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Caddo Co. OK - Newspaper
The Minco Minstrel
Submitted by Nancy Charlton 
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25 MAY 1905

Caddo County is to have a legal hanging, if nothing prevents July 7th. R.A. 
Wright convicted of murder at the last term of county, will be hung at 
Anadarko on that date.
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9 Jun 1905

The old soldiers of East Walnut, Canadian County, and Lone Rock Township, 
Caddo County, met at the Lone Rock schoolhouse on Memorial Day. After some 
appropriate exercise they preceded to the Hazel Dell Cemetery, where sleep 
three comrades. We understand they have formed a Memorial Association. We 
did not get the names of those who were present.
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9 Jun 1905

Logan Billingsley, who has been on trial at Anadarko for the killing of A.C. 
Wheatley, has been convicted on manslaughter in the second degree.
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FRIDAY 21 Jul 1905

TWO MEN DEAD AS THE RESULT OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT QUARREL

Near Cogar post office, about twelve miles west of Minco, Thursday, July 13, 
occurred the most fatal and disastrous shooting affair that has happened 
since the new county was opened to settlement. Over a comparatively trivial 
matter, two men are dead and two are in the Anadarko jail charged with murder. 
Two widows and three small children are left without the care of husband and 
father, all on account of a dispute over a trivial office that there isn't 
even a salary attached. 

As near as can be ascertained, it seems that Thurston Renfro one of the men 
killed, had served one year as clerk of his school district, and was entitled 
to another year, but at the annual school election M. C. Reddington was 
elected clerk, Renfro refused to give up the books and records of that office, 
claiming that Reddington's election was illegal. A writ of replevin for the 
books of the district was then gotten out, but Renfro won the case. A warrant 
for his arrest was then issued by justice Britton and given to Constable Ed 
Plowman to serve. The constable went to Renfro's house accompanied by Tom 
Gibbons, the director for the district, and wanted to search the house for 
the books, which Renfro would not allow them to so without a search warrant. 

Just how the shooting commenced, is not known. The only witness was 
John Berry, and he was considerably excited. From the position of the bodies 
when found, it looks as if plowman had started around the house to the back 
door and was shot in the back with a rifle, Gibbons stating that Renfro 
grabbed the gun and commenced shooting. Renfro and Gibbons then had a fierce 
fight in the house, Gibbons according to his story, being shot in the hand 
while struggling to obtain possession of the rifle, and then shot Renfro 
twice through the body with a revolver, the man falling dead in the front 
room of the house. Some of the neighbors think that Gibbons shot both men. 
After the shooting Gibbons went away and was joined by Reddington, and both 
men went to Anadarko and gave themselves up. Plougman, the constable had 
nothing to so with the school quarrel. He formerly lived at Union City and 
leaves a wife and three children, Renfro's body was taken to Oklahoma City 
for burial Friday. He leaves a wife who is prostrate over his untimely death.

There is great indignation in the neighborhood against Gibbons and Reddington, 
the neighbors generally seeming to think that Renfro was in the right.
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