An attempt to outrun law enforcement officers in a stolen 1940 black tudor Ford near Sanford last night and failure to surrender to the two officers brought sudden death to Esteal Ray Christian, 18 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Christian of Sanford.
The youth was shot through the head with a .45 slug fired from the pistol of Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan following a 20 minute chase through the rugged, hilly country twelve miles northwest of Sanford at 11:30 p.m.
Sheriff Dale Lane said that the car, owned by O.E. Bush, 2201 Sanborn street, Amarillo, had been reported stolen. It bears the license number EZ-8827 and had been reported seen in Sanford yesterday. Lane said he dispatched Sullivan and another deputy, Jess Love, to find the car and if possible the person or persons who took it.
Sullivan revealed that he and Love looked for the auto last night but could find no trace so he parked the sheriff's department auto on a side road along the highway and waited.
"Soon the missing auto came by with dim lights glowing and I pulled onto the pavement behind it with my red lights on and the siren going full blast trying to get its driver to stop the vehicle," Sullivan told a Borger News-Herald reporter this morning.
"The driver broke from the highway and took to the dirt road northwest of Sanford. We (Love and I) pulled our pistols and fired shot after shot into the air behind the car trying to stop him," he continued.
"After we had chased him through rugged terrain and mesquite covered hillsides for about 20 minutes, both his car and ours stalled in deep crevices in the breaks. I got out of the car and ran up behind the vehicle and Love approached from the right side.
"As Love neared the car's right side, the occupant leaped from the left door and started toward me with a shiny object in his hand," the deputy recalled.
He said that Deputy Love shouted, "Look out, Woody, he has a pistol," whereby Sullivan ordered the man to halt and "put up your hands."
Sullivan said that the man failed to stop and "I thought it was either him or me so I fired the remaining bullet in my pistol toward his head."
The occupant who was discovered to be Christian, fell with the impact of the bullet face down near the end of the stolen car and died instantly. The bullet entered his left temple and lodged on the right side of his head.
Sullivan said that when they flashed their light on the dead body the right hand of the man clutched a lug wrench that he had apparently intended to use as a bluff to make the officers think he had a pistol or "else he intended to use it another way," Sullivan added.
Dressed in khaki clothing, with an army jacket covering him for warmth, Christian is reported to be AWOL from Company F, 67th ETBN, ETC, Fort Lewis, Washington.
The sheriff's department is in receipt of an official war department bulletin from Ft. Lewis asking local officers to be on the lookout for Esteal Ray Christian, army serial number 'xxxxxxxx', who enlisted at Lubbock on March 23, 1946 for a three year period in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
Sheriff Lane said that Christian was arrested here July 18 on another AWOL charge and in connection with the burglary of the Sanford drug store. He was turned over to army authorities.
Christian's body lies in state at Blackburn-Shaw-Brown funeral home here pending completion of arrangements.
District Attorney Bill McConnell of Perryton arrived in Borger this morning to initiate an investigation of the shooting. He accompanied the sheriff and the two deputies to the scene of the killing at noon.
Sheriff Lane said that he had dispatched the two men in line of duty to carry out his order and in his opinion the shooting was unavoidable.
Jess Love related that from the dim light shining on the instrument in the youth's hand it appeared to be a pistol and said that "I later found that I just had one bullet left in my pistol, too, after firing it in the air in an effort to get the man to stop."
The stolen auto was brought back to the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Dale Lane announced this noon that he had filed charges against Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan charging that "he did unlawfully and willfully kill Esteal Ray Christian by shooting him with a pistol."
The sheriff added that Sullivan had posted bond of $2,500, waived preliminary hearing and was being retained on the county payroll awaiting action of the grand jury.
The filing of charges, he said, was a routine procedure in a case such as this.
(Published in Borger News Herald, November 27, 1946)
-----
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
Name: Estal Ray Christian
Date of Birth: 10 Nov 1928
Gender: Male
Birth County: Wichita
Father's Name: Willie Clent Christian
Mother's Name: Mamie Elizabeth Robertson
Roll Number: 1928_0002
Name: Esteal Ray Christian
Death Date: 26 Nov 1946
Death County: Hutchinson
Certificate: 50914
The youth was shot through the head with a .45 slug fired from the pistol of Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan following a 20 minute chase through the rugged, hilly country twelve miles northwest of Sanford at 11:30 p.m.
Sheriff Dale Lane said that the car, owned by O.E. Bush, 2201 Sanborn street, Amarillo, had been reported stolen. It bears the license number EZ-8827 and had been reported seen in Sanford yesterday. Lane said he dispatched Sullivan and another deputy, Jess Love, to find the car and if possible the person or persons who took it.
Sullivan revealed that he and Love looked for the auto last night but could find no trace so he parked the sheriff's department auto on a side road along the highway and waited.
"Soon the missing auto came by with dim lights glowing and I pulled onto the pavement behind it with my red lights on and the siren going full blast trying to get its driver to stop the vehicle," Sullivan told a Borger News-Herald reporter this morning.
"The driver broke from the highway and took to the dirt road northwest of Sanford. We (Love and I) pulled our pistols and fired shot after shot into the air behind the car trying to stop him," he continued.
