The El Reno American - El Reno,
Canadian Co. OK Front Page 4 Jul 1918
CHARLES JOHNSON
KILLED
Dies In Hospital As Result of Shooting, Friday
An
unusually cold-blooded and unfeeling attempt at murder occurred Friday evening
about 8 o'clock, when Jesse Inman shot Charles Johnson. The shooting occurred
on the sidewalk at 109 South Admire and was done with a revolver, which was
held so close to the victim's face that he was badly powder-burned. The men had
walked from Johnson's house, which is about one and one-half blocks south of
where the shooting was done. Inman had gone to the house and called Johnson
out. He had a gun in his hand at the time and kept Johnson covered with it
while they walked up the street, during which tine they were quarreling. At
this place Inman put the revolver up to Johnson and fired. The bullet struck
him just under the point of his chin, a little to the left side, and went clear
through the neck, so that it could be seen under the skin on the back of his
neck. When the wounded man fell Inman looked down at him, evidently to see if
he was dead, and then went out in the center of the street and walked north to
Woodson, down which street he ran in a westward direction.
People
in the houses on Admire street had heard the men quarreling and when the shot
was fired they hastened to the scene and the wounded man's face was bathed and
he was made as comfortable as possible. At first, the shock of the shot had
rendered him practically unconscious, and when water was applied to his face,
he roused up and immediately inquired if he was going to die.
Officers
were notified at once, but no trace could be found of the would-be murderer
after he had fled in the direction of the railroad, and it is thought he made
his escape by leaving the city on some train. The injured man was taken to the
sanitarium and at last report was doing as well as could be expected. He showed
much reluctance to talk about any prior circumstances that might have
occasioned the shooting, even though he and the bystanders thought that he had
received a fatal wound. He has a wife and two young children.
Sheriff
Carter has been investigating the affair and it appears that the men fell out
over a poker game. Later: Johnson succumbed to the results of the wound,
passing away about 11 o'clock Monday night. No trace has yet been found of the
slayer. A contribution was taken for the benefit of Johnson's widow and
children.
The body
was taken to Watonga, where his stepfather, Mr Maxwell, and his mother reside.
Mrs. Maxwell has been here for several days and the stepfather arrived Tuesday
morning.
Watonga Newspaper - 11 July 1918
KILLING
AT EL RENO
The El
Reno American gives an account of the shooting of Chas. Johnson, formerly of
Watonga, at El Reno about two weeks ago by Jesse Inman.
This
paper states that it was an unusually cold blooded and unfeeling attempt at
murder. Inman escaped after the shooting presumably boarding a train as the shooting
occurred near the railroad track. Johnson died in the hospital on Monday of
last week, three days after he was shot. The body was brought to Watonga and
buried from the home of his mother and stepfather Mr and Mrs Tom Maxwell. The
young man left a wife and two children. It was claimed by relatives of the dead
man that the quarrel was over a small sum of money and that he was shot because
of the quarrel.
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