The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-06-07
ACCUMULATED WEALTH
AND FOND or FAMILY
Became Absorbed In Bible
Reading and Made Literal
Interpretation


Special 70 the Daily Leader
saltwater. 0kla, June y'-- lamea
Sharp, the religious fanatic who
styles himself adam GcJ' and who
was responsible for the killing OF a
Kansas City policeman and several
other persons in riot last fall, for
Yhicl NE was found guilty BY a Jury
and sentenced 10 "a aerm ln the pen
itenliary, ca8ne from Oklahoma. Sew.
eral years ago ne and his wiie were
arrested Ton pamding the streets Of
OklahUma In q nude condition 4
mag not be generally known, or fl
probably has been forgotten, that five
oi ok years ago Sharp was for q
time O. we'll known figure IN Still
R0ler
Capt. Robert A. Lowry remembers
Sharp and his wife well. and tells an
interesting story about them He
says staip formerly wAs a protes.
slOnal gambler, Ok alne crooVedest
sort, tholdOm man, than whom
there probably was not q more skill.
ful one ia the uniteu Suites. lt il
said that the ease and nonchalance
wblh which sharp could extract a
"cOld deck" from his handkerchief
aud make the warm dock disappear
would have dome credit TO Hermann
the Great or any other pfestidiglta.
tor Of note. and lP his sm0othness
Nc was able 10 accumulate "a guud
deal of ooln-muney which came
easily and muet have looked good
TO man devoid OF scruples.
Sharn's appearance IN court IL
Kansas City. his awkward, bueolio
ways and his apparent unsopaislica
don, would hardly have indicated
that he once hal been q capper and
a smooth worker ln gambling games
but, according TO those who knew
him some yelrs ago lhat was hs
reputation iIe had worked IN SILL
water, aAen gambling was Wide 0ner
ia thls ghen iroadier town, and was
we'll known among the older element
0islmrting men.
Unlike some gamblers. however
Sharp dld not "bl0w" an bis money
over another mans liable he was
thHflg fond Of ais family and am
bilious 10 have q home At ilho tme
he was travelling Through The West
pmcileina hts SIKH as u eholdoai
man" he owned a farm Ia Oklaho
ma, and there hla family lived.
Ai one dime shhrp came home fog
a rest. lie had accumulated eonsld
erahle money and Thought he was en-
titled to q vacation, which he meant
10 spend at homo. Ho announced
this 10 hts wife. and tho first day. On
sottllng down In che house, he asked
Der what there was about which ht
might read. 80
Mrs. sharp replied fhgt there wac
nothing mitch Which would interest
HIM ahai she said, half iakinglY
Nhero'a The Bible. You might read
That
50 Sharp took up ihe Bible. and
began 10 read lie never had real
the book before, and VI dld not take
fim long 10 become Interested III II
lio read Il 4hmugh, became absorbed
10 III and would hardly eal his
meals, 30 fascinated was he with
us grandeur. poetry, history. com
mands, revelations mysteries and
truths. When he had finished The
book, he said 10 his wife. Have sou
eser read thls bo0k?7 And ahe RI
piled that site never had read Il
through dlsat she had read parts ol
4, and hearl It read. Then SHARP
persuaded his wife 40 slt down am
read the Bible through with him
rlns read Il attenhyely together
discussing II wondering ut II. and
becoming convinced NAat thedr Tor
mcr m0le 81 liie had been flaA 0l
sln. u Has not g matter OF mans
persuasion argument on oloquenee;
James Sharp aud wife were converted
by what they found IA God's holy
word They made their own inter
pretaliou. and they took Il literally
They voluntarily became members 0l
that primitive church OF whldh Ana
MAS and saphlra were the first back
slmcrs they gave away ihair farm
and oil that they had and, mithon
scrip IN their purse, started out o.
foot 10 nreadh the gospel according
TO their own Interpretation Of It.
Frank Corhss told me OF sharp's