The Oklahoman
04-24-1939
p.1
SHOT CRASHES THROUGH DOOR, KILLS WOMAN
Britton Mother of 3 Dies Quickly
BOY IS HELD, FREED
Size of Bullet Clears Suspect
A mystery bullet ripped throught the door of a garage home at Britton a few minutes after noon Sunday and killed Mrs L.E. Cantwell, 26 years old, as she helped her 3-year-old son, LeRoy, wash his hands for dinner.
Mrs Cantwell died within a few minutes. The bullet entered her chest, severed the air passage and an artery, punctured her right lung and ranged downward into her back.
The bullet was apparently shot by a passerby from a side road 75 feet in front of the home, Fred Smith, deputy sheriff in charge of the criminal division said. Neighbors questioned by officers said they did not see anyone pass at the time the fatal shot was fired, nor did they hear the shot.
Youth Is Detained
"About our only hope is to find a witness who saw someone passing the home at about that time," Smith said. He added that he believed the person who fired the shot did not know the garage was occupied.
Bucil L. Davis, 19 years old, Britton, was held in county jail for investigation after officers learned he was shooting at a target with a .22 caliber pistol at his home two blocks away Smith said. But when an autopsy was performed at the Britton funeral home attendants found the fatal pellet was a .45 caliber steel jacket bullet and Davis was released soon after.
Husband Hears Shot
Mrs Cantwell's husband, 43 years old, and their 6-year-old daughter, Ruby, were sitting at the table preparing to eat when the shot was fired. A 1-year-old son, Thomas, was asleep on a bed.
"Mamie (Mrs Cantwell) had just returned thanks and was helping LeRoy wash his hands when I heard the shot," Cantwell said.
"I caught her as she staggered around the table and carried her to the door."
Doctor Called from Church
Roy Cantwell, a brother, who lives in a house on the front of the lot, drove to a drugstore in Britton in search of a doctor. There he learned Dr. L.E. Crick was attending services at the Methodist church.
Bursting into church in the midst of the closing prayer, Cantwell summoned Doctor Crick to the aid of his sister-in-law. Mrs Cantwell was dead when he arrived.
Charles Bell, justice of the peace, called a coroner's jury. They withheld verdict pending further investigation.
C.L. Goughler, city marshal, who was the first officer on the scene, said he had been unable to learn of anyone passing the home when the shot was fired."
Shot Sounds Close
Roy Cantwell said he was working in the back yard and heard the shot, but thought it sounded as though the shot was fired in the garage. A bullet hole through the closed wooden door showed that the shot came from the outside.
Mrs Roy Cantwell was in the bedroom of her home and her mother, Mrs E.B. Tulk, was working in a chicken pen at the back, but neither heard the shot. They were first aware something was wrong when Mrs L.E. Cantwell's husband carried her to the door of their home.
The L.E. Cantwell family lived at Oaks, 70 miles east of Tulsa, until they moved to Britton a week ago. At that time Roy Cantwell converted the garage into a home for his brother's family.
04-24-1939
p.1
SHOT CRASHES THROUGH DOOR, KILLS WOMAN
Britton Mother of 3 Dies Quickly
BOY IS HELD, FREED
Size of Bullet Clears Suspect
A mystery bullet ripped throught the door of a garage home at Britton a few minutes after noon Sunday and killed Mrs L.E. Cantwell, 26 years old, as she helped her 3-year-old son, LeRoy, wash his hands for dinner.
Mrs Cantwell died within a few minutes. The bullet entered her chest, severed the air passage and an artery, punctured her right lung and ranged downward into her back.
The bullet was apparently shot by a passerby from a side road 75 feet in front of the home, Fred Smith, deputy sheriff in charge of the criminal division said. Neighbors questioned by officers said they did not see anyone pass at the time the fatal shot was fired, nor did they hear the shot.
Youth Is Detained
"About our only hope is to find a witness who saw someone passing the home at about that time," Smith said. He added that he believed the person who fired the shot did not know the garage was occupied.
