John R. Tabner, Deputy Sheriff

Hughes County Sheriff’s Office
 

In 1908, John Tabner was serving as a night watchman in Wetumka but also carried a commission as a Hughes County Deputy Sheriff.  About noon, Sunday, November 15, 1908, he approached brothers Ben and Jeff Smith who both had been drinking and causing trouble all over town. Jeff Smith met Monroe Reed in front of Fisk’s Barber Shop and continued with a dispute over a dog. The two men finally engaged in a fist fight. Ben Smith drew his gun which he waved around in an attempt to keep bystanders back.  Being the only officer in town at the time, John Tabner, who was asleep at the hotel, was sent for. Tabner drew his weapon and ordered Smith to desist. Ben Smith then fired several shots one of which tore a portion of Tabner’s collar. Tabner fired twice, hitting Ben Smith point blank. Tabner, finding his gun empty, ran across the street to Lumly’s Hardware store to secure more cartridges. Meanwhile, Jeff Smith got away from Reed jerking his brother’s gun from a bystander who had picked it up. He went after Tabner in the hardware store. Tabner’s gun would not fire as Smith fired at him. Smith’s second shot struck Tabner in the left side. After he fell to the floor, Smith clubbed him and kicked him and made Tabner get up and crawl and walk as best he could to the barber shop where his brother, Ben, had carried after he died. Once there, some one present distracted Smith by telling him his brother wanted to speak to him before he died. Seeing an opportunity to escape, with almost superhuman effort, Tabner ran out of the barber shop and down the alley. Tabner was able to make it through Hanks restaurant and across the street to the Texas Hotel, reaching his upstairs room. Smith tried to find Tabner but failed later being arrested and taken to Holdenville. Ira Smith and Thomas Sipes were also arrested as accessories. Deputy Sheriff Tabner died from his wounds ten days later at 1 A.M. the morning of Wednesday, November 25, 1908.

 

Henry Austin “Texas” Tate, Police Officer

Chickasha Police Department
 

The afternoon of Tuesday, December 16, 1930, Officer Tate and his partner, Rex Bryant, went to the home of George B. Hale to serve a warrant for some stolen clothing. Upon entering the home, Bryant lifted a mattress and revealed a half gallon of whisky. Tate was standing in the door when he was knocked down from behind by a blow on the head with the stock of a shotgun by Hale’s son, Clifford.  The younger Hale seized Tate’s weapon, and before Bryant could react, fired three shots into Tate’s chest, heart and abdomen. Bryant then shot Clifford Hale through the chest causing him to drop the gun.  George Hale then attempted to pick up the officer’s gun at which time Bryant shot him.  Abbie Hale, a daughter, tried to retrieve the gun, but Bryant made her desist. Officer Tate died on the way to the hospital. Both George Hale and Clifford Hale recovered from their wounds and were charged with Tate’s murder.  Officer Tate was survived by his wife and a step-son.


Walter Tate, Deputy Sheriff 

Love County Sheriff’s Office

 
About 10 o’clock the evening of Monday, September 17, 1917, Deputy Tate, 34, along with Scott Knight, Andy Rambo and Luther Simmons, went to the home of Hugh Allison for the purpose of arresting Ben Canty on a bench warrant for obtaining money under false pretenses. Allison came to the door and Tate asked him if Ben Canty was there. Allison stated he had been but didn’t know where he was then. Tate told Allison to light a lamp and open the door. When the lamp was lit, Tate saw Canty crouched down behind a bed. Tate told Canty to get up and immediately shots were fired. Tate had returned fire hitting Canty in the hands. Tate walked out of the house and stated, “He shot me.”

Deputy Sheriff Tate died from his wounds on September 18, 1917. He was survived by his wife and five brothers. Canty was arrested on charges of murder. Allison was also arrested as an accomplice.

 

Lon Taylor, Deputy Sheriff

Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office

 
Taylor had been a Deputy in Choctaw County for about ten years having first served as a jailer before becoming a deputy in Boswell.  On the morning of Monday, January 14, 1935, a bank in Bokchito was robbed in the neighboring Bryan County.  Officers called Boswell to advise Deputy Taylor of the robbery.  Taylor was called to receive the phone call as he walked down the street.  As he stepped off of the curb, his gun fell out of its holster and skidded several feet down the sidewalk. As Deputy Taylor bent down to pickup his weapon, he accidentally kicked it off of the curb. As his gun hit the street, it discharged striking Taylor in the right thigh and ranging upward into his lower abdomen. Deputy Taylor died several hours later in the hospital. He was survived by his wife and son.


