Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Sheriff Clarence H. Phillips, 1930
Wednesday, 24 Sep 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)
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PHILLIPS, CLARENCE H.
(26 Jun 1930, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Sheriff C. H. Phillips, 55, was shot to death Saturday night, June 21, at
the door of his office in the court house at Sayre.
Joe Pounds, 30, a former deputy sheriff, who was discharged a few months
ago by Sheriff Phillips, is confined at Granite in connection with the
slaying. He confessed to officers that he shot and killed Mr. Phillips,
they announced. Two other men, F. F. Griffin, 35 and Jess Brown, 30, said
to be associates of Pounds, are being held in connection with the killing.
A raid made Saturday afternoon at about 5 o'clock at the Griffin home,
southeast of Sayre, is believed to have been the direct cause of the
slaying, according to officers. Griffin, Pounds and Brown are believed to
have been operating a still at the Griffin place. The officers, Sheriff
Phillips, and Deputies J. E. Holly and M. Y. Baker, seized three barrels
containing mash, some distillation equipment and other articles at the
Griffin home at the time. None of the men was there at the time, but they
all are said to have been together during the day.
The officers took the barrels of mash and equipment to the court house and
stored it as evidence. They were looking for Griffin, Pounds and Brown in
connection with this raid. - Elk City Daily News.
At about 9:30 o'clock, according to Pounds' confession, he went to the
office of the sheriff in the county jail and when he got to the door,
proceeded to fire at him.
Sheriff Phillips was found almost immediately afterwards by Under sheriff,
M. L. Inman and Mrs. Inman who hearing the shots dressed and hurriedly
went to the sheriff's office. The Inman's live at the jail, directly to
the rear of the court house and their windows overlook those in the office
of the sheriff. They could see lights in the sheriff's office from their
rooms.
When the Inman's reached the office Sheriff Phillips was dead, but his
body was still warm.
(26 Jun 1930, Thursday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Charges of first degree murder were filed late Wednesday evening against
Joe Pounds, Frank Griffin and Jess Brown in connection with the slaying of
Sheriff C. H. Phillips last Saturday night. Hubert Ivester, county
attorney said the three would probably be arraigned Saturday.
Pounds, who confessed to firing the fatal shots, was charged with
committing the actual murder, Griffin and Brown are named as accessories
both before and after the crime.
County Attorney Ivester and members of the sheriff's force have been
conducting an exhaustive investigation of the circumstances surrounding
the case. While it was rumored that others might be implicated, Mr.
Ivester said no more charges would be filed at this time.
According to Pound's story, he spent the afternoon preceding the shooting
at Brown's home. Griffin was also there. While there, the three heard of
the raid which Phillips, H. C. (sic) Holly, M. Y. Baker and H. C. Keas had
made at the Griffin home. There were many threats made against the
sheriff while the group was as the Brown home.
Pounds also asserted that two others accompanied him to town, and later
took him to Erick in a car after the shooting. However, Griffin and Brown
deny they went to Erick and assert they saw nothing of Pounds, after
coming to town.
Pounds stated that following their discussion at Brown's home they came to
town and tried to borrow a gun from two men in Sayre, C. L. Lauderdale,
Rock Island ticket agent was one of the men Pounds attempted to borrow a
gum from. Lauderdale reported to officers immediately after the attempt.
This was considered a valuable contribution to the arrest of the confessed
murderer.
Pounds is said to have changed his clothes at the home of his sister who
lives near Sayre and from there he told his brother-in-law that he would
go east, but instead he went north. His clothing was found where he had
left it at his sisters home. Among the articles of clothing a striped
shirt was found.
Griffin and Brown were held in the county jail but Pounds was rushed to
Granite for safe keeping.
Hubert Ivester, deputies, and friends of Phillips were busy all night
Saturday with Ben Monroe, special agent for the Rock Island, in an effort
to solve the mystery.
Phillips' death was a direct result of his unceasing war against crime and
his stern battle with bootleggers and other lawbreakers. Soon after
taking office, the lawless element found a new day had dawned in Beckham
County. The sheriff made many enemies, of which he often said he was
proud.
Phillips' life had been threatened numerous times. While the dead officer
did not take the threats lightly, he was not the man to swerve from his
proper course by either threats or intimidation. During his early months
in office, efforts to bribe him were made by bootleggers operating in the
county.
(25 Aug 1930, Monday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Three Given Life For Murder of Phillips, Two File For New Trial.
Frank Griffin, third member of the trio found guilty of the murder of
Beckham county's sheriff, C. H. Phillips, was given a life sentence at the
close of the trial in the county court house in Sayre Thursday afternoon.
Griffin, 35, farmer living near Sayre was on trial for his life in
connection with the brutal murder of Phillips on the night of June 21,
1930. He with Joe Pounds and Jesse Brown were charged with murder in
connection with the case.
Phillips was murdered in his office on the second floor of the courthouse
on the night of June 21 at about 9:45. His body was found a few minutes
later after the shots had been fired, with four bullet holes in it. He
had dropped when he was shot, in the doorway of his office.
Brown was arrested the night of the murder but Pounds and Griffin were not
found until the next day when they were placed in the county jail to await
trial. Pounds confessed to the crime several weeks ago and was sentenced
to life imprisonment. He named Brown and Griffin as accomplices in the
murder.
Trial for Brown was held August 13 and a jury of 12 men found him guilty
of murder and gave him a sentence of life imprisonment. From the time of
his arrest until the time of trial Brown was released on $25,000 bond. He
is now being held in the county jail awaiting sentence.
Trial for Griffin, who has been out on a $15,000 bond, opened early Monday
morning. The entire day Monday was spent in securing a jury for the
trial. After five o'clock Monday the last juryman was sworn in and the
case opened early Tuesday morning. The state rested its case at 11
o'clock on Thursday morning. The jury deliberated for nearly two hours
bringing in a verdict of guilty.
Both Brown and Griffin will file motions for new trials at the next
session of court which convenes August 28, it was announced by court
officials. Defense attorneys advised their intention for this filing for
new trials shortly after the verdict was read this afternoon. Members of
the defense counsel are Melrose Minton and C. L. Clearmoor, both of Sayre,
and L. T. Phillips of Duncan.
Pounds, who had been in Sayre for the past several days during the trial,
was to be taken back to the reformatory at Granite following Griffin's
trial.
Brown and Griffin are held in the county jail without bond pending action
on their motion for retrial on August 28.
In case re-trial is not permitted, Brown and Griffin will receive their
sentence from Judge Clay on that date.
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