Cleveland County Leader (Lexington, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 9, No. 6, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 4, 1899 Page: 1 of 8
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Cleveland County Leader
Vol. 9.
Lexington, Oklahoma Territory, {Saturday, November 4. 1899.
No 6.
A FOUL MURDER.
Ed L. Cotney Killed by
Frank Smith Satur-
day Night.
Will Elkin, Frank Campbell
and " Kitty" Mclntyre
Also Arrested and
in Jail.
Frank Smith's pistol was fired
three times at one o'clock Sunday
nurniug and Ed L. Cotney was
interred in a Norman cemetery
the next day. We regret the
death, we shudder to chronicle
the details that lead up to the
loathsome murder—we say loath-
some, for every man, woman and
child in Lexington denounces the
crime as one foul, villainous and
premeditated. Perhaps it may
l*e different. We give a summary
wf the facts and the public may
determine their own opinion.
Ed L. Cotney, «f Shawnee,
formerly of Norman, was a drug-
gist. He was here visiting his
uncle, j. Y. Campbell, and look-
ing for a business location. He
was a young man, intelligent and
industrious and of splendid repu-
tation. Saturday night he was in his pocket; Smith looked on
FRANK SMITH S STOKY.
Frank Smith fired the gun that
killed Cotney. He did it inten-
tionally and in self defense, he
says. He and Cotney were walk-
ing along, had no trouble nor a
word of difference. "Suddenly,'J
he says, "he commenced to cut
on me with his knife. I shot
three times, one shot-killing him.
I struck a match and lit a cigar-
ette. I then walked up home
(about 200 yards northeast), got
my brothers,told them what I had
done, and we went to Bob Max-
well's; we called linn out and I
gave myself up. I killed Cotney
because I had to do it. I could
not help it and will easily come
clear on trial "
Judge Sharp says: Pete and
Bird Smith called me up at
o'clock. We, with Bob Maxwell
and Frank Smith, went to where
the murdered man lay; we found
him lying on his face by the
big tree on the north side of the
bridge—just on Ijle bridge ap-
proach; he was in a pool of blood
and dead; a 44-calibre bullet had
passed through his head, enter-
ing above the right eye and com-
ing out just in front of the left
ear; a bruised place was found
about one inch to the left of
where the bullet entered, and the
bones about the left eye were
broken, as though by a blow; we
found a knife opened and lying
about six inches from his right
hand; he had about forty cents
around town with Walter Free-
nian; he also met Will Elkin and
Frank Smith- All were drinking
some, but not drunk. Walter left
Cotney about 11 o'clock. Cotney
was influenced to remain with
Smith, and between 12 and 1 a.
in. Smith, Cotney and Will El-
kin started on foot for Purcell.
I Here the story encounters dis-
\ pule and each man's testimony
will be given separately.
Will Elkin says he was too full
to go the rest of the way and
soon came back; that he knows
□ -thing of any perpetrated crime.
Frank Smith and Ed Cotney
walked to the bridge. Jim Bank-
ston, hack driver, met them about
forty feet this side of the east
! approach. He recognized Frank.
I One of them swore an oath as he
passed. He drove on, and when
about the first hill, perhaps two
I blocks this side, he heard three
Ishots fired.
Will Bryant lives in the little
I house just at the river edge, and
|o«ly forty yards from where the
linurder occurred. He was asleep,
ie heard one shot,was awakened
ind looked quickly through the
"window. He hgjrfd two more
uhots and saw the lire from the
revolver. Then he saw a man
very coolly, but had little to say;
we took the body at once to J. Y.
Campbell's house.
Sunday morning Drs. Thacker
& Smith and Dr. Johnson exam-
ined the dead body, and rendered
a verdict about as stated hereto-
fore.
Smith was taken to Norman
about noon Sunday and lodged in
the county jail.
R. H. Cotney, a druggist at
El Keno, came in Sunday after-
noon. He is a younger brother
of the murdered man. His
father and mother, of Dale, near
Shawnee, came in Sunday night.
The body was prepared for burial
and interred at Norman Monday
afternoon.
While the excitement was run-
ning high and vengeance being
sworn by every citizen, Sheriff
Newblock came down from Nor-
man and arrested Will Elkin as
an accessory before the fact.
Will was taken to Norman, his
case investigated and about noon
the next day he was put in jail.
Tuesday night Frank Campbell,
a back driver, and Kitty Mcln-
tyrc, a sporting woman of Pur-
cell, were arrested. The evideuce
against the latter three is un-
certain. Officers found where
lold a lighted match a few mo- Frank Smith had walked up home
jnents. He thought he heard
|<ome one walk around his house,
[ind he got up and went to his
Ltable to see if auyone was mo-
isting his horses. He heard
lothing more and retired.
from the murder. They meas-
ured the tracks and they fit
Frank's shoes exactly. They
found that some other man had
walked with him, and the meas-
urement of the tracks fit Will
CUFF BUTTONS!
#
$ $1.50
BUYS A PAIR OF
Buttons, warranted for five years,
finest line of Cuff Buttons in the city.
Elkin's shoes, except that the
shoes Will had on when arrested
were not as pointed toed as the
tracks. It is known that Will
started to the river with Smith
and Cotney, and that is about all
the evidence against him.
