Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-08-30
BLOODY STORY
OF rum FIGHT
Is told POLICE
Oklahoman Relates
Details Of Death
Of Deputy

ALTUS, Okla, Aug. 3o-P1-
Vernon Robson, %. confessed TO
officers today that he and his bro
ther. George. 80, engaged in a gun
fight near here last night In
which Deputy Sheriff Elmer l..
Garter was killed and Joe Whit.
night police chief, was wounded.
He blamed the brother. who was
probably fatally wounded, for the
actual shooting.
Vernon Robson was taken today
to the state reformatory at Granite
for safekeeping and a heavy guard
vas thrown around the hospital al
Frederick, Okla. where George lay
with q bullet wound In his chest.
Physicians said he could not live
more than ten hours.
Officers 5ought Ernest Jackson
of Vernon. Texas. implicated by
Vernon Robson as the third man
on a truck which was halted b.
Carter and Whit prior to the gun
fight. The truck. loaded with a
still and other liquor equipment,
was found early today az the home
of Buck Robson, father OF the ar
rested men, where Vernon said he
had taken 1t.
Wounds Lead TO Arrest
In his confession. made in the
presence OF newspapermen, Vernon
Robson asserted he first heard Q
pistol shot from the motor car In
which the officer were pursuing
himself and his companions, and
that his brother. who. with Jack
son, had leaped from the truck. re
turned the fire.
George Robson. questioned BY
Sheriff Charles Wages OF Tillman
county. said only that his brother
was with him at the time he was
wounded. Officers were directed TO
the hospital by a physician who
had been called 10 attend the
wounded man. and Vernon Robsior
was arrested at his home at about
the same time last night.
Vernon Robson also asserted
that Jackson. armed with an I'M
loaded pistol. had escaped on foot
after the gun fight and that he
had driven the truck alone to his
fathers home.
To Make Whisky
He said the trio were making 9
TRIP Into Texas where they planned
to make some whisky" Near Fred
erick, Vernon said, they observed
Frank Bardee, a TIllman county
deputy. They drove into the Altus
vicinity until they noticed that a
car was following them. Accordinr
to Vernon. he stopped the truck
his brother and Jackson emerging
Then, he said. a shot was fired from
the officers car.
The Robsions previously hac
been convicted on liquor charges.
Whit, shot In the head. was
semi-conscious. but hospital at
tendants. said he had a chance to
recover. Carter. with a bullet wound
In the chest, died In the yard o.
a farm home. to which he crawled
a few minutes after the battle.
Informed by officers al Frederick
that the liquor truck was in the
Altus territory. Carter. unable n
locate other county officers i'm
mediately. asked Whit to accom-
pany him.
Coupe Is Convoy
They ran onto the truck which
was accompanied by a fast coupe
acting as a convoy, about 4 miles
from Altus.
All Of the commands TO halt were
answered with gun fire. Both Of
ficers returned the fire. but the
truck and coupe continued.
Whit, unconscious, slumped to
the ground. Carter crawl to the
farm home nearly a quarter o. 2
mile away. called for help and died.
A Mr.. White. who lived in the
house, notified officers.
Carter Is survived by his widow
and two children. He had been r
deputy sheriff two years. Whit
81 years old, has been on the Altus
police force Is months.