Long ago, my maternal grandfather grandfather told me that his brother Oliver was killed by police while running with Pretty Boy Floyd. He related an incident in which he and his brother parted ways because Oliver ran with a rough crowd, and my grandfather did not.
I researched Floyd extensively and found no evidence that that was true. There’s lots of times when family lore turns out to be just that, lore. This seemed to be one of those times.
A serious researcher should use every tool at their disposal and I do. One day, I ran Oliver’s name through “Find A Grave”. Attached to the photo of Oliver’s headstone was the story of his death in 1928, apparently from a newspaper clipping. It reads as follows:
3/21/1928 POLICE GUN VICTIM DIES (Wednesday)
Kirk Succumbs to Wounds; Wright Undecided On Filing Charges
Oliver Kirk, 24 years old, 334 East Twenty-seventh street, south, died Tuesday night at a hospital here of gunshot wounds inflicted by police Monday night as he fled after frustrated in an attempt to steal an automobile tire near the Morrie Garden, 619 West Main street.
Kirk, an employe of the Long Bed Lumber company, told J.K. Wright, county attorney, that he was forced to steal because his salary was not sufficient to support his family.
George W. Sipes, 19 years old, who was with Kirk, was reported resting nicely. He will recover from wounds inflicted by the police, doctors said.
Mrs. Kirk told police that her husband had started to a drug store to buy medicine for their sick children and that he had asked her to accompany him. When she declined, he took Sipes, his wife’s brother.
Kirk admitted, in his confession, that he was attempting to steal a tire when J.W. Perkins and J.B. Ryan, city detectives, interfered. Kirk said he broke for liberty in his own car and was chased several blocks before being overtaken and forced to halt.
Lucile Kirk, 2 years old, daughter of the dead man, and her baby sister, Betty Mae, 18 months old, are said to have pneumonia.
Wright said Tuesday night that he was undecided as to whether charges will be filed against Perkins and Ryan.
It seems a little extreme for stealing a tire, but this was 1928, back in the gangster days, and likely there was a little more to it than the papers reported, but who can say?
Further research showed that Oliver’s daughters did survive, they grew up and had children of their own.
The source:
There are other stories…..maybe next time
Charles Severs
August 18, 2019
My family has a legend about an ancestor who was a Hessian Soldier and William Severs DOB 1752 seems to be the only candidate. I have found a Hessian DOB 1751 who deserted in Savanna GA in 1782 named Joh. Wilhelm Siebert who was from Metzebach/ Melsungen in HessenKassel with a father Joh. Jost Siebert records in the Marburg Archives but have been unable to prove a connection,or produce any living male for a Y dna test. His area did the calendar change earlier than “The Colonies”. Was there a “standard adjustment” for persons born before the calendar change to calculate DOB and age afterward?? He did live to be 100 and did not seem to b in the Continental army even though his age was perfect to have been. Maybe just on the WRONG SIDE?