendants blamed each other for shooting Deputy Sewell, but Howard Love would be convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.
Charles W. Stamper, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
On Sunday, October 9, 1910, in the village of Dawson, a small coal mining station north of Tulsa, a group of miners were having a dice game in a tent when a confrontation erupted. Some of the upset miners started shooting at each other. When the shooting had spilled over into the community sending citizens for cover, a messenger was sent to summon Deputy Sheriff Stamper who lived in Dawson. Stamper’s neighbor, Jack Leighton, came to assist. As Deputy Stamper dismounted and walked around behind his horse, a miner named Frank Henson fired his revolver, shooting Stamper in the face. When Stamper went to his knees, Henson fired again. Returning fire, Deputy Stamper was able to shoot Henson in the leg and thigh. Although morally wounded, Stamper continued to fight back with citizens of Dawson assisting. Deputy Stamper was able to ride his horse to his residence where his wife sent for the doctor. When Sheriff Newblock arrived in Dawson, the citizens had apprehended four individuals; a fifth had fled. The Sheriff started in pursuit of the fifth suspect, catching up to him in Margo. Deputy Stamper died that day from his wounds after having surgery at the Tulsa Hospital. Deputy Stamper’s death led to the first, and last, legal hanging ever carried out by a Tulsa County Sheriff. After deliberating for only 22 minutes, a jury found Frank Henson, 22-years old, guilty of the murder of Deputy Stamper and sentenced him to hang. The sentence was carried out in front of a crowd of approximately 500 people on March 31, 1911. No one ever learned if the suspect’s name was really Frank Henson. He was tried, convicted and hung as Frank Henson, but a letter he wrote, found after his death, was signed Amos Bell. Deputy Sheriff Charles Stamper, 23, was survived by his wife, Emma, and their three children.
James Ward, Deputy
Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
On Wednesday, August 20, 1919, Tulsa County Deputy James Ward entered the Stradford Hotel after residents in the north Tulsa community had complained about the “vice conditions,” illegal liquor and gambling. Sixteen people were arrested for gambling. When Deputy Ward entered the hotel, Deputy Ed Neeley was participating in the “game.” Information was that Deputy Neeley was upset with Deputy Ward over the fact that Ward was raiding “choc” joints that Neeley was protecting. According to the county attorney’s office, “…Neeley was in a game when Ward entered to raid the place, and that Neeley shot Ward while in the discharge of his duty.” Deputy Neeley claimed self-defense stating Deputy Ward had fired first. The county attorney charged Ed Neeley with the murder of Deputy Sheriff James Ward. Neeley was later brought to trial for murder, but was acquitted based on self-defense. Sheriff James Wooley did not let the court’s decision keep him from taking Deputy Neeley’s commission, ending his career with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
Pleasant Yargee, Deputy Sheriff
Tulsa County Sheriffs Office
On Monday, October 18, 1909, Deputy Sheriff Pleasant “Pleas” Yargee, while participating in a roping contest, intervened with a gambler who was “robbing” a young drunken boy of his money. Harsh words were exchanged and guns were drawn. The gambler, Texas Graves, shot first, striking Yargee in his right arm, shattering it from the wrist to the elbow. Yargee returned fire striking Graves in the hip. Graves fired again, shooting two fingers off Yargee’s left hand. The shooting stopped. Deputy Yargee was taken to his home in Red Fork; the gambler was arrested and taken to jail. A few days later, Yargee was taken to the West Side Hospital in Tulsa for blood poisoning. His arm was amputated at the shoulder but the surgery did not save his life. Deputy Yargee died on October 26th. Yargee was survived by his wife, Cassie, of one year. Due to conflicting witness statements, no one was ever held accountable for Yargee’s death. Deputy Yargee was the first Tulsa County deputy sheriff to be killed in the line of duty.