The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-04
ACCIDENT FATAL
T00FF|CER ADA|R
Police Officers T h in k
Adair Met Death as
Result of Accident
was FRISCO OFFICER
Killed Mexican Last Fall and
Was Later Tried on
Murder Charge

uSi Shhee =
Although the police and county
-,t,cora aided by Frisco railroad de-
,ectives we're still conducting an In
,os,isatlon into the death OF sam
Adalr. special Frisco detective, who
wss manged by a switch engine
wi,h seven cars, in the West Tulsa
yards shortly before midnight Tues
aav night. Police Field Sergeant
Grant tucker who conducted an ex-
baustive investigation announced
aearly Wednesday morning that the
Anyestigation showed in his opinion
",hst the officer had met his death
from accidental causes.
No Evidence Of Murder.
The opinion first expressed by the
rolice and concurred in by railroad
detectives was that Adair had met
his death at the hands of Mexican
laborers living In box cars near the
scene Of the tragedy. The belief was
that the officer had been suddenly
attacked from behind, knocked un-
conscious and left lying across the
railroad tracks just back of the Mid
Continent racing park.
motive for such - act on the
he found, investigating authorities
said at that time, in the fact that
Adair early last fall shot and Killed
a Mexican laborer when 1t was al
legged the foreigner, who was drunk
ierked a gun and snapped 1t twice
AZ the officer. Adair was arraigned
on a charge of murder when war
3fant was sworn out against him by
the Mexican's wife. At his prelimi-
nary hearing, the officer was dis
missed Much IN feeling and re-
sentiment was aroused against the
officer. 1t is thought. on the part of
the Mexican colony of laborers in
West Tulsa.
Lived for Some Time.
Adair, who despite his mangled
condition, lived for couple of
hours after the affair, could shed no
light upon the cause of his injuries.
He said he had no recollection of
how he was hurt and that the firs;
thing he knew he awoke in the hos
ptal. The left leg was almost en-
tirely cut off just below the juncturc
Of the thigh and body, the right foot
was severed Just below the ankle,
the right hand was cut entirely off
at the tuncture or the thumb and
lNe scalp was ldiu open lOE IL uls-
tance OF about five inches.
The crew on the switch engine
could shed but little further light
upon the mysterious tragedy. The
engine was pulling train of seven
cars, according to l.. NJ. Bolton, who
was one OF the switchmen on the
train. Five car lengths passed over
the the man before the train could
be stopped. he said.
J. X. Rawles. foreman of the
switching crew. told the police that
he was riding on the front end of
the freight car at the time the ac-
cident happened. He said that the
figure of a man suddenly loomed up
In front of the train in the middle of
the track. Rawles said that the
, man was standing upright and was
Walking. In the brief. moment it
even appeared that the man stag
gered as he walked. Rawles said. II
appeared that he was walking back
ward toward the approaching train.
Suspects Statement Same.
Rawles' statement was corrobor
ated in story told by +. ]. Petit, a
youth who was arrested by Sergeant
Tucker near the scene of the tragedy
IN the West Tulsa yards, about an
hour after IT occurred. Petit was
held for investigation but later re-
leased after a conference between
Sergeant Tucker and Capt. Ned
F, Gritts. Investigation had shown, they
7 said, that Petit had had no connec-
uon with the tragedy.
fetit said he was riding into Tulsa
on the front freight car of the
switching train from his home in
led FORK. AS they approached the
west Tulsa yards, he said. they met
freight train which was travelling
the opposite direction on the next
track.
Saw Mans Figure I'm Front.
He said that he suddenly saw
something that resembled the figure
OF man loom up in front of the
gar lie hollered, he said. and hs
heard some signals being given and
the switch engine and cars stopped
ne later came over to Tulsa. go
bite to eat in a restaurant, durinl
which time he discussed the matter
WIN several who were in the res
Isurant' and then started back tt
1sa Hed Fork when picked up by the
otilCers. Further Investigation
showed his story true, officials said
snr,her Investigation Warranted.
Oher facts in the case, however
y " ccIStdHt luCheT, war
rant further investigation into th'
s.' sase' This was the finding of
s.lek about one by four inches II
nIc@ness and about two and a hal
ieet long with a splotch of clottet
0d oio0d on the wider end OF 1t. Th,
SUCK was lying upon top o.
an emoankment few feet from th'
scene OF the tragedy. Tracks lee
away from the railroad up 10 tn,
sVp OF the embankment and wer,
pIdihly discernible, Sergeant Tucxel
u' because of the soft mud.
That 1t would have been possibl.
"r an assailant TO strike tn,
oLiicer on the head as the train ap
pIosched but the blow not bein,
sufficient to knock him unconscious
Is admitted by the police. In this cas-,
ne would probably have been at leas
staggered from the blow, as tn
Ialnmen said, and would have beei
temporarily blinded and unable q
see the approaching train.
owing TO the possibilities tha
murder might have been responsible
.or the death of the officer. tn,
ohreetold investigation by police an,
county Officers, assisted by the Fris
90 detective bureau. will be contin
ueu' officials said, until more ligh
spread h.