The Monett times., 1922-06-23
MCCORMICK
KILLED In FIGHT
w. s. Bolinger Fires Fatal Shot
Through his Temple, Killing
Him Instantly.

RAYMOND Mccormick, ~ years old,
was shot and instantly killed by w. S.
Bolinger, between and o'clock
Monday afternoon, in q drunken fight.
The killing occurred at Bolinger's
home on Ora Teel's place two and a
half miles west of Monett. Constable
Joe A. jackson and City Marshal,
James A. johnson arrested Bolinger
as he was making his way toward
Peirce City about an hour after the
crime was committed.
The fight was over the key to car
belonging to Mccormick, who accused
Bolinger of taking it. A terrific
struggle took place in the kitchen Of
Bolinger's home. Bolinger shot Me-
Cormick in the right temple McCor-
mick fell through the screen door on
the front of the kitchen, with his face
downward. He was evidently instant
iy killed.
Bolinger's family is in Kansas on a
], visit and he decided to entertain some
friends at chicken dinner. Four
chickens had been killed and they
were getting ready to prepare the
meal. Other men at the party were
Ted Keithly and F. H. Isbell. These
men ran to town after the killing and
gave the alarm.
The officers who examined the body
testified that there were powder burns
OF the right temple and that the bull
let had evidently gone through the
head from right to left.
The body of Mccormick was
brought to Callaway's morgue. The
county coroner, Floyd C. Galloway,
being absent from town. E. "A. o.
Dwyer, justice of the peace, acted in
his place. The inquest was held at
the city hall at o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. The jury consisted of John
Elliott, John Rogers, w. f. Cochran,
George Brown, A. T. Brown and w.
o. Pelham.
Floyd Isbell, drayman, testified that
he and Ted Keithly went to Bolinger's
place Monday morning. He said that
Raymond Mccormick was there and
that he and Bolinger got into a dis
pute over the switch key to McCor-
mick's car, That he and Keithly
separated them and thought the mat
49,. ,ot4lod polsnUa,. ,Aant ont tho
{ front door, went around the house to
the wood shed and came back to the
back door of the house holding a
pistol down by his side. He shot off
the pistol as he was going toward the
house. Isbell did not know whether
or not he fired at him, but he ran inr
to the bedroom and jumped through
the window and ran toward town.
When he saw Bolinger with the gun
he called to the other men saying:"
Look out, he's coming with gun"
He said that Raymond was in the
kitchen ON the east side at that time.
Ted Keithly testified that he was in
the heuse when he heard Isbell's
warning and ran out the front door.
He heard the second shot as he went
out and looking back he saw
Mccormick fall out the door, keithly
ran around the house and met
Bohnger coming around the house
with his head all bloody, Keithly
ran and climbed over the fence and
ran toward town, He went back to
the house after the officers went
there. He said he heard glass break
ing before the second shot was fired.
Mrs. Dave Fisher testified that she
went to Bolinger's place, thinking
Mrs. Bolmger was at home. Finding
that she was gone she Immediately
started back to town, She heard Nc
Cormick aud Bolinger Quarreling and
was frightened. She heard the first
shot when short distance from the
house and the second shot few sec
onds after, but she did not go back,
but cut across the field toward town,
arriving there shortly before 5 o'clock.
James A. Johnson, city marshal of
Monett, said that the officers were
notified about 4 o'clock that Bolinger
had killed a man at his house. He
and Joe jackson, constable, got Cecil
Marbut to drive them to the place.
They found Mccormick lying with has
head out the screen door on the south
side of the kitchen, with his face
down. In the kitchen broken lamp
was lying on the floor and the ftrni-
ture was overturned and broken,
indicating that there had been a
struggle there.
Joe jackson gave practically the
same testimony. He also stated that
after, making telephone inquiry as TO
the whereabouts of Bolinger, they
started out to find him. They found
,,sn, In the road less than two miles