From his death certificate: A. J. Fields born 6th of March 1877, in Arkansas, was shot and killed by an officer on the 6th April 1915, in Holcomb, Dunklin County, Missouri.
Following from Dunklin Democrat, Friday, April 9, 1915, page 1: KILLS MAN IN SELF DEFENSE; A.J. Fields was shot and instantly killed by Constable O.L. Northington, in the public road near Holcomb, Tuesday, April 6th. Northington, assisted by Arthur Toole, had just placed Fields companion, Jeff Beshears, under arrest, on a warrant from the authorities in charge of the Arkansas penitentiary, accompanied by a requisition; Beshears being an escaped convict. Having been warned that Beshears was a dangerous man, Northington took a shot gun with him and had covered Beshears with it while he had Toole handcuff him. After handcuffing Beshears, a move on Fields part arousing his suspicion, he commanded him to move off down the road. Fields stated that he wanted to get his oil can before he left (he and Beshears were riding bicycles and had stopped to oil them, so they said) and after making a move to pick the can up off of the ground and diverting Northingtons's attention, he attempted to draw his revolver from his right hand pants pocket; before he could draw it, however; Northington covered him with his shot gun and started to take the revolver away from him, when J.N Mansfield who happened along just as the officer made the arrest hallowed "look out," and as Northington turned he discovered that Beshears had drawn his revolver and had it in his two hands leveled at the officer, and before Northington could turn his gun on him. Beshears fired the shot taking effect in and breaking Northington's right arm. Northington then brought his gun up and fired at Beshears, but as he did so, Fields knocked the barrel up and the shot went over Beshears head. All then began trying to take advantage of a tree near the road, "playing hide and seek around it," as Mansfield described it, Beshears firing his revolver at Northington, Fields trying to get his gun out, but which seemed to have hung in his pocket and Northington trying to get in a shot at one or both of them, and finally getting in a shot at Fields, which resulted in his instant death. As fields fell; Beshears made away and Northington fired his two remaining shells at him, and thinks at least one of the shots took effect, though his aim was necessarily bad, being compelled to handle the gun with only his left hand, and having become very weak from loss of blood, the wound in his right arm bleeding profusely.
Beshears made his escape, however, and was last seen entering East Swamp. Coroner Egbert went to Holcomb immediately after being notified of the shooting and held an inquest.
The jury, composed of B. White, OE. Oakes, B.F. James, M.D. Arnold, Sam Arnold and B.T. Thompson, returned the following verdict: "That the deceased came to his death from a gun shot wound , from a gun in the hands of O.L. Northington; and we further find that he was justifiable."
Northington's wounds are serious and very painful, but will not necessarily result in his becoming permanently disabled.
Behears was sill at large at last accounts.
Fields was about forty years of age and was working as a farm hand near Holcomb. So far as we can learn he had never been in any serious trouble before.
Following from Dunklin Democrat, Friday, April 9, 1915, page 1: KILLS MAN IN SELF DEFENSE; A.J. Fields was shot and instantly killed by Constable O.L. Northington, in the public road near Holcomb, Tuesday, April 6th. Northington, assisted by Arthur Toole, had just placed Fields companion, Jeff Beshears, under arrest, on a warrant from the authorities in charge of the Arkansas penitentiary, accompanied by a requisition; Beshears being an escaped convict. Having been warned that Beshears was a dangerous man, Northington took a shot gun with him and had covered Beshears with it while he had Toole handcuff him. After handcuffing Beshears, a move on Fields part arousing his suspicion, he commanded him to move off down the road. Fields stated that he wanted to get his oil can before he left (he and Beshears were riding bicycles and had stopped to oil them, so they said) and after making a move to pick the can up off of the ground and diverting Northingtons's attention, he attempted to draw his revolver from his right hand pants pocket; before he could draw it, however; Northington covered him with his shot gun and started to take the revolver away from him, when J.N Mansfield who happened along just as the officer made the arrest hallowed "look out," and as Northington turned he discovered that Beshears had drawn his revolver and had it in his two hands leveled at the officer, and before Northington could turn his gun on him. Beshears fired the shot taking effect in and breaking Northington's right arm. Northington then brought his gun up and fired at Beshears, but as he did so, Fields knocked the barrel up and the shot went over Beshears head. All then began trying to take advantage of a tree near the road, "playing hide and seek around it," as Mansfield described it, Beshears firing his revolver at Northington, Fields trying to get his gun out, but which seemed to have hung in his pocket and Northington trying to get in a shot at one or both of them, and finally getting in a shot at Fields, which resulted in his instant death. As fields fell; Beshears made away and Northington fired his two remaining shells at him, and thinks at least one of the shots took effect, though his aim was necessarily bad, being compelled to handle the gun with only his left hand, and having become very weak from loss of blood, the wound in his right arm bleeding profusely.
Beshears made his escape, however, and was last seen entering East Swamp. Coroner Egbert went to Holcomb immediately after being notified of the shooting and held an inquest.
The jury, composed of B. White, OE. Oakes, B.F. James, M.D. Arnold, Sam Arnold and B.T. Thompson, returned the following verdict: "That the deceased came to his death from a gun shot wound , from a gun in the hands of O.L. Northington; and we further find that he was justifiable."
Northington's wounds are serious and very painful, but will not necessarily result in his becoming permanently disabled.
Behears was sill at large at last accounts.
Fields was about forty years of age and was working as a farm hand near Holcomb. So far as we can learn he had never been in any serious trouble before.
