Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-01-15
One Officer Is Not Sure That
First Shot Came From Car
in Which Hatfield Died.
SOME SLEEP AT THE STATION
Coroner's Jury Visits Scene Of
Staying in Order to Facili-
tate Hearing Today.


indignation AS II swept over he city
following the killing of Vernon Hat
field, the young taxi cab driver late
Friday night. new Developments in the
case cropped Ou' yesterday from seV
cral sources. dragpiuC down closer
about the heads of the officers re-
sponsible for the killing. the cloud OF
suspicion which broke about them
when II was learned that Hatfield had
been trapped to his death 10y trick
telephone call. sent in bv one of the
officers who composed the raiding
squad
jury Visits Scene.
one of the first evidences seen YES
terdav that ,he fever Of resentment
which had followed the announce
Inent of the shooting had not abated
the fraction of degree was the hur-
rlcd summons Of the COroucr's jury
to meet in the courtrooms of Justice
Daniel. and there proceed to the spot
where the young boy was shot 0
death
once on the scene the jurors began
an INVESTIGATION of the surroundings.
one bullet hole in the brick above he
front of the Midland Valley freight of.
flee claimed the attention Of the
Jurors other marks on the sides Of
the buildings on the south side of the
street were inspected. II was these
that the Jurors look TO to establish
the fact that "A vollev of shots Wer
fired.
No Signs of Fight"
The statement bv the members Or
the rliding squad that Hatfield had
fired two shots at them was not borne
out by an examination of the premises
ON the north side Of the street along
this frontage. Is a large tiE-hacked
sign board and any bullet fired
against it would leave an indelIble
impression by tearing hole thru the
board Nc such holes were found.
At the home Of Mrs. Hatfield. where
the body OF her slain son Law dWaltln-
the funeral the mother declared that
"A number of exploded shells had beer
turned over to her. They had been
picked up at the scene of the shoot
ing and showed that several of the
shots fired were from an automa'i
revolver. Such is the kind alleged to
have been carried by II. II. Townsend
on the night his party shot Hatfield
to death
Money I, Gone?
Mrs. Hatfield also declared that
althO her son as he left home, had seF
eral bills in his pocket, when the deod
body was returned TO her II possessed .
but one 50-ccnt coin. She does not
charge that the police removed the
currency when they searched the body /
at the hospital for revolver or other /
arms
Jude Hatfield, brother of the
slain lad declared yesterday that rs
he was about to leave the hospital
after taking his brother to the opcr-
ating room, he was confronted by
members of the police department |.
who commanded him to throw up his
hands and be searched. zone OF
the officers reached for his gun SAID /
Hatfield. but | thought OF what they
had done to my brother and | put my |
hands up"
Police Don't Agree.
There is one member of the death
SQUAD who is not willing to go on the
witness stand and swear that the first
shot fired came from the automobile,
as other members contend
1T seems to me. as ! remember IT,
that the first shot came from the au-
tomobile." Policeman Dick Nelson de-
clared last night. IL may he mlstak-
en-, anyway | would not swear that
the first shot came from the car.
Nelson has always maintained that
he did not follow suit with his fellow
officers and fire at the car IN Whlch
Hatfield was killed.
1t was declared by two taXicah driV
<rs yesterday that the majority ol
their fellow workers felt that a price
had been set ON their head 10y the
police.
Fear for Lives.
"Thcy watch us all the time" one
of the boys said. I'VE believe they
look upon us the same as they dld
Bob C"Broken Nose'D McGec or Mul'
phv whom they killed. They think
we are dangerous and they are not
going To take any chances. with them
IL appears To be a case of shoot and
ask questions later
Last night was the first that Bill
Shue. nnother member of the raiding
squad has not spent in the chiefs Of
flee since the killing. He did not
say whether he feared mob violence.
Rumors were to the effect that sew
eral others of the party did not spend
the nights at home
Late Saturday night mysterious
telephone call was received at the po-
lice station. OFFICERS VINO were not
connected with the killing of Hat
field answered ana When the man IN
the room saw that members OF the
killing squad" had not responded in
formed the officers that there was
nothing doing for them
Judge Daniel announced yesterday
that ne would begin mis- hearing of
the case this morning at o'clock at
which time several witnesses both
Tor inc prosecution anu ueichSc """'N
take the stand.
Letter of Indignation.
The following communication, ad- I
dressed to Tho World, was received ;
yesterday:
AS tho rohber barons Of old time
Germany. the diplomatic liars Of me {
dieval Italy, the thieves Of ancient
Lacadaemon. and the pclvgamists or {
Eih'ical Palestine considered them I
selves respectable and law-abldinS
citizens so II Is with the acephalouS
members of Tulsa's police force. The
shooting of Vernon Hatfield Friday I
night indicates that a portion of our I
police department, supposedly engaged s
IN the enforcement of our laws possess !
a zeal bordering on hNdrophohia. II
demonstrates beyond the pcradVeutur'
Of a doubt that the local force is com
osed largely Of stupid, shallow, reck
less and heartlcss limitations of GODS {
.HtstN "A .