The Morning Sentinel
Perry, Oklahoma
20 Apr 1894, Fri • Page 4
Communicated
Editor Morning Sentinel: After the murder of my unfortunate friend E. C. Meek I decided to ship his remains at once to Perry to his loving wife and children. I was met at the Santa Fe depot on my arrival at Perry with the remains, by members of the family and friends of my murdered comrade. The body was taken to the residence of Mrs. Meek on D street, and after the funeral, which was held at the house, the body was buried in Grace Hill cemetery. I sincerely hope that it will never again fall to my lot to witness a scene of a mother and children burying a husband and father who was murdered by a villian while defending the laws of his country.
A. F. McSpadden.
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The Morning Sentinel
Perry, Oklahoma
17 Apr 1894, Tue • Page 1
The Killing of Meek.
Editor Morning Sentinel.
Dear Sir: As there are many untruthful rumors afloat in reference to the circumstances surrounding the murder of E. C. Meek. I send you the following for publication:
Mr. E. C. Meek and myself were enroute from Clifton, Texas, to Perry, and passed through Gainsville on the 13 of April, the day J. W. Crews murdered Mr. Murrell, his wife and son. We found the good citizens of Cook county much excited and enraged, and very anxious to find the murderer. The woods, hills and valleys were covered with men hunting for the criminal. Meek and I talked about the matter and decided to arrest the villian if we saw him in our travels. We got a good discription of him and the next day passed within a few hundred yards of him and at once recognized him. Mr. Meek jumped out of the wagon, and went to the nearest house and borrowed a gun and persued the murderer. As soon as I had got the team out of the road I followed and passed the, lady of whom Meek, borrowed the gun, and she informed me that it was loaded with bird shot. When I over took Meek I told him that the gun he had was loaded with bird shot. He said "I don't care, you get a gun and follow me." I started for the nearest house in search of a gun, but had only gone three or four hundred yards when I heard them commence shooting. I think Meek, with the shotgun, fired the first and third shots and that Crews, with the Winchester, the second, fourth and fifth. I went to two houses but was unable to get a gun so I returned to my starting point, at which place I found some gentlemen had arrived with guns. I borrowed a gun and started after Crews. I met a man on the road who told me that be saw a horse close to the fence, but failing to find the horse where I expected to find it, I started back to get a better discription of the location and was Joined by others. Three went west and another man and I went south. The men who went west found the body of Mr. Meek, called me and I went up to him. Meek wan lying on his right side dead. We afterwards learned that Crews was shot twice by Mr. Meek, who was no doubt the cause of his arrest, for after being wounded, Crews walked down, the railroad to Thackerville, and was arrested the same evening.
All the people we met were very kind and took great interest in the affair.
A. T. McSpadden.