Frederick W. Scherubel

OFFICERS PROBING SCHERUBEL DEATH

Lengthy Inquest Held Over Body; Witnesses Closely Examined

REFERENCE TO WOUND
            No Powder Marks, Feature; Previous Trouble With Cooks Related
Grave doubts that the gun lying on the floor of the bathroom in which was found Thursday afternoon, the lifeless body of Frederick W. Scherubel, manager of the Skirvin hotel, was the one which caused his death, was injected into the inquest over the body of Mr. Scherubel, conducted Friday afternoon in the office of Justice T. F. Donnell. The basis for a murder theory instead of suicide, as universally accepted Thursday night, was laid at the hearing, but the theory itself was not advanced.

Lines of questioning calculated to bring out the fact that some person other than Scherubel himself had something to do with his death and that the wounds causing his death were not self-inflicted, were taken up by Assistant County Attorney Archie L. Hilpirt, asaleted by John W. Choate, who conducted the examination of the witnesses. All witnesses examined Friday afternoon who had viewed the body were questioned as to the presence of absence of powder marks or burns resulting from the shot fired and as to their opinions regarding the possibility of the shot from a gun the size of the one described leaving no marks of being fired at close range.
Employes of the hotel were questioned as to who was with Mr. Scherubel during the hours preceding the finding of the body as to who first notified the witnesses of Scherubel’s death. Officers of the hotel company and employes were closely questioned as to who last was seen with the deceased.

The inquest was opened at 2 pm. The jurors selected and sworn were W. F. Jones, J. L. Tippett, E. M. Hurry, J. E. Ware, W. R. Walters and S. W. Childs. Witnesses sworn were Dr. H. H. Gipson, house physician of the Skirvin hotel, W. R. Skirvin, president of the Skirvin Hotel company; E. Z. Wallower of Pennsylvania, stockholder in the Skirvin Hotel company; Miss Bryce of the Skirvin hotel; E. L Hahn of the Marshall & Harper Undertaking company; Dr. S. E. Ladd of Wilburton, and ____ Newman, a negro elevator boy in the Skirvin.

Testimony of Gipson
Dr. Gipson stated on the stand the details of the call he had received Thursday afternoon to come from his office in The Oklahoma building to the Skirvin, and the conditions he found on his arrival there. He stated that he was met by W. B. Skirvin and Morris Brown and taken to Mr. Scherubel’s apartments on the third floor of the hotel. On entering he stated that he swore no one in the front room or bedroom and the apartments were empty. Then as he was about to leave, he heard heavy breathing in the bathroom behind the closed door. He opened the door and saw Scheruble lying on the floor with his head in a pool of coagulated blood.

The legs were doubled under the body. The right arm was underneath the head, and a revolver lying a few inches from the outstretched hand. Scherubel was alive with a strong pulse showing. The blood from the wounds had coagulated and formed a clot extending from the mass on the floor to the opening in the wounds. He stated that as the bathroom door was opened and Scherubel’s body revealed, W. B. Skirvin and Morris Brown turned and left the apartments. The Dr. Thomas A. Buchanan, who had been called, came in.

Doctor Gipson testified that he and Doctor Buchanan lifted the body onto the bed in the next room and examined the wounds. He stated that at first glance he saw there was no hope for recovery and merely placed the wounded man in a comfortable position on the bed. The doctor stated that Scherubel lived about forty minutes after he had been found, and died at 4:33 p. m. He refused to express an opinion as to how long Scherubel had been wounded before he was found.
Position of Body
On further questioning Doctor Gipson told of the position of the wounded man and the discovery of a bullet, imbedded in the wall near a stool on which Scherubel was supposed to have been seated.

Scherubel, Frederick W.

Scherubel, Frederick W.