Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-07-20
MAYOR OF JENKS
SHOOTS PRISONER
l.
Stunned by Blow, Wilson
Sends Bullet Into Neck
Of Joe Church.
VI 4 G WuTCKV NkcL
WAS WHISKY CASE
Wounded Man Is in Critical
Condition in Hospital
at Tulsa.

Stunned by ! crashing blow over
tie head with a sack full of whisky
bottles in the hands of Joe Church,
whom he had just arrested and was
preparing to bring to Tulsa, ycster-
day afternoon at 1880 o'clock Mayor
Mack Wilson of jerks grappled with
Virgil Church, brother, who
snatched the officers gun. and re-
trioving the weapon, shot his pris-
oner through the neck and chest.
Church was hurried to this city and
taken to the Tusla hospital. where his
condition was said 10 be critical.
According to the story told by
Mayor Wilson and witnesses, the of
ficial learned early in the morning
that a WHISKY plant" was being
operated and deputized citizen to go
with him and watch the place.
Il saw Joe Church come cut of
the place early in the afternoon with
sack in his hand and / placed him
under arrest" said the mayor. Then
| called a livery automobile. intend
ing to take him to T lisa and turn him
over to the authorities
We waited for the machine, and
VIXEN it arrived Joe got in bust Just
as | reached down to pick W the
sack of whisky his brother Virgil
snatCfed my revolver from my hol-
Mor and covered me. | told my dep
uty to get him and just as he reached
for his gun | was struck from be-
hind with the sack of bottles. ]
grabbed the gun from the hands of
the brother and shot him twice"
Sheriff Gets Busy.
Sheriff WoClloy was informed of
'he shooting and Immediately went to
jerks, wher" he took Virgil Church
and Mayor Wilson in custody Church
was charged with interfering with
an officer and pointing a deadly
weapon. Wilson was not held.
Wilson has been mayor of jerks
stoce last November and is well liked
in the little town. The Church broth
trs are alleged to have dabbled in the
whisky business for many months and
have appeared in court here several
times.
Both brothers are married. Joe is
2S years old and Virgil 33.
When asked why tho marshal Of the
town did not make the arrests, Mayor
Wilson said that official had been
working in the harvest fields for the
past few days, as It paid him more
money than his police office.
Wife at Bedside.
II knew this would happen" saio
the girl-wife of Church, who left the
bedside of her unconscious HUSBAND
to tell the straight of it, to World
reporter
"Yes. he had quit selling liquor lots
Of times when | would beg him to,
hut each time he would go back to it
and every time | would tell him what
would be the result.
About o'clock his brother came
up to the house and told e'that Joe
was in trouble and to let him have
some money | thought he was ar
rested and so / gave him IS and soon
after started down town to see what
had happened. When / got down in
front of Prices store I saw a big
crowd and someone on the outside
of the crowd said that Joe had beeh
shot
Saw Him There.
ct told them to let me see him,
but they tried to hold me back. l
guess ] got mad and fought them.
I don't know, but anyway, | got loose
and went to where Joe was lying on
the ground. He couldn't talk to mo-
They had shot him through the neck
and in the chest. He can't talk now
without great pain, but he promised
me he would tell me how it all hap.
pened Just as soon as he can talk.
"TIe tries to tell me that he is all
right, but | know he is just trying to
keep me from feeling bad. ! know
that when a man is shot through
the neck he is hurt. Joe's shot through
the neck and / know good and well
IL hurts him, he may die, but / hope
they send the men who shot him up
for it"
Joe Church married his wife in
Tulsa about ten months ago.