Frank Campbell and Kitty
were coming over the bridge
about the time of the murder;
they went back without coming
to Lexington. That is about all
there is against them.
The editor is afraid to publish
the exact sentiment of ti e people
and the popular theory of the
crime, so bitter is it against
Smith. These facts are argued
against the accused: Cotney was
not a drinking man; he is known
to have been of a peaceable dispo-
sition and was not drunk Satur-
day night; the knife found by
his side was his knife, his brother
testified to that; the knife was
old and worn, with a blade two
and a quarter inches long and as
dull as a hoe; it is very loose in
the handle and wouldn't cut
cloth when tried. Smith's coat
was cut and so was his vest. Ali
who saw the knife will testify
tnat it could not have cut the
coat, and the general impression
is that Smith did the cutting with
his own knife after the shooting.
Further, if Cotney had drawn
the knife, it was so dark that j Con9istlnS <" Goods, Clothing. fco*u.
Smith could not have seen it, and
GOLD CUFF
We have the
THE DAVIS BAZAAR.!
^ Old Boston Store, Lexington, Oklahoma, jj
COINC, COINC!
The "Dixie" is Going Out of Business
and is offering
THE ENTIRE STOCK
Just as well
Get the best
20 per cent reduction
To move our immense stock
of Ladies Shirt Waists we
make this price.
HANDSOME PATTERNS TO SELECT FROM
BLANCHARD & CO
Paroell, I. T.
cannot claim self defense. Also,
the bullet entered at the top of
his head, ranged down and came
out at the lower part of his ear.
Cotney was the taller and must
have been lying down, or partly
down, or the bullet could not
have ranged thus. His head
showed that he had been hit a
terrible blow with something like
a gun.
All these things tend to show
that Smith is guilty of a cold-
blooded, premeditated murder.
The usual theory of the crime is
that Smith killed him because he
was bloodthirsty and wanted a
reputation as a bad man. An-
other theory of the crime is rob-
bery, but it is not known that
Cotney had money.
Frank Smith has been a terror
of the town a long time. He is
a coward and always in trouble;
he never fights face to face in
fairness, but always takes the
advantage, and a murder of this
sort is characteristic of him. He
has no sympathy at all outside of
his family.
Green Co n^y, father of the
murdered man, formerly lived at
Norman. He is well known
throughout the county, especially
in political rarkv At one time
he was candidate for sheriff, but
was defeated in the primary by
George Smith. The family is
highly respected and they have
numerous friends. The murde
has heart-broken the aged nuth-
er, while revenge burns hot in
the veins of father and brother.
They have quite a little property
and the guilty parties will be
prosecuted to a bitter end. Lex-
ington citizens will lend their as-
sistance and it is sincerely hoped
that the rope will break Frank-
Smith's neck unless he proves his
innocence. Lexington's tough
days have been over a long time,
and by the gods eternal, she does
swear that justice shall be meted
out the slayer of a reputable and
innocent man.
Sho«4,
Furnishish Goods.
Hats, Ladies' and Gents'
AT COST !■
The entire stock mint be told by January 2ith.
gains while the stack is complete. Don't miss tho
goods retail at wholesale prices, at
Come and socuro bar-
opportunity of bujinj;
N.
THE DIXIE,
B.—Country merchants will d well to coma
we will sell in lots to them.
Lexington,
Oklahoma.
and inspoct our stoek, as
K. V. GKOW, PKESIDENT.
P. H. MILNEK, V1CK-PK ESI DENT.
LEXINGTON STATE BANK
Phone 23
Capital, $10,000.
Fully paid Dp.
Transacts a general banking business. Your accounts
solicited. Funds protected by a consolidated time lock.
A. M. PERDUE, Cashier.
Leilngton, . Oklahoma
Keller's Furniture House.
Snccebsor to Houghton, Lexington, Oklahoma.
Buterick Patterns
at Blanchard's
LATER DEVELOPMENTS.
Frank Smith has been taken
to Oklahoma City for safe keep-
ing, both to ayoid lynching and
jail breaking. The other par-
ties arc in jail at Norman.
Sheriff Newblock informs us
that the theory held by the offi-
cers is that robbery was the cause
of the murder. Elkin and Smith
had a bottle of whisky and
gave Cotney a drinK. Will El-
Kin tooK the bottle, but dropped
it as he was pretending to raise
it to his lips. NcwblocK says
that Smith had bought chloral
hydrate repeatedly at the drug
store and that a quantity of it
was bought that night, Chloral
hydrate is a stupifying drug
used by robbers to "lay out" their
T
Bed room suits,
Bureaus,
Dressers.
Wash Stands,
Bed Steads,
Baby Buggies,
Carpets,
Matting,
Glass,
Curtains, etc.
My goods arc assorted to suit all classes of people. I have the
cheaper and the costly furniture. I have anything you want and
will appreciate your trade.
E. J. KELLER, Prop.
DAVE KOSTENBADER, Mgr.
victim. It is thought that ElKin
understood the plot.
It has been found where a hacK
turned around Saturday night,
just north of where the murder
was committed, and the spot
shows evidence of a scuffle. It
is thought Cotney was probably
Killed there, dragged to the spot
where he was found, and shot.
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Lydick, J. D. Cleveland County Leader (Lexington, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 9, No. 6, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 4, 1899, newspaper, November 4, 1899; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc108991/m1/1/: accessed April 17, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.