The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-05-28
coroner's Inquest Ordered by County
Attorney Following Fight at
English Well Where Man
Found Dead
THREE HELD IN JAIL
AWAIT FINAL ACTION
Heart Failure Theory Held Out;
Hughes Badly Beaten; rs Tes.
tImony Throws Little Light
On Mystery

n cOroners inquest Is belng helo
this afternoon over the body o
Uncle Ike" Harness. man found
dead last evening on his oil lease
where oil was recently found In the
English Drilling company's test
well. The inquest was started late
this morning and is expected to be
conducted during the afternoon.
Ben Goff. county attorney, de-
manded the coroncr's inquest after
he had ordered the arrest OF Crock
EFT English member Of the English
Drilling company: Bob Robinson. a
tool dresser and Ed Holzer, said TO
own an eating stand near the test
These men are being held In the
county Jail to await developments OF
the inquest and pending the render
ing of decision by the jury, COM
posed of J. ID. Buie. ST., Moman II.
Shepard. NJ. S. Cralle. Tom Moore.
Il. p. Smith and Jim Hill.
Hughes Placed on Stand
Bob Hughes, partner of Crockett
English and Walter Jones in the
English Drilling compan.', and who
was badly beaten in fight at the
well last evening, was placed on the
stand this morning by the county
attorney. Hughes knew little con-
cerning the death of the deceased.
although he testified that MFR. Har-
ness asked the men not to hit him
QHughes).
A man named Brumley also was
placed on the stand but his testi-
mony threw little light on the ques-
ton. Other witnesses will be placed
on the stand this afternoon by she
county attorney.
Judge b. +. Holding, attorney for
the trio. stated this afternoon that
he did not fear the outcome of the
coroner's investigation and that he
might not place any additional men
on the stand to establish his con-
tention that Mr.. Harness met his
death from heart failure and that he
did not take all active part in the
fight.
Mrs. Harness. wife of the de-
ceased, stated this morning that she
discfedited any rumor that her hus-
band was the victim of foul play or
was murdered that he had been
in poor health for several weeks
and had been suffering from the
effects of weak heart.
Depends On Verdict
Whether murder charge will be
filed against English Robinson ana
Holzer depends largely upon the
facts brought out in the coroners
investigation and the verdict OF the
iury. County Attorney Goff said this
afternoon. 81 am going to fight II
to the last trench" he said.
English this morning refused to
make statement for publication.
r. r. Daniel, workman at the
well, is alleged to have found the
dead man lying in an automoDlle
near the test. His body was brought
TO Chickasha.
The fight in which Mr.. Hughes
sustained the bruises is alleged 70
have been staged in or near the
slnsh pit. Parts of some OF the
clothes taken off the body OF Mr..
Harness were wet. No marks of vio-
lence were evident on his body.
Funeral Sunday Afternoon
Funeral services will be conducted
in the Harness home. one mile south
of this city, tomorrow afternoon be-
ginning at 4 o'clock. Rev. Sam d.
Taylor, pastor of the First Baptist
chuych, will deliver the funeral SER
mon.
Mr. Hayness was born in Cooper
county Missouri, November I, 1851,
being SO years and months of age
at the time of his death. He came
to the Indian Territory ins1SS6 and
since that time has been engaged
as a. farmer and ranchman in what
is now Grady county. In addition to
the farm near Ninnekah, Mr.. Har-
ness owned the ranch one mile south
of this city.
At the age of ii Mr.. Harness left
Missouri and settled in Texas where
he started his successful career as