Bucil L. Davis, 19 years old, Britton, was held in county jail for investigation after officers learned he was shooting at a target with a .22 caliber pistol at his home two blocks away Smith said. But when an autopsy was performed at the Britton funeral home attendants found the fatal pellet was a .45 caliber steel jacket bullet and Davis was released soon after.
Husband Hears Shot
Mrs Cantwell's husband, 43 years old, and their 6-year-old daughter, Ruby, were sitting at the table preparing to eat when the shot was fired. A 1-year-old son, Thomas, was asleep on a bed.
"Mamie (Mrs Cantwell) had just returned thanks and was helping LeRoy wash his hands when I heard the shot," Cantwell said.
"I caught her as she staggered around the table and carried her to the door."
Doctor Called from Church
Roy Cantwell, a brother, who lives in a house on the front of the lot, drove to a drugstore in Britton in search of a doctor. There he learned Dr. L.E. Crick was attending services at the Methodist church.
Bursting into church in the midst of the closing prayer, Cantwell summoned Doctor Crick to the aid of his sister-in-law. Mrs Cantwell was dead when he arrived.
Charles Bell, justice of the peace, called a coroner's jury. They withheld verdict pending further investigation.
C.L. Goughler, city marshal, who was the first officer on the scene, said he had been unable to learn of anyone passing the home when the shot was fired."
Shot Sounds Close
Roy Cantwell said he was working in the back yard and heard the shot, but thought it sounded as though the shot was fired in the garage. A bullet hole through the closed wooden door showed that the shot came from the outside.
Mrs Roy Cantwell was in the bedroom of her home and her mother, Mrs E.B. Tulk, was working in a chicken pen at the back, but neither heard the shot. They were first aware something was wrong when Mrs L.E. Cantwell's husband carried her to the door of their home.
The L.E. Cantwell family lived at Oaks, 70 miles east of Tulsa, until they moved to Britton a week ago. At that time Roy Cantwell converted the garage into a home for his brother's family.
The Oklahoman
04-24-1939
p.1
SHOT CRASHES THROUGH DOOR, KILLS WOMAN
Britton Mother of 3 Dies Quickly
BOY IS HELD, FREED
Size of Bullet Clears Suspect
A mystery bullet ripped throught the door of a garage home at Britton a few minutes after noon Sunday and killed Mrs L.E. Cantwell, 26 years old, as she helped her 3-year-old son, LeRoy, wash his hands for dinner.
Mrs Cantwell died within a few minutes. The bullet entered her chest, severed the air passage and an artery, punctured her right lung and ranged downward into her back.
The bullet was apparently shot by a passerby from a side road 75 feet in front of the home, Fred Smith, deputy sheriff in charge of the criminal division said. Neighbors questioned by officers said they did not see anyone pass at the time the fatal shot was fired, nor did they hear the shot.
Youth Is Detained
"About our only hope is to find a witness who saw someone passing the home at about that time," Smith said. He added that he believed the person who fired the shot did not know the garage was occupied.
Bucil L. Davis, 19 years old, Britton, was held in county jail for investigation after officers learned he was shooting at a target with a .22 caliber pistol at his home two blocks away Smith said. But when an autopsy was performed at the Britton funeral home attendants found the fatal pellet was a .45 caliber steel jacket bullet and Davis was released soon after.
Husband Hears Shot
Mrs Cantwell's husband, 43 years old, and their 6-year-old daughter, Ruby, were sitting at the table preparing to eat when the shot was fired. A 1-year-old son, Thomas, was asleep on a bed.
"Mamie (Mrs Cantwell) had just returned thanks and was helping LeRoy wash his hands when I heard the shot," Cantwell said.
"I caught her as she staggered around the table and carried her to the door."
Doctor Called from Church
Roy Cantwell, a brother, who lives in a house on the front of the lot, drove to a drugstore in Britton in search of a doctor. There he learned Dr. L.E. Crick was attending services at the Methodist church.
