Oklahoma State Register. (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 10, 1908 Page: 3 of 8
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OKLAHOMA STATE REGISTER.
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OKLAHOMA RELIGIOUS FANATICS RAISE
A MURDEROUS RIOT IN KANSAS CITY
Kansas City, Dec. 8—In the very
shadow of the city hall in this city,
and less than a half mile from the
business center, a riot in which re-
ligious fanatics and the police were
the participants and in which a hun-
dred shots were fired this afternoon,
resulted in the death of a policeman
and a 13 year old girl, fatal injury to
three and slight injuries to two other
persons.
The trouble occurred at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon, when the streets
were crowded with persons who daily
frequent the busy market and city
hall district. While the trouble was
in progress the participants traversed
an entire block, the final stages of the
fight being enacted directly across the
street from an entrance to the police
station.
George M. Holt, probation officer of
the jrfvenile court, and a pioneer in
the work of saving boys from the
streets of this city, went to Fifth and
Main streets to investigate a case of
alleged abduction which had been re-
ported to him. Near that street cor-
ner he came upon Sharp, who sur-
rounded by his companions, was ex-
horting a crowd of street loafers.
NVitb Sharp were . J. Selzer, a woman
and five children. The children
ranged in ages from 14 to 3 years.
The officer's suspicions were aroused
by the manner in which the woman
attempted to secure money contribu
tions from the crowd and he decided
that she and her male companions
were not proper persons to have the
custody of young children.
The woman announced that she and
"Adam God" would conduct services
at Creighton's or Poorman's mission,
one block north, tonight, whereupon
ground, however, and Adam God
struck him a heavy blow behind the
ear with his revolver, inflicting an
ugly wound. Holt then started for
the police station for assistance and
as he moved away the preacher tried
to shoot him, but Sharp was so excit-
ed that he droped his revolver and
when he picked it up and snapped it
at the officer, the cartridge failed to
explode.
Officer Holt rushed into the police
station and announced that a band of
religious fanatics armed to the teeth
were at the very threshold of the po-
lice station and he warned the offi-
cers to prepare for trouble. The police
sergeant in charge ordered Patrolmen
Charles Dalbow and Harry E. Stege
to go out and arrest Sharp and his
followers.
The religionists were within 50
yards of the police station when the
officers stepped into the street. They
gave evidence of being in a frenzy of
rage and with profane abuse they
served notice on all who chanced to
hear that they would preach right
"under the eaves of the police station
and the police cannot prevent us."
The officers were not expecting seri-
ous trouble from such an apparently
insignificant source and were not pre-
pared for the volley of bullets which
met them almost immediately after
they appeared on the scene. Dalbow
was instantly killed and a bullet
passed through Stege's arm. Other
officers hearing the firing, rushed in-
to the street and a general battle en-
sued. The officers, as they stepped
from the building, offered themselves
as targets to their opponents in the
fight, but were unable to shoot with-
out endangering the lives of innocent
she and her companions started in persons. Lieutenant Clark, who had
the direction of the mission. Officer
Holt then accosted the woman and
inquired as to the identity of the chil-
dren. The woman immediately as-
sumed an antagonistic attitude and
replied sharply that the officer "had
better attend to his own business."
But the officer persisted in his in-
quiries, when "Adam God," whose
long flowing white beard and hair
gave him the appearance of a patri-
arch, threatened the officer with
physical violence. Officer Holt never
goes armed, and he found himself at
a decided disadvantage when the
preacher and his companions dis-
played revolvers. He stood his
come into the street unarmed, was
shot in the eye and Patrolman
Mullane was shot in the back as he
hurried into the police station for re-
inforcements.
In the meantime a riot call had
been sounded and policemen were ap-
pearing from all directions. Thor-
oughly aroused, the officers crowded
in on Sharp and his followers, firing
as they went, but taking g-eat care
not to injure any of the children, and
when the firing ceased, "Adam God"
lay fatally wounded, shot through the
head and body.
During the firing there was a great
scattering of spectators and when the
battle was over the police and their
antagonists had the scene entirely to
themselves.
It is not known what sect "Adam
God" represented except that he is
against all creeds but his own.
It was learned later that Sharp's
male companion was Louis Pratt,
father of the five children. He was
uninjured but taken in charge by the
police. The woman and the children
escaped and fled into a houseboat
wherein they lived on the river.
Hastily calling all the available re-
serves into action, the police, fifty in
number, followed. When the police
arrived the woman had baricaded
herself in the houseboat, where she
defied the officers. Standing on the
porch of the boat with a shotgun
which she had procured from the in-
side, she shouted to the officers:
"Come on, you fiends." The boat
was but a few feet from the river
bank and several of the more cour-
ageous officers, taking up the wo-
man's challenge, dashed toward it.
