Chanute (KS) Tribune, Oct 8, 1942, front page, continued on page 8 - Partial transcription
Negro Dies of Gun Wounds after Committing Holdups and Shooting at Officers: Delbert Adair, 22, scheduled for Army Friday, Slain by Police:
A Negro youth due for Army induction Friday was killed early today by a gun in the hands of police after he fired a rifle at them, and refused to halt while fleeing, following two holdups.
Assistant Chief of Police Luther Wood fired a 12-gauge riot gun at Delbert Delreno Adair, 22, as Adair ran across vacant lots in the east part of town with a stolen .22 rifle, with which he engaged in an exchange of shots with the officers.
Wood said he fired twice in the air and called to Adair to halt and was fired on in return before he lowered his aim to bring Adair down. Adair was dead, when police reached him, with a slug in his heart which entered through the back under the left shoulder blade.
The event tied in with quick happenings just preceding the shooting.
At 12:55 a.m. police received a report that Conlin's Jewelry store window on Main Street had been broken. On the way to the Conklin store in company with Officer Kelly Malson, they received a report over the police car radio of trouble at Frank Young's, 17 South Ashby.
Speeding to Young's place of business, the officers were met by Roland Wiles, route 2, and Hosea Jones, 916 N Steuben, employees of Young. They told the officers that a Negro had taken a .22 rifle belonging to Jones from his car.
Hearing the noise, they said, they went outside and were confronted by the Negro who pointed the gun at them and ordered them to "get back inside."
Near the Louis Porter home, 103 North Ashby, they saw a Negro run northwest with a gun in his hand. Subsequent events developed that Porter was in the process of being held up when police arrived. Officer Malson stopped the car and Assistant Chief Wood got out with the riot gun, recently purchased from Bert Davis, a highway patrolman. Back of 109 North Ashby, Wood said he fired into the air and called to Adair to halt. For answer Adair turned and fired at Wood with the .22 rifle.
Adair was found about 10 paces south of the James A Herrin home at 120 North Malcolm, dead when officers reached the spot......Dr. S.G. Ashley, acting coroner, pronounced Adair dead and he was removed to Wilson-Johnson mortuary, where Knapp and Wood took his fingerprints. In his pockets was found a pint of whiskey, $3.70 and a selective service registration card through which he was identified.
Adair's mother, Mrs Luther Johnson, Burris addition, who has married a second time, was informed of the death of her son and she came to the station with her husband. She told Chief Knapp that Adair had returned from Colorado about 30 days ago. His draft card showed he was registered with local board No. 3 at Denver.
Police recognized Adair as having formerly lived here and a former convict who has given them trouble off and on. He has served a sentence in the Hutchison reformatory for car theft, Chief Knapp said, has been arrested for traffic violations, and a few years ago was suspected of stealing cars for short joy rides, then returning them to the vicinity from which they were taken after a short while.
Adair was born in Centralia, Oklahoma, Sept. 14, 1920, and had lived here 18 years before going to Colorado.
Surviving are his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Johnson; two brothers, Ora Adair, of Fort Devine, MA, and Vernon Adair, of Fort Leavenworth, KS; a half-brother, Donald Johnson; and a half-sister, Bessie Johnson, of Chanute, KS; and two step-brothers, Arthur Johnson, of Claremore, OK, and Eugene Johnson, of Kansas City, KS.
Funeral services have not been arranged.
NOTE: Obituary contributed by F.A.G. member Carolyn Whitaker #47049540, on April 8, 2014.
Negro Dies of Gun Wounds after Committing Holdups and Shooting at Officers: Delbert Adair, 22, scheduled for Army Friday, Slain by Police:
A Negro youth due for Army induction Friday was killed early today by a gun in the hands of police after he fired a rifle at them, and refused to halt while fleeing, following two holdups.
Assistant Chief of Police Luther Wood fired a 12-gauge riot gun at Delbert Delreno Adair, 22, as Adair ran across vacant lots in the east part of town with a stolen .22 rifle, with which he engaged in an exchange of shots with the officers.
Wood said he fired twice in the air and called to Adair to halt and was fired on in return before he lowered his aim to bring Adair down. Adair was dead, when police reached him, with a slug in his heart which entered through the back under the left shoulder blade.
The event tied in with quick happenings just preceding the shooting.
At 12:55 a.m. police received a report that Conlin's Jewelry store window on Main Street had been broken. On the way to the Conklin store in company with Officer Kelly Malson, they received a report over the police car radio of trouble at Frank Young's, 17 South Ashby.
