The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-12-19
IRA HAMMER IS
HELD WITHOUT BAIL
CHARGED WITH KILLING HUGH
BROCK ON DECEMBER 8.

A country dance, some bust-head
liquor and murderous looking gun
contributed TO the death OF Hugh
Scantlin, aged II years, a farmer boy
at Brock, on the night of December
s. Ira Hammer, who holds the po-
sition of deputy constable" is charg-
ed with the killing and in the exam
lining trial held Monday afternoon
before County Judge NJ. F. Winfrey,
Hammer was held to the district
court without benefit of bail. AS
soon as the testimony in the trial
has been subscribed Attorney II. H.
Brown, who is retained by the de-
fense, will petition the district court
for bail.
On the night OF December s, John
Hughes, who lives near Brock, gave
dance; many young people were
present, a fiddle and an organ were
used for the music and a merry
time was being had until the boys
began to tank up on red liquor. The
night was dark, some rain was fall
ing and the boys began to gather
in clusters about the house and some
were quarreling. Hammer was the |
only peace officer at the dance and |
he was drinking some. One of the |
boys became very sick and Hammer
took his gun off OF him and gave
it to Mrs. Hughes. Some time after |
this, Hammer testifes, that all the |
girls but two had gone and the boys |
were away from the house, and he
decided to go home. When he start |
ed to leave the house some boy told
him that two young men were quar-
reling about fifty yards away. He
went to them TO keep the peace.
While he was talking to the boys, ac-
cording to Hamemr's story, Hugh
Scantlin approached him from be
hind, put his left arm about his
waist and drew Hammers pistol
from his hip pocket. Scantlin was
not angry but wanted to fire the
gun merely to hear the report. Ham
mer was fearful of his shooting
and ran after him to get the gun.
A scuffe ensued, the pistol was dis
charged and the bullet went wild,
another discharge of the deadly
weapon and Scantlin fell PROSTATE to
the ground with a bullet through the
head. Dr. G.. F.. Sullivan, who was
called testified that the ball entered
the head near the left ear and
passed almost straight through the
head, making the exit near the right
ear. Hammer said he sent for a doe
tor and stayed with the PROSTATE
form until Hughes came to him and
told him he could do no good out
there and that the boys father might
come and more trouble would ensue.
Hammer said he then went to the
house He said he and the boy were
good friends, he and the boys father
We're good friends, that he was great
ly hurt over the result of the scuffle |
and would not have taken the boys |
life for anything.
There were other witnesses that |
testified to a different statement of |
facts altogether and which made !
out rather a hard case against Ham
mer. Hammer is 81 years of age and |
has a wife and three children. His |
wife was with him in the court room
There We're a large number of peo
pie from Brock present and many |
witnesses We're examined. Some of |
the witnesses, it is said, have left |
the country, and could not be had |
The state was represented by
Mathers and Bleakmore
The gun with which Scantlin was
killed is a IS caliber Colts automat
ic. There is no bar in the handle,
but the mere touching of the trigger
eXplodes it. When it is fired the ex-
plosion cocks the pistol and it is
ready for another shot. Up to two
months ago the pistol belonged to |
Tom Ward and it was with this |
same gun that Mr. Wards 12-year-old |
son snicided by shooting himself in
tie forehead.