The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-06-09

srllpater. Okla, June s-James
Sn.rp. the religious fanatic who
styles himself Adam Cod and who
was responsible for the hllling Of
Kansas City policeman and several
other persons in riot last fall. for
which he was found guilty by jury
and sentenced TO term in the pen
itentiary, came from Oklahoma Sew
eral years ago he and his wife were
arrested for parading the streets OF
Oklahoma in nude condition. II
may not be generally known, or II
probably has been forgotten. that five
or six years ago Sharp was for a
time we'll known figure in Still
water
Capt Robert A. Lowry remembers
/ Sharp and his wife well. and tells an
/ interesting story about them. He
says Sharp formerly was a profes-
/ sional gambler. OF the crookedest sort
a "holdout man" than whom there
probably was not a more skillful one
In the United States. II is said that
the ease and nonchalance with which
Sharp could extract at cold deck"
from his handkerchief and make the
warm deck disappear would have done
credit TO Hermann the Great or any
other prestidigitator OF note, and by
his smoothness he was able to accu.
mulate good deal OF coin-money
which came easily and must have
looked good to man devoid OF scru.
pies.
q Sharp's appearance in court in Kan
sas CITY, has awkward. bucolic ways
and his apparent unsophistication.
would hardly have indicated that he
once had been a capper and smooth
worker in gambling games. but, accord
ing TO those who knew him some years
ago that was his reputation. He had
worked in Saltwater. when gambling
was wide open in this then frontier
town. and was well known among the
older element OF sporting men.
Unlike some gamblers, however,
Sharp did not blow" all his money
over another mans table. He was
thrifty, fond OF his family, and am
bilious to have a home. At the time
he was travelling through the west,
practicing his skill as "holdout
man" he owned farm In Oklaho.
ma. and there his family lived
{ At one time Sharp came nome tur
rest. He had accumulated consid.
, erable money and thought he was en-.
titled to vacation, which he meant
TO spend at home. He announced
a this To his wife. and the first day. on
settling down in the house he asked
her what there was about which he
might read.
Mrs. Sharp replied that there was
nothing much which would interest
him; but said she half jokingly
there's the Bible. You might read
that"
So Sharp took up the Bible and
began TO read. He never had read
the book before. and II did not take
him long to become interested in It
He read II through, became absorbed
in II, and would hardly eat his meals
so fascinated was he with it's gran
dour, poetry, history. commands. rev
Citations, mysteries and truths. Whef
he had finished the boob. he said tC
his wife: Have you ever read this
had read ii through: that she hat
read parts of Il. and heard II read
Then Sharp persuaded his wife TO si
down and read the Bible through witt
him. They read II attentively togeth
er discussing IT, wondering at II, ant
becoming convinced that their former
mode OF life had been full OF sin, Il
was not a matter of mans persuasion
argument or eloquence: James SharJ
and wife were converted by wha,
they found in Gods holy word They
made their own Interpretation. anC
6 they took it literally They volun
tarily became members OF that primi
. tive church OF which Ananias and Sap
4 hira were the first backshders: the,
gave away their farm and all that they
had and. without scrip In their purse
started out on foot TO preach the gos
pei according TO their own interpre
> tation OF IT,.
. ''Krank Corless told me OF Sharp's