 

R. Lee Taylor, Deputy U.S. Marshal

U. S. Marshals

 

Deputy Taylor was a assigned to work the Osage Nation, now Osage County, Oklahoma.  On Thursday, October 1, 1891, Taylor had ridden to the store of William Rogers at Skiatook, a small town located one mile inside the Cherokee Nation of the Indian Territory, and about thirty miles northwest of Tulsa. Taylor was at the store in order to interview Ben Haney about the location of a whiskey peddler for whom he had a warrant. Haney’s sister, Nan, worked for Rogers as a housekeeper in the house that adjoined the store. Haney arrived at the store about noon and invited Taylor to have lunch with him at Rogers’ home where Haney’s sister would cook for them. 

William Rogers entered the house while the others were still eating and, evidently displeased at his surprise guests, walked out muttering about “feeding strays.” Rogers had just returned from Coffeeville, KS, where he had been drunk for two days and had not recovered. After lunch, Taylor, Haney and Nan Haney left the house and walked into the front yard where they met Rogers coming out of the store carrying a shotgun. Rogers ordered Deputy Taylor off his property and then raised the shotgun firing both barrels into Taylor’s chest. Taylor dropped to the ground dead.  Rogers then hitched a team of horses to a wagon and left the area headed north.

Rogers, a half-blood Cherokee, was well known in the Indian Territory, having operated the general store and post office for fifteen years. He had also previously served as a senator in the Cherokee government. No record has been found of whether or not he was arrested.
 


Thomas Jefferson Taylor, Deputy U.S. Marshal

U. S. Marshals

On Saturday, October 13, 1900, Deputy Taylor traveled to Ralston where he arrested Orrin DeLaus on a federal warrant for selling liquor to Indians. Deputy Taylor, before leaving Ralston, told several friends of DeLaus that the prisioner would be taken to Pawnee and arraigned and that bond would probably be set. They agreed to come to Pawnee and post bond for their friend. Deputy Sheriff Lowry accompanied Taylor to Pawnee with DeLaus, where he was arraigned. Taylor thinking DeLaus’ friends would arrive soon, agreed to keep DeLaus with him until they arrived.

The men were in the back room of Cook Horton’s saloon finishing up paperwork, when John Horton walked into the room.  Both Lowry and Taylor greeted the man who then exited through a back door. Lowry then left Taylor and DeLaus in the back room alone.  Suddenly, DeLaus jumped up from his chair with a gun in his hand and shot Taylor a few feet away. After being hit by two bullets, Taylor managed to draw his own gun and return fire, missing DeLaus.

Taylor staggered into the saloon and collapsed. Doctors Lehew and Phillips attempted to stop the flow of blood, but Taylor died within twenty minutes. Other lawmen pursued DeLaus. They finally spotted him in a field east of Orrin Worral’s home and ordered him to stop. DeLaus was still holding the pistol that caused Taylor’s death.  He at first refused to drop the gun when ordered to do so by the officers. When the lawmen aimed their guns at DeLaus, threatening to kill him, he dropped the gun and surrendered. He was arrested, placed in jail, and on Monday morning at a preliminary examination he was held without bond to await trial for the murder of Deputy Taylor.  Taylor was survived by his wife, a son and daughter, and a son and daughter from a previous marriage.


 