Speeding to Young's place of business, the officers were met by Roland Wiles, route 2, and Hosea Jones, 916 N Steuben, employees of Young. They told the officers that a Negro had taken a .22 rifle belonging to Jones from his car.
Hearing the noise, they said, they went outside and were confronted by the Negro who pointed the gun at them and ordered them to "get back inside."
Near the Louis Porter home, 103 North Ashby, they saw a Negro run northwest with a gun in his hand. Subsequent events developed that Porter was in the process of being held up when police arrived. Officer Malson stopped the car and Assistant Chief Wood got out with the riot gun, recently purchased from Bert Davis, a highway patrolman. Back of 109 North Ashby, Wood said he fired into the air and called to Adair to halt. For answer Adair turned and fired at Wood with the .22 rifle.
Adair was found about 10 paces south of the James A Herrin home at 120 North Malcolm, dead when officers reached the spot......Dr. S.G. Ashley, acting coroner, pronounced Adair dead and he was removed to Wilson-Johnson mortuary, where Knapp and Wood took his fingerprints. In his pockets was found a pint of whiskey, $3.70 and a selective service registration card through which he was identified.
Adair's mother, Mrs Luther Johnson, Burris addition, who has married a second time, was informed of the death of her son and she came to the station with her husband. She told Chief Knapp that Adair had returned from Colorado about 30 days ago. His draft card showed he was registered with local board No. 3 at Denver.
Police recognized Adair as having formerly lived here and a former convict who has given them trouble off and on. He has served a sentence in the Hutchison reformatory for car theft, Chief Knapp said, has been arrested for traffic violations, and a few years ago was suspected of stealing cars for short joy rides, then returning them to the vicinity from which they were taken after a short while.
Adair was born in Centralia, Oklahoma, Sept. 14, 1920, and had lived here 18 years before going to Colorado.
Surviving are his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Johnson; two brothers, Ora Adair, of Fort Devine, MA, and Vernon Adair, of Fort Leavenworth, KS; a half-brother, Donald Johnson; and a half-sister, Bessie Johnson, of Chanute, KS; and two step-brothers, Arthur Johnson, of Claremore, OK, and Eugene Johnson, of Kansas City, KS.
Funeral services have not been arranged.
NOTE: Obituary contributed by F.A.G. member Carolyn Whitaker #47049540, on April 8, 2014.
Chanute (KS) Tribune, Oct 8, 1942, front page, continued on page 8 - Partial transcription
Negro Dies of Gun Wounds after Committing Holdups and Shooting at Officers: Delbert Adair, 22, scheduled for Army Friday, Slain by Police:
A Negro youth due for Army induction Friday was killed early today by a gun in the hands of police after he fired a rifle at them, and refused to halt while fleeing, following two holdups.
Assistant Chief of Police Luther Wood fired a 12-gauge riot gun at Delbert Delreno Adair, 22, as Adair ran across vacant lots in the east part of town with a stolen .22 rifle, with which he engaged in an exchange of shots with the officers.
Wood said he fired twice in the air and called to Adair to halt and was fired on in return before he lowered his aim to bring Adair down. Adair was dead, when police reached him, with a slug in his heart which entered through the back under the left shoulder blade.
The event tied in with quick happenings just preceding the shooting.
At 12:55 a.m. police received a report that Conlin's Jewelry store window on Main Street had been broken. On the way to the Conklin store in company with Officer Kelly Malson, they received a report over the police car radio of trouble at Frank Young's, 17 South Ashby.
Speeding to Young's place of business, the officers were met by Roland Wiles, route 2, and Hosea Jones, 916 N Steuben, employees of Young. They told the officers that a Negro had taken a .22 rifle belonging to Jones from his car.
Hearing the noise, they said, they went outside and were confronted by the Negro who pointed the gun at them and ordered them to "get back inside."
Near the Louis Porter home, 103 North Ashby, they saw a Negro run northwest with a gun in his hand. Subsequent events developed that Porter was in the process of being held up when police arrived. Officer Malson stopped the car and Assistant Chief Wood got out with the riot gun, recently purchased from Bert Davis, a highway patrolman. Back of 109 North Ashby, Wood said he fired into the air and called to Adair to halt. For answer Adair turned and fired at Wood with the .22 rifle.
Adair was found about 10 paces south of the James A Herrin home at 120 North Malcolm, dead when officers reached the spot......Dr. S.G. Ashley, acting coroner, pronounced Adair dead and he was removed to Wilson-Johnson mortuary, where Knapp and Wood took his fingerprints. In his pockets was found a pint of whiskey, $3.70 and a selective service registration card through which he was identified.