Bursting into church in the midst of the closing prayer, Cantwell summoned Doctor Crick to the aid of his sister-in-law. Mrs Cantwell was dead when he arrived.
Charles Bell, justice of the peace, called a coroner's jury. They withheld verdict pending further investigation.
C.L. Goughler, city marshal, who was the first officer on the scene, said he had been unable to learn of anyone passing the home when the shot was fired."
Shot Sounds Close
Roy Cantwell said he was working in the back yard and heard the shot, but thought it sounded as though the shot was fired in the garage. A bullet hole through the closed wooden door showed that the shot came from the outside.
Mrs Roy Cantwell was in the bedroom of her home and her mother, Mrs E.B. Tulk, was working in a chicken pen at the back, but neither heard the shot. They were first aware something was wrong when Mrs L.E. Cantwell's husband carried her to the door of their home.
The L.E. Cantwell family lived at Oaks, 70 miles east of Tulsa, until they moved to Britton a week ago. At that time Roy Cantwell converted the garage into a home for his brother's family.
04-24-1939
p.1
SHOT CRASHES THROUGH DOOR, KILLS WOMAN
Britton Mother of 3 Dies Quickly
BOY IS HELD, FREED
Size of Bullet Clears Suspect
A mystery bullet ripped throught the door of a garage home at Britton a few minutes after noon Sunday and killed Mrs L.E. Cantwell, 26 years old, as she helped her 3-year-old son, LeRoy, wash his hands for dinner.
Mrs Cantwell died within a few minutes. The bullet entered her chest, severed the air passage and an artery, punctured her right lung and ranged downward into her back.
The bullet was apparently shot by a passerby from a side road 75 feet in front of the home, Fred Smith, deputy sheriff in charge of the criminal division said. Neighbors questioned by officers said they did not see anyone pass at the time the fatal shot was fired, nor did they hear the shot.
Youth Is Detained
"About our only hope is to find a witness who saw someone passing the home at about that time," Smith said. He added that he believed the person who fired the shot did not know the garage was occupied.
Bucil L. Davis, 19 years old, Britton, was held in county jail for investigation after officers learned he was shooting at a target with a .22 caliber pistol at his home two blocks away Smith said. But when an autopsy was performed at the Britton funeral home attendants found the fatal pellet was a .45 caliber steel jacket bullet and Davis was released soon after.
Husband Hears Shot
Mrs Cantwell's husband, 43 years old, and their 6-year-old daughter, Ruby, were sitting at the table preparing to eat when the shot was fired. A 1-year-old son, Thomas, was asleep on a bed.
"Mamie (Mrs Cantwell) had just returned thanks and was helping LeRoy wash his hands when I heard the shot," Cantwell said.
"I caught her as she staggered around the table and carried her to the door."
Doctor Called from Church
Roy Cantwell, a brother, who lives in a house on the front of the lot, drove to a drugstore in Britton in search of a doctor. There he learned Dr. L.E. Crick was attending services at the Methodist church.
Bursting into church in the midst of the closing prayer, Cantwell summoned Doctor Crick to the aid of his sister-in-law. Mrs Cantwell was dead when he arrived.
Charles Bell, justice of the peace, called a coroner's jury. They withheld verdict pending further investigation.
C.L. Goughler, city marshal, who was the first officer on the scene, said he had been unable to learn of anyone passing the home when the shot was fired."
Shot Sounds Close
Roy Cantwell said he was working in the back yard and heard the shot, but thought it sounded as though the shot was fired in the garage. A bullet hole through the closed wooden door showed that the shot came from the outside.
Mrs Roy Cantwell was in the bedroom of her home and her mother, Mrs E.B. Tulk, was working in a chicken pen at the back, but neither heard the shot. They were first aware something was wrong when Mrs L.E. Cantwell's husband carried her to the door of their home.
The L.E. Cantwell family lived at Oaks, 70 miles east of Tulsa, until they moved to Britton a week ago. At that time Roy Cantwell converted the garage into a home for his brother's family.
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