From his death certificate: A. J. Fields born 6th of March 1877, in Arkansas, was shot and killed by an officer on the 6th April 1915, in Holcomb, Dunklin County, Missouri.
Following from Dunklin Democrat, Friday, April 9, 1915, page 1: KILLS MAN IN SELF DEFENSE; A.J. Fields was shot and instantly killed by Constable O.L. Northington, in the public road near Holcomb, Tuesday, April 6th. Northington, assisted by Arthur Toole, had just placed Fields companion, Jeff Beshears, under arrest, on a warrant from the authorities in charge of the Arkansas penitentiary, accompanied by a requisition; Beshears being an escaped convict. Having been warned that Beshears was a dangerous man, Northington took a shot gun with him and had covered Beshears with it while he had Toole handcuff him. After handcuffing Beshears, a move on Fields part arousing his suspicion, he commanded him to move off down the road. Fields stated that he wanted to get his oil can before he left (he and Beshears were riding bicycles and had stopped to oil them, so they said) and after making a move to pick the can up off of the ground and diverting Northingtons's attention, he attempted to draw his revolver from his right hand pants pocket; before he could draw it, however; Northington covered him with his shot gun and started to take the revolver away from him, when J.N Mansfield who happened along just as the officer made the arrest hallowed "look out," and as Northington turned he discovered that Beshears had drawn his revolver and had it in his two hands leveled at the officer, and before Northington could turn his gun on him. Beshears fired the shot taking effect in and breaking Northington's right arm. Northington then brought his gun up and fired at Beshears, but as he did so, Fields knocked the barrel up and the shot went over Beshears head. All then began trying to take advantage of a tree near the road, "playing hide and seek around it," as Mansfield described it, Beshears firing his revolver at Northington, Fields trying to get his gun out, but which seemed to have hung in his pocket and Northington trying to get in a shot at one or both of them, and finally getting in a shot at Fields, which resulted in his instant death. As fields fell; Beshears made away and Northington fired his two remaining shells at him, and thinks at least one of the shots took effect, though his aim was necessarily bad, being compelled to handle the gun with only his left hand, and having become very weak from loss of blood, the wound in his right arm bleeding profusely.
Beshears made his escape, however, and was last seen entering East Swamp. Coroner Egbert went to Holcomb immediately after being notified of the shooting and held an inquest.
The jury, composed of B. White, OE. Oakes, B.F. James, M.D. Arnold, Sam Arnold and B.T. Thompson, returned the following verdict: "That the deceased came to his death from a gun shot wound , from a gun in the hands of O.L. Northington; and we further find that he was justifiable."
Northington's wounds are serious and very painful, but will not necessarily result in his becoming permanently disabled.
Behears was sill at large at last accounts.
Fields was about forty years of age and was working as a farm hand near Holcomb. So far as we can learn he had never been in any serious trouble before.
Following from Dunklin Democrat, Friday, April 9, 1915, page 1: KILLS MAN IN SELF DEFENSE; A.J. Fields was shot and instantly killed by Constable O.L. Northington, in the public road near Holcomb, Tuesday, April 6th. Northington, assisted by Arthur Toole, had just placed Fields companion, Jeff Beshears, under arrest, on a warrant from the authorities in charge of the Arkansas penitentiary, accompanied by a requisition; Beshears being an escaped convict. Having been warned that Beshears was a dangerous man, Northington took a shot gun with him and had covered Beshears with it while he had Toole handcuff him. After handcuffing Beshears, a move on Fields part arousing his suspicion, he commanded him to move off down the road. Fields stated that he wanted to get his oil can before he left (he and Beshears were riding bicycles and had stopped to oil them, so they said) and after making a move to pick the can up off of the ground and diverting Northingtons's attention, he attempted to draw his revolver from his right hand pants pocket; before he could draw it, however; Northington covered him with his shot gun and started to take the revolver away from him, when J.N Mansfield who happened along just as the officer made the arrest hallowed "look out," and as Northington turned he discovered that Beshears had drawn his revolver and had it in his two hands leveled at the officer, and before Northington could turn his gun on him. Beshears fired the shot taking effect in and breaking Northington's right arm. Northington then brought his gun up and fired at Beshears, but as he did so, Fields knocked the barrel up and the shot went over Beshears head. All then began trying to take advantage of a tree near the road, "playing hide and seek around it," as Mansfield described it, Beshears firing his revolver at Northington, Fields trying to get his gun out, but which seemed to have hung in his pocket and Northington trying to get in a shot at one or both of them, and finally getting in a shot at Fields, which resulted in his instant death. As fields fell; Beshears made away and Northington fired his two remaining shells at him, and thinks at least one of the shots took effect, though his aim was necessarily bad, being compelled to handle the gun with only his left hand, and having become very weak from loss of blood, the wound in his right arm bleeding profusely.
Beshears made his escape, however, and was last seen entering East Swamp. Coroner Egbert went to Holcomb immediately after being notified of the shooting and held an inquest.
The jury, composed of B. White, OE. Oakes, B.F. James, M.D. Arnold, Sam Arnold and B.T. Thompson, returned the following verdict: "That the deceased came to his death from a gun shot wound , from a gun in the hands of O.L. Northington; and we further find that he was justifiable."
Northington's wounds are serious and very painful, but will not necessarily result in his becoming permanently disabled.
Behears was sill at large at last accounts.
Fields was about forty years of age and was working as a farm hand near Holcomb. So far as we can learn he had never been in any serious trouble before.
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