Homer Teaff, Deputy Sheriff

Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office

On Tuesday, June 27, 1922, Deputy Teaff and Deputy W.O. Manley went to arrest John L. Welch on a charge of larceny sworn out by Frank L. Hendricks, a farmer, living near the scene of the tragedy. Welch was picking cotton in a field down the road from the shack that he and his wife lived in a mile east of Brushy Mountain. Hendricks, Teaff and Manley went in the Welch’s shack and found the stolen items which Hendricks identified. Hendricks went back to his home while Teaff and Manley went to find Welch.  The two lawmen climbed the fence and approached Manley who was leaning on his hoe. Welch asked, “What do you want?”  The officers replied, “We’ll tell you,” as they got closer to Welch. Manley told Teaff to slip the handcuffs on Manley. At first, Manley was calm but quickly shouted to his wife, standing about 27 feet away, to “get that gun.” As Welch’s wife, Daisy, ran for the rifle, Manley shouted for her to stop. She did not. Manley fired at her hitting her in the shoulder. She spun around and fell, but managed to get the rifle. Manley then emptied his gun at her. Manley turned to see Teaff locking the handcuffs on Welch scuffling with him. Welch got Deputy Teaff’s gun from his holster and fired two shots hitting Teaff.  Deputy  Manley was able to hit Welch twice over the head with his empty gun as  Welch fired two or three shots at Manley, but missed. As Daisy reached her husband with the rifle, Deputy Manley retreated to the road and Teaff’s car.  Welch fired several more shots at Manley before he and his wife ran into the brush.  A posse was formed and began searching for the fugitives on the slopes of Brushy Mountain. Bloodhounds were brought in from Ft. Smith. Welch was later arrested and brought to trial.  Deputy Teaff was survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

 

William C Temple, Chief

Anadarko Police Department 

About 9:30 P.M. Saturday, November 12, 1910, a disturbance broke out at a “dive” in Anadarko over the winnings of a gambling game. A Mexican man ran from the dive being shot at by several men. Chief Temple was in his yard when he heard the shots and observed the Mexican man running toward him being chased by several men. When the Chief ordered the Mexican man to stop the man turned toward the Chief and shot him in the stomach. The Chief fired two shots at his assailant who kept running. The Chief was able to give a description of the man before he died about fifteen minutes after being shot. The Mexican man was believed to be Oscar Opel and was never found. Chief Temple’s body was taken to his former home in Sterling, Kansas for burial. Chief Temple was survived by his wife and three children, a son and two daughters.

 

Oscar Marcellus Terry, Deputy Sheriff

Creek County Sheriff's Office

On Friday morning about 10 AM February 7, 1913, 35 year old Deputy Terry was in the out-house of the Tracey livery barn in Bristow when his 38 caliber revolver fell from its holster and discharged as it struck the floor. The bullet pierced his leg then struck him just under the nose, ranged inward and lodged somewhere at the base of his brain. After initial treatment by a local doctor in Bristow, Deputy Terry was taken to University Hospital in Oklahoma City where he died the next afternoon. X-rays showed that the bullet had damaged the brain and was inoperable. Deputy Terry was survived by his wife Gertrude and five children. He was buried in the Oak Lawn Cemetery in Bristow.

 


Lori Dean Thomas, Agent

Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission

Agent Thomas was a nine year veteran of the Oklahoma ABLE Commission. On the evening of Sunday, October 23, 1994, about 9 P.M. Agent Thomas was on her way home from work.  About the same time, Michael Wayne Holland was speeding trying to elude pursuing Durant police officers. Holland was driving at approximately 80 mph when he entered the intersection of State Highway 78 and Rodeo Road striking Agent Thomas’ vehicle. Even though her seat belt was in use and the air bag deployed in the collision, the ABLE agent was pronounced dead at the scene.  Holland suffered a neck fracture but was released a few days later from the hospital. Holland later failed to show up for a preliminary hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.  He surrendered the next week to Bryan County authorities. He was charged with vehicular first-degree manslaughter and bond was set at $30,000.  Agent Thomas was survived by her 15 year old son Cory.


 

Otto Thomas, Patrolman

Clinton Police Department

In the summer of 1953, the city of Clinton only had one black police officer, Otto Thomas, who had been on the force about four years. On Friday, June 26, 1953, about 4:15 P.M. Officer Thomas, 47, went to the Bell’s Tavern in the colored Lincoln District of Clinton. Inside the bar, he had arrested Robert Lister, Jr., his wife and a companion, Bertram Stevenson for a burglary he was investigating. As Thomas escorted the three outside of the bar, Lister’s father, Robert, Sr., 51, shot Officer Thomas four times in the chest.  The senior Lister then drove away from the scene but was arrested about two hours later by Clinton Police and Caddo County deputies.  Offering no resistance, he pulled his car over and stuck his arms out of the window. The murder weapon, a .32 caliber foreign made automatic pistol, was lying on the seat beside him when he was arrested.  Officer Thomas died from his injuries before reaching the hospital. Thomas was the first law enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty in Custer County since 1941.