Taken aback, she droped her weapon,
and taking two of the children, she
ran to the back of the boat, cut
loose a rowboat and pushed toward
the middle of the Missouri river. The
officers called to her to stop, but she
only piled her oars more vigorously
Without another warning the police
fired a volley at the boat. One of the
shots struck Lola Pratt, aged 13 years
and tearing away the greater part of
the child's face. She cannot live
more than a few hours. The woman
then surrendered.
At the police station later the wo-
man said her name was Mrs. Pratt
and that she was the wife of the com-
panion of "Adam God" and the moth-
er of the wounded child.
"Adam God" Nude Oklahoma City Fa-
raders.
The Oklahoman says the fanatics
are local celebrities:
James Sharp, the religious fanatic
who figures in the sensational killing
affray in Kansas City, first made his
appearance in Oklahoma City in
March, 1904, when, late in the after-
noon of a chilly day, Sharp, his wife,
their son, a boy of 12, dnd a young
man named Green, who announced
himself as Jesus Christ, all in the
nude, and without even the conven-
tional fig leaf, paraded Broadway in
the immediate neighborhood of the po-
lice station. They were arrested and
subjected to iquiry as to their sanity,
but were released on promise to leave
the county and never return. In 1906
they returned and established "Heav-
en" on a tract of land near Oklahoma
The
Golden
State
Limited
to
California
Early reservation of space
is desirabte.
Daily service resumed between Chicatro. St. Louis.
Kansas City and Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,
San Francisco on December 15, 1908.
Runs via El Paso Short Line—the lowest altitude
route across the continent—fewest curves and
grades—the line of least resistance.
The train affords such comfort-contributing fea-
tures as a barber, a valet to press garments, li-
brary, magazines, daily papers and stock-market
reports, buffet, mission-style dining car, electric
lights and fans, new ventilating devices.
The sleep in,1? cars provide drawing-rooms, state-
rooms and regular sections. There is a unique
buffet-library-observation car, devoted entirely to
the entertainment of passengers.
The Golden State Limited is unquestionably the
most palatial and most comfortable train to the
Coast.
it is the only train by any line with
through sleeping car service between
Chicago and Santa Barbara.
J. S. McNALLY, Div. Pass. Agrt., Oklahoma City. A. TRIPLETT, Agent, Guthrie
City, owned by a farmer who became
one of Sharp's disciples. The farm-
er's daughter joined the fanatics, as
she said, to please her father. Ru-
mors of their weird and unnatural
orgies aroused the countryside and
complaints were made to the county
authorities and resulted In the arrest
of the leaders of the fanatic colony.
Again Sharp and his followers were
released upon a promise to leave the
county,, and they started on an over-
land migration to join the Holy Roll-
ers of the northwest.
When first in Oklahoma City Sharp
claimed to be the Prophet Elijah and
was submissive to Green, who enact-
ed the part of Christ. The latter or-
dered the nude parade to be made
as "a warning of the wrath to come
de<3aring that the city wonld be de-
stroyed within twenty-four hours af-
ter the edenic performance.
Sharpe, when last here, related thai
he was born in a small interior town
o£ Missouri and later was for many
years a professional pickpocket and
gambler on the Mississippi river,
steamboats. Reforming, he came to
Oklahoma when the territory was
opened to white settlement and se-
cured a fine claim In what is now
Woodward county. One night he was
thrilled by seeing a brilliant shoot-
ing star in the eastern sky and in-
terpreted this as a call from on high
to "go forth and preach the gospel
unto all nations." The next day he
gave away his farm and with his wife
and baby boy set out upon an evange-
listic pilgrimage.
Ttopy Take the Kinks Out.
"I have used Dr. King's New Life
Pills for many years, with increasing
satisfaction. They take the Kinks out
of stomach, liver and bowels, without
fuss or friction," says N. H. Brown,
of Pittsfield, Vt. Guaranteed satis-
CIIARLES GRANT'S
SATURDAY AUCTION.
Charlie Grant, the auctioneer, will
conduct his regular Saturday auction
at Auction Corner, Saturday, Decem-
ber 12th. He has some good stock
and household goods to sell, begin-
ning at 10 o'clock a. m.
Where Bullets Flew.
David Parker, of Fayette, N. Y., a
veteran of the civil war, who lost a
foot at Gettysburg, says: "The good
Electric Bitters have done is worth
more than five hundred dollars to me.
I spent much money doctoring for a
bad case of stomach trouble, to little
purpose. I then tried Electric Bit-
ters, and they cured me. I now take
them as a tonic, and they keep me
strong and well." 50c at C. O. Boe's
drug store.
DOROTHY'S WALTZ
(^orcherus QSctlzcr.)
JAQUES MENDELSOHN, Op. 16, No. 2.
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Dorothy'* Waltz. 2pp — 2d p.
Copyright, 19C by American Hakxly Co., New York.
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Golobie, John. Oklahoma State Register. (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 10, 1908, newspaper, December 10, 1908; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc112627/m1/3/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.