Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Floyd Beaty, 1921
18 Aug 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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BEATY, FLOYD
(20 Oct 1921, Elk City News, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Floyd Beaty, 20 years old, who was shot Tuesday afternoon by Charlie
Williams, 60 years old, in an argument over a cow near their homes in
Capitol Hill died at the University Hospital at 3 o'clock Sunday morning. 
Beatty (sic) had signed his dying statement in the presence of Mont R.
Powell, assistant county attorney, his sister-in-law and a newspaper man,
in which he declared Williams shot him in the back after he started to run
away from him.
The statement follows:
"I, Floyd Beatty, being of clear mind and realizing that I am about to die
and believeing (sic) there is no hope of recovery wish to make the
following voluntary statement:
"Mr. Williams was coming west on the street south of G street.  I was
going north on Shartel.  He told me 'I've got your cow, you've got to pay
me a dollar to get her.'  I told him he had enough already without
charging me another dollar.  He called me a ------ and said 'You better go
home.'  I started home, then he shot me in the back side.  I started to
run then he said, 'I've got you now  -------- run.'
"I had a small piece of two-by-four in my hand about as big as half a
brick.  I picked it up before I saw Mr. Williams.  I had no reason to pick
it up.  I did not know I was going to see Mr. Williams when I picked it
up.  I didn't try to do anything to Mr. Williams.  He didn't have any
reason to shoot me."
Following the shooting Williams surrendered to officers.  A charge of
assault with intent to kill was filed the day after he (sic) shooting, in
the court of Leo B. White, Justice of the peace.  Williams was arraigned
before White and entered a plea of not guilty and was released on $5,000
bond.
When Williams learned Sunday morning that the boy had died at the
hospital, he went volutarily (sic) to the county jail and submitted to
imprisonment.
Forrest L. Hughes, county attorney, when he filed the assault with intent
to kill charge in White's court, said that in case the boy died the charge
would immediately be changed to one of murder. The murder charge had not
been filed by Hughes early Monday morning.
Little hope was held out for the recovery of Beatty after he was taken to
the hospital.  Friday afternoon hospital authorities called the county
attorney's office and told Mont R. Powell that the boy was dying.
The body was taken to Rankin Oklahoma for burial.  - Daily Oklahoman.