Rex Thompson, Corrections Officer

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

On August 31, 1981, Michael Sullinger, 21, was serving a two-year sentence on a conviction of assault and battery with intent to kill at the Lexington Correctional Center. He had served eight months at the time. After an earlier confrontation between inmates, a general lockdown was in progress at the Correctional Center. At approximately 7:00 P.M. Sullinger approached Officer Thompson. It looked as though he asked Thompson a question as Thompson raised his hand and shook his head as if to say I don’t know. Then Sullinger twisted a little to the side and then hit Rex in the left jaw.  Thompson made about a quarter turn then landed on the sidewalk, not even trying to catch himself.  David W. Goodson, a Lexington prison guard stated Thompson fell backwards hitting his head on a one inch steel frame that separates the control center’s glass windows. Also according to Goodson, Sullinger started jumping up and down like a boxer. Other prison guards ran to the area and wrestled Sullinger to the ground and placed him in restraints. Officer Thompson was taken to Purcell Hospital and later transferred to St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City where he died from his injuries at 6:20 A.M. the next morning, September 1, 1981. Officer Thompson was survived by his wife and two children. Sullinger was charged with second-degree murder. 

 



George E. Thornton, Deputy U.S. Marshal

U. S. Marshals
 

On Wednesday, October 28, 1891, Deputy Thornton, known as one of the most fearless officers who ever served the government, traveled into the Sac and Fox Nation in search of Captain Willy, a wanted Creek/Negro. Willy was wanted for horse theft, selling illegal whiskey and the murder of a deputy marshal. After stopping at his uncle’s house for a short visit, Thornton rode to the Sac and Fox Agency where he met his posse, Fred Williams.  The two officers then traveled to the home of Captain Willy. An Indian woman answered the door and allowed the officers to search for Willy after telling them he was not there.  They then rode to a nearby cabin believing Willy might be there. As they approached the cabin they were met with a hail of gunfire. Thornton and Williams dismounted their horses about sixty yards from the cabin. After firing five or six shots from his rifle, Thornton slumped forward. He was able to regain his posture and fire twice more.  Thornton then fell to the ground. Williams continued firing toward the cabin until the firing ceased from behind the corncribs. He then went to check on Thornton, finding him dead, shot in the side. The bullet had traveled entirely through the body. Williams stayed at the scene throughout the night. The next morning he searched the cabin, now abandoned, and found blankets to wrap Thornton’s body in. Being sure the killers had left the area, Williams borrowed a wagon and took Thornton’s body to the Sac and Fox Agency and then on to Guthrie. His body was transported to Oklahoma City arriving on Saturday. He was buried in Peoria, IL, where he was born in 1861. Deputy U.S. Marshal Rufus Cannon and three posse captured Captain Willy in October 1892.  He was convicted of manslaughter in the killing of Deputy Thornton and was waiting to be sentenced when he became ill. Willie died suddenly from internal bleeding. Some of the reports claim he died from complications of a wound he received in the earlier gun battle with Thornton.


 

Edward Ellis Thurlo, Deputy U.S. Marshal

U. S. Marshals

Thurlo was a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indian Territory in 1896. Thurlo was also the City Marshal of Duncan. On Thursday, February 6, he saw Dave Putty (also spelled Petty) loading a wagon with what appeared to be illegal whiskey. Thurlo, thinking the whiskey might be sold to the Indians, watched Putty and after a while approached him telling him he was going to check the load. At first Putty said nothing. Then he drew his gun and opened fire on Deputy Thurlo, killing him.  Putty then escaped. After being notified of the killing, all deputies in the southern district began a manhunt for Putty. When found, Putty resisted arrest and gun shots were exchanged. He was hit in the shoulder and captured. He was transported to Dallas to await trial. Thurlo was survived by his wife Geneva and a daughter Pearl. His wife, Geneva, was pregnant with their second daughter at the time of his death.