Adair's mother, Mrs Luther Johnson, Burris addition, who has married a second time, was informed of the death of her son and she came to the station with her husband. She told Chief Knapp that Adair had returned from Colorado about 30 days ago. His draft card showed he was registered with local board No. 3 at Denver.
Police recognized Adair as having formerly lived here and a former convict who has given them trouble off and on. He has served a sentence in the Hutchison reformatory for car theft, Chief Knapp said, has been arrested for traffic violations, and a few years ago was suspected of stealing cars for short joy rides, then returning them to the vicinity from which they were taken after a short while.
Adair was born in Centralia, Oklahoma, Sept. 14, 1920, and had lived here 18 years before going to Colorado.
Surviving are his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Johnson; two brothers, Ora Adair, of Fort Devine, MA, and Vernon Adair, of Fort Leavenworth, KS; a half-brother, Donald Johnson; and a half-sister, Bessie Johnson, of Chanute, KS; and two step-brothers, Arthur Johnson, of Claremore, OK, and Eugene Johnson, of Kansas City, KS.
Funeral services have not been arranged.
NOTE: Obituary contributed by F.A.G. member Carolyn Whitaker #47049540, on April 8, 2014.
Negro Dies of Gun Wounds after Committing Holdups and Shooting at Officers: Delbert Adair, 22, scheduled for Army Friday, Slain by Police:
A Negro youth due for Army induction Friday was killed early today by a gun in the hands of police after he fired a rifle at them, and refused to halt while fleeing, following two holdups.
Assistant Chief of Police Luther Wood fired a 12-gauge riot gun at Delbert Delreno Adair, 22, as Adair ran across vacant lots in the east part of town with a stolen .22 rifle, with which he engaged in an exchange of shots with the officers.
Wood said he fired twice in the air and called to Adair to halt and was fired on in return before he lowered his aim to bring Adair down. Adair was dead, when police reached him, with a slug in his heart which entered through the back under the left shoulder blade.
The event tied in with quick happenings just preceding the shooting.
At 12:55 a.m. police received a report that Conlin's Jewelry store window on Main Street had been broken. On the way to the Conklin store in company with Officer Kelly Malson, they received a report over the police car radio of trouble at Frank Young's, 17 South Ashby.
Speeding to Young's place of business, the officers were met by Roland Wiles, route 2, and Hosea Jones, 916 N Steuben, employees of Young. They told the officers that a Negro had taken a .22 rifle belonging to Jones from his car.
Hearing the noise, they said, they went outside and were confronted by the Negro who pointed the gun at them and ordered them to "get back inside."
Near the Louis Porter home, 103 North Ashby, they saw a Negro run northwest with a gun in his hand. Subsequent events developed that Porter was in the process of being held up when police arrived. Officer Malson stopped the car and Assistant Chief Wood got out with the riot gun, recently purchased from Bert Davis, a highway patrolman. Back of 109 North Ashby, Wood said he fired into the air and called to Adair to halt. For answer Adair turned and fired at Wood with the .22 rifle.
Adair was found about 10 paces south of the James A Herrin home at 120 North Malcolm, dead when officers reached the spot......Dr. S.G. Ashley, acting coroner, pronounced Adair dead and he was removed to Wilson-Johnson mortuary, where Knapp and Wood took his fingerprints. In his pockets was found a pint of whiskey, $3.70 and a selective service registration card through which he was identified.
Adair's mother, Mrs Luther Johnson, Burris addition, who has married a second time, was informed of the death of her son and she came to the station with her husband. She told Chief Knapp that Adair had returned from Colorado about 30 days ago. His draft card showed he was registered with local board No. 3 at Denver.
Police recognized Adair as having formerly lived here and a former convict who has given them trouble off and on. He has served a sentence in the Hutchison reformatory for car theft, Chief Knapp said, has been arrested for traffic violations, and a few years ago was suspected of stealing cars for short joy rides, then returning them to the vicinity from which they were taken after a short while.
Adair was born in Centralia, Oklahoma, Sept. 14, 1920, and had lived here 18 years before going to Colorado.
Surviving are his mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Johnson; two brothers, Ora Adair, of Fort Devine, MA, and Vernon Adair, of Fort Leavenworth, KS; a half-brother, Donald Johnson; and a half-sister, Bessie Johnson, of Chanute, KS; and two step-brothers, Arthur Johnson, of Claremore, OK, and Eugene Johnson, of Kansas City, KS.
Funeral services have not been arranged.
NOTE: Obituary contributed by F.A.G. member Carolyn Whitaker #47049540, on April 8, 2014.
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