Oklahoman Archives
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
October 5, 1931, page 1
BANDIT'S FIRE IS FATAL FOR STATE YOUTH
Robber Empties Shotgun
Into Boy's Body; Loot Is Left Behind.
FATHER KILLS SLAYER
Thug Knocks Woman Down, Stands Over Her
and Shoots.
By T. T. JOHNSON (Oklahoman-Times Starr
Correspondent)
OILTON Oct. 4.—Death flared from the
muzzles of a bandit shotgun and a druggist's automatic here
Saturday night during an attempted $2,000 robbery, and when
alarmed neighbors reached the shooting scene, the druggist's
9-year-old son was wounded fatally, a bandit was dead, and the
druggist's wife was suffering from pistol and buckshot wounds.
Funeral services were held Sunday for
Raymond Butler, adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Butler, who
was shot to death by a bandit's sawed-off shotgun as he sat in a
small coupe by his fathers side. Mrs. Butler was under a
physician's care in her home with a pistol shot wound in her
back and a buckshot wound in her shoulder. Her condition was not
regarded as critical.
Three suspects were being held In the
city jail at Drumright Sunday, while arrangements were made for
the burial of Elmer Higgins. about 53 years old, the bandit who
shot the boy to death just before the boy's father opened fire
with a .45 caliber automatic, fatally wounding the attacker.
Bandits Attack Trio
Butler, owner of the Rexall drug store
here was returning home from his store with his wife and son
when the attack occurred. The Butler garage, located behind the
residence, has an east entrance opening directly on an unpaved
street The bandits were lurking in the shadows of the building
and trees Mrs. Butler left the car and enterer the garage to
turn on the light and was rushed by one of the bandits. He threw
an arm about her neck and tried to place a hand over her Mouth,
but in the struggle missed his calculations and clapped his hand
over her eyes instead. She screamed The bandit hurled her to the
garage floor, yelling to his companion: "You take him, Elmer!
I've got her!".
Jumps on Woman
He jumped upon the prostrate Woman, and
when she continued to scream, drew a gun and fired at her as she
lay upon the floor. The bullet entered the fleshy part of her
back and glanced off a rib.
In the meantime, Higgins, the other
bandit, attacked Butler and his son who had remained in the
coupe. He thrust a sawed-off shotgun into the car and fired
twice, both shots striking the boy. The first charge hit the boy
in the abdomen: the other, his face. He died in a Cushing
hospital a few minutes later.
Neighbor Opens Fire
Butler, who carries an automatic in his
car, succeeded in leveling it al Higgins, and fired twice. The
first shot missed, but the second took effect Just below the
heart. Higgins fell to the ground fatally wounded the shotgun
falling from his grasp. and succeeded in getting about 50 feet
from the garage when Phil Hobbs. neighbor, opened fire on him
from across the street. The bandit fell, apparently wounded, but
got to his feet and ran toward a waiting car about 100 feet
distant, parked near a vacant lot. The purse was abandoned when
the bandit fell.
Before neighbors could collect their
startled wits, the car had speed away into the night. Officers
were told by excited witnesses that a wornan was awaiting the
escaping bands in the car. They also were told the bandit fell a
second time before reaching the car. Hobbs said be did no see
the bandit, fall the second time but declared he believed he was
wounded when he first went down.
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