William Matthew “Bill” Tilghman, City Marshal Cromwell      

Tilghman was probably the most famous lawman to ever serve in Oklahoma. In his early twenties he was in Dodge City, Kansas, where he served as a Deputy Sheriff for Ford County and City Marshal of Dodge City along with Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp. Later he would move to Oklahoma Territory and become a Deputy U. S. Marshal. Over the next decade, he and his close friends and fellow Deputy U. S. Marshals Chris Madsen and Heck Thomas would become known as “The Three Guardsmen” of Oklahoma Territory. Tilghman had served as a law enforcement officer in different capacities for almost fifty years when in the spring of 1924, at the age of 70, he became the Marshal of the lawless oil boom town of Cromwell, in Seminole County. About 10 o’clock Saturday night, November first of that year Tilghman was having coffee with one of his deputies, Hugh Sawyer, and businessman, W. E. Sirmans at Marie Murphy’s dance hall and cafe. A gun shot was heard from outside and the three men walked outside to investigate. Just outside the dance hall in the street stood Federal Prohibition Agent, Wiley Lynn, drunk and holding a gun in his hand. Tilghman grabbed Lynn’s gun hand, raised it in the air and told Deputy Sawyer to take Lynn’s gun. As Sawyer took the gun from Lynn two more shots were fired and Tilghman fell. Apparently Lynn had drawn a second hidden gun and shot Tilghman who died twenty minutes later. Tilghman’s body lay in state in the State Capitol Building’s rotunda for two days. As well as being only the third person to be accorded that honor, he was also the first private citizen and the first law enforcement officer to do so. Tilghman was survived by his wife Zoe, two daughters and four sons.

Wiley Lynn was arrested and charged with Tighman’s murder. Even though there were witnesses to the shooting there was sufficient controversial testimony that the trial ended with Lynn being acquitted. Lynn was killed eight years later on July 17, 1932, as he attempted to assassinate another lawman, Crockett Long, in Madill. Both Wiley and Long died in the gun battle.

 

Delmar Warren Tooman, Police Officer

Oklahoma City Police Department 

Tooman, 27, had been with the Oklahoma City Police Department just over three years when on the evening of Saturday, September 29, 1990, at about 10 P.M. he responded to a silent armed robbery alarm at Long John Silver’s restaurant on Meridian south of Interstate 40. Tooman entered the front door and, as he walked behind the service counter, a suspect ran out from the kitchen area and shot the officer twice at point blank range, striking him in the chest and left temple killing him instantly. As the suspect ran out of the back door, he was wounded by another officer behind the building. Carl Elizabeth Whelan was arrested and charged with murdering Officer Tooman. Whelan committed suicide in the Oklahoma County Jail before coming to trial.


(Courtesy Photo By Arthur Trammell)

I. Clarence Trammell, Deputy Sheriff

Roger Mills County Sheriff’s Office

On Saturday, February 17, 1923, at about 6 P.M., Deputy Trammell met a man named Fate Dodson in front of the building where the Cheyenne Star newspaper was published in Cheyenne. During an exchange of harsh words, both men drew their guns and fired.  Dodson was wounded in the hip. Deputy Sheriff Trammell was fatally wounded in the abdomen and chest.  Sheriff J.M. Lester arrested Dodson and took him to Sayre to keep him from being lynched. Deputy Trammell had been the Undersheriff for the previous sheriff.


 

William Franklin Treadway, Patrolman

Perry Police Department 

On Friday, February 21, 1930, Officer Treadway and two county officers discovered that the Arcade and Union pool halls had been burglarized. Treadway began checking other businesses including the Nelson Drug Store. Treadway discovered that the burglar was apparently still inside the drug store. He then fired one shot into the air to summon the county officers. As the county officers went to surround the drug store, they heard numerous shots fired. Going to the rear of the store, they found Treadway shot and lying just outside of the glass rear door and the burglar gone. A kit of safe breaking tools was left behind by the thief. A fingerprint expert from Oklahoma City was unable to find any prints, leading officers to believe that the man was an experienced safe-cracker and wore gloves.  Treadway was rushed to the hospital shortly after the shooting. Shot through the neck, Treadway died as a result of the bullet wound, when his spinal cord was punctured by the shot from the thief’s gun.


 

Allen P. Trentham, Officer

Hobart Police Department 

About 8 o’clock in the evening on Sunday, July 27, 1930, Officer Trentham was called to Freetown, the colored section of Hobart, to arrest Fred Wallace.  Wallace had been drinking and was reportedly waving a gun around and threatening his entire family. When Trentham drove up Wallace was surrounded by other people. Trentham did not know Wallace had told the crowd he would kill anyone who approached him.  When Officer Trentham walked up to him, Wallace shot the officer in the arm and fled the scene.  Officer Allen P. Trentham died from loss of blood about 3 A.M. the next morning. Fred Wallace was charged with his murder.

