Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Carl S. Brooks, 1921
09 Oct 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) 

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BROOKS, CARL S.
(30 Sep 1921, SouthWest Press, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
SHAMROCK MARSHAL MURDERS O. S. BROOKS (sic)
Tim Simmons, City Marshal and Deputy Sheriff, Held Without Bond for First
Degree Murder.
What is purported to be one of the most cold blooded murders of this
section happened during the community fair at Shamrock, Texas, last
Tuesday, week, when Marshal Tim Simmons walked into a  restaurant where
Brooks was busy making pastry, and taking him by the arm, poked a gun into
his ribs and fired, saying, "Brooks, I'm going to kill you."  Brooks died
instantly, as he was shot through below the arms, the bullet hitting his
heart.
Simmons was rushed to the county jail at Wheeler where a charge of
manslaughter was placed against him and he was released on $1500 bond. 
Many friends of Brooks were indignant over the charge, and through action
of Brooks' brothers-in-law, prominent attorneys of western Texas, the
murderer was charged with murder in the first degree and held without
bond.
C. S. Brooks was well known in Elk City, and had worked as a cook here. 
He was working here during the county fair, and while looking for work
here took a steady job in the Shamrock Cafe the day he was murdered. 
Brooks used to live at Shamrock, and when he left there several years ago,
he was told that he would be killed if he ever returned.
Several who witnessed the shooting said that Simmons was full of rotten
liquor and drunk when he learned Brooks was in town, and started out
gunning for him.