Officer Trentham’s name was added to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial in a rather unique manner. On July 2, 1969, one of his daughters read a newspaper article about the memorial and noticed that her father’s name was not on it. She notified a supervisor with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in Oklahoma City and he notified Mr. O.K. Bivins of the omission. The OHP supervisor was Lt. Cell Howell who would have his own name added to the memorial less than eight years later.


 


Charles “Floyd” Trivitt, Deputy Sheriff

Hughes County Sheriff’s Office

Deputy Trivitt was enroute to work in his patrol unit at 6:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 18, 2000. Approximately four miles west of Stuart, his hometown, he was on the Salt Creek Bridge and noticed a vehicle going left of center into his lane of traffic.  Deputy Trivitt had no place to go due to concrete banisters on both sides of the bridge. Deputy Trivitt, realizing that he could take no evasive action, stopped his unit and braced for the impact. By shutting his unit down and reducing the impact level of this head on collision, two lives were saved in the other vehicle with only minor injuries to them. Deputy Trivitt was in intensive care for over a month before he died on February 21, 2000, due to the injuries suffered in this collision.  Only a well trained, seasoned veteran could have made a split second decision as this, saving two lives.


 


Brian Jeffrey Tunnell, Patrolman

Miami Police Department

On Sunday, June 5, 1988, about 7 P.M., Lt. Gary Anderson was searching for Russell Wayne Haines to arrest him on a warrant out of Texas.  The warrant was for violation of his probation on a charge of assault on a police officer in Daisetta, Texas.  Haines girlfriend, who he had beaten the previous day, told the police he was wanted.  Lt. Anderson was able to locate Haines at the Elms Motel on North Main Street.  Anderson and the motel owner, Oba Edwards, went to Haines’ room and confronted him.  Anderson ordered Haines to place his hands behind his back.  At first Haines started to do as Anderson ordered, but then hesitated, saying, “No, I ain’t going to. You’re going to have to shoot me.”  Haines struck Anderson with a double-burner iron gate from a cookstove and a struggle ensued which quickly moved into the parking lot. Edwards then called police for assistance.  Officer Brian Tunnell arrived at the scene and struck Haines with a flashlight. Haines grabbed Anderson’s revolver which had come out of his holster in the fight and shot Tunnell point-blank.  Edwards, fearing Haines would shoot Anderson, began firing at Haines with his own .32-caliber revolver. Haines returned fire twice then began running.  Anderson retrieved Tunnell’s service revolver and caught up with Haines, who had tripped and fallen in the motel courtyard.  Haines had dropped the gun and was attempting to grab it when Anderson shot him to death.  Officer Brian Jeffrey Tunnell, 37, died at the hospital three hours later. He was survived by his wife Brooke.

 

Albert Turner,  Deputy Constable

City of Wilburton 

On Thursday morning June 24, 1909, Sylvester Stennien aka “Alabama Red” was on trial in Justice of the Peace Franks’ court in Wilburton for being drunk and disorderly. During the trial Stennien was able to get near and grab the gun of Constable Goodman and began shooting. Constable Turner who also was in the court room was shot in the stomach. Stennien was then wounded by a shotgun blast and taken into custody by other Constables. Constable Turner died the next day, June 25th from his wound.

 Just after midnight Saturday morning a mob broke Stennien out of jail and hanged him from a telephone pole near the jail in Wilburton.
 

 

William C "Bill" Turner, Guard Foreman

Oklahoma Department of Corrections 

Bill Turner joined the staff of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester in 1931and soon was made a foreman of guards. Turner was the guard assigned to accompany Matt Kimes, once the state’s number one bad man, when Kimes was permitted to leave the prison walls to go quail hunting during the season. The afternoon of Thursday, July 18, 1935, Turner was supervising a group of three prisoners working on the prison farm about a mile from the main prison buildings when he was struck by a bolt of lighting killing him instantly. The horse Turner was riding was also killed. The three prisoners were stunned and burned also by the lighting bolt. They were hospitalized but were not seriously hurt. Turner was survived by his wife and three children.

 



Larry L. Turner, Special Agent 

Defense Investigative Service 

Turner was an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper for nine years prior to joining the DIS in 1986.  A member of the Black Troopers Association and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, he was a deacon in his Baptist Church and also played clarinet in the church orchestra. Turner was on his way out of town on an assignment on the morning of Wednesday, April 19, 1995, when he stopped by his office in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building shortly before the explosion.  Turner died in the bombing at 9:02 A.M.  Turner, 42, was survived by his wife of 22 years, two sons and one grandchild.


 

Will Turner, Deputy Sheriff

Pottawatomie County, O.T.

Deputy Turner was searching for Bob Christian, one of the notorious Christian brothers, with a warrant for his arrest for grand larceny.  On Saturday, April 27, 1895, Deputy Turner located Christian near the town of Violet Springs, one of the toughest, most lawless border towns in Oklahoma Territory.  Christian was with three other men, his brother Bill, “Buttermilk” John Mackey and Foster Holbrook. Deputy Turner single-handedly confronted all four men in an attempt to serve his warrant. Christian told Turner to keep his warrant and drew his gun. Deputy Turner was able to fire first and hit Christian in the chest.  The shot did not injure Christian although it knocked him to the ground, as it was discovered Christian was wearing a steel vestplate. All four men opened fire on the deputy, killing him.  All four men were soon tracked down and arrested. Following their trials, Holbrook was acquitted, Mackey was sentenced to two years and the two Christian brothers both received ten-year sentences. Bob and Bill Christian were still in the Oklahoma County Jail appealing their cases on June 30, 1895, when they escaped with James Casey, killing Oklahoma City Police Chief Milton Jones. Bill Christian was killed by a posse in Arizona in 1897. Bob Christian escaped and was never located.


 

William Moore Turner, Officer

Wynnewood Police Department 

Shortly after 9 P.M. on Monday, January 4, 1971, Officer Turner stopped to check a combination café/pool hall in north Wynnewood.  Turner was off-duty, but Chief Rex Holmes stated it was part of Turner’s assignment to stop and check this area after completing his regular shift. Turner had also been working on a case for about three weeks concerning someone delivering marijuana in the town.  Officer Turner became involved in a heated argument with George Walter Stevenson. Witnesses, after hearing a shot, found the officer dead on the floor, shot once in the head with a small caliber gun.  Stevenson was arrested at the scene.  At Stevenson’s trial, witnesses stated Stevenson fired a shot after walking away from a discussion with Turner. Officer Turner, 28, was survived by his wife and five children.  Mrs. Turner was expecting their sixth child at the time of her husband’s death. Tuner, a Vietnam veteran, had only been on the police force for three months.


 

Robert C. Tyree, Officer 

Okmulgee Police Department 

Officer Tyree was patrolling near the residence of an Okmulgee oil man, Charles E. Campbell in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 9, 1925.  Officer Tyree spotted a black man standing on the front porch of the Campbell house. Tyree parked his patrol car and walked back to the residence.  As he approached, the man fired three shots at Officer Tyree hitting him once in the abdomen.  Tyree returned fire, but apparently missed.  Officer Tyree, 68, died from his wounds.  He was survived by his wife and four children.  His body was taken to his 103-year old father in Purcell.   On April 25, news reports stated that two Negroes, Fred Wilson and another known only as “Pork Chops”, had been arrested for the murder in Holdenville and one unidentified man was still at large.

 

Thomas E. Tyus,, Deputy Sheriff

Creek County Sheriff’s Office

 The late evening of Wednesday, July 19, 1911, Deputy Tyus had gone to the home of L. M. Nichols in Bristow to make an arrest. When he did not locate the suspect at the home he went to a neighbor’s house and set on their porch to await the suspects return. Tyus apparently feel asleep on the porch while waiting. The neighbor lady, Mrs. Sankie was in the house and saw the deputy sleeping on her porch about 2 a.m. She then went for the night watchman, W. A. Rider. When Rider arrived and tried to awaken the deputy on the dark porch, the deputy jumped up and started fighting with Rider. Neither man knew the other was an officer. Rider was able to fire one shot wounding deputy Tyus. Deputy Tyus died from his wound later that day, July 20th about 5:30 p.m.  Deputy Tyus was a widower of about one year and was survived by a son and three daughters. Both Ryder and Mrs. Sankie were charged with murder.