"After we had chased him through rugged terrain and mesquite covered hillsides for about 20 minutes, both his car and ours stalled in deep crevices in the breaks. I got out of the car and ran up behind the vehicle and Love approached from the right side.
"As Love neared the car's right side, the occupant leaped from the left door and started toward me with a shiny object in his hand," the deputy recalled.
He said that Deputy Love shouted, "Look out, Woody, he has a pistol," whereby Sullivan ordered the man to halt and "put up your hands."
Sullivan said that the man failed to stop and "I thought it was either him or me so I fired the remaining bullet in my pistol toward his head."
The occupant who was discovered to be Christian, fell with the impact of the bullet face down near the end of the stolen car and died instantly. The bullet entered his left temple and lodged on the right side of his head.
Sullivan said that when they flashed their light on the dead body the right hand of the man clutched a lug wrench that he had apparently intended to use as a bluff to make the officers think he had a pistol or "else he intended to use it another way," Sullivan added.
Dressed in khaki clothing, with an army jacket covering him for warmth, Christian is reported to be AWOL from Company F, 67th ETBN, ETC, Fort Lewis, Washington.
The sheriff's department is in receipt of an official war department bulletin from Ft. Lewis asking local officers to be on the lookout for Esteal Ray Christian, army serial number 'xxxxxxxx', who enlisted at Lubbock on March 23, 1946 for a three year period in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
Sheriff Lane said that Christian was arrested here July 18 on another AWOL charge and in connection with the burglary of the Sanford drug store. He was turned over to army authorities.
Christian's body lies in state at Blackburn-Shaw-Brown funeral home here pending completion of arrangements.
District Attorney Bill McConnell of Perryton arrived in Borger this morning to initiate an investigation of the shooting. He accompanied the sheriff and the two deputies to the scene of the killing at noon.
Sheriff Lane said that he had dispatched the two men in line of duty to carry out his order and in his opinion the shooting was unavoidable.
Jess Love related that from the dim light shining on the instrument in the youth's hand it appeared to be a pistol and said that "I later found that I just had one bullet left in my pistol, too, after firing it in the air in an effort to get the man to stop."
The stolen auto was brought back to the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Dale Lane announced this noon that he had filed charges against Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan charging that "he did unlawfully and willfully kill Esteal Ray Christian by shooting him with a pistol."
The sheriff added that Sullivan had posted bond of $2,500, waived preliminary hearing and was being retained on the county payroll awaiting action of the grand jury.
The filing of charges, he said, was a routine procedure in a case such as this.
(Published in Borger News Herald, November 27, 1946)
-----
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
Name: Estal Ray Christian
Date of Birth: 10 Nov 1928
Gender: Male
Birth County: Wichita
Father's Name: Willie Clent Christian
Mother's Name: Mamie Elizabeth Robertson
Roll Number: 1928_0002
Name: Esteal Ray Christian
Death Date: 26 Nov 1946
Death County: Hutchinson
Certificate: 50914
An attempt to outrun law enforcement officers in a stolen 1940 black tudor Ford near Sanford last night and failure to surrender to the two officers brought sudden death to Esteal Ray Christian, 18 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Christian of Sanford.
The youth was shot through the head with a .45 slug fired from the pistol of Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan following a 20 minute chase through the rugged, hilly country twelve miles northwest of Sanford at 11:30 p.m.
Sheriff Dale Lane said that the car, owned by O.E. Bush, 2201 Sanborn street, Amarillo, had been reported stolen. It bears the license number EZ-8827 and had been reported seen in Sanford yesterday. Lane said he dispatched Sullivan and another deputy, Jess Love, to find the car and if possible the person or persons who took it.
Sullivan revealed that he and Love looked for the auto last night but could find no trace so he parked the sheriff's department auto on a side road along the highway and waited.
"Soon the missing auto came by with dim lights glowing and I pulled onto the pavement behind it with my red lights on and the siren going full blast trying to get its driver to stop the vehicle," Sullivan told a Borger News-Herald reporter this morning.
"The driver broke from the highway and took to the dirt road northwest of Sanford. We (Love and I) pulled our pistols and fired shot after shot into the air behind the car trying to stop him," he continued.
"After we had chased him through rugged terrain and mesquite covered hillsides for about 20 minutes, both his car and ours stalled in deep crevices in the breaks. I got out of the car and ran up behind the vehicle and Love approached from the right side.
"As Love neared the car's right side, the occupant leaped from the left door and started toward me with a shiny object in his hand," the deputy recalled.
He said that Deputy Love shouted, "Look out, Woody, he has a pistol," whereby Sullivan ordered the man to halt and "put up your hands."
Sullivan said that the man failed to stop and "I thought it was either him or me so I fired the remaining bullet in my pistol toward his head."
The occupant who was discovered to be Christian, fell with the impact of the bullet face down near the end of the stolen car and died instantly. The bullet entered his left temple and lodged on the right side of his head.
Sullivan said that when they flashed their light on the dead body the right hand of the man clutched a lug wrench that he had apparently intended to use as a bluff to make the officers think he had a pistol or "else he intended to use it another way," Sullivan added.
Dressed in khaki clothing, with an army jacket covering him for warmth, Christian is reported to be AWOL from Company F, 67th ETBN, ETC, Fort Lewis, Washington.
The sheriff's department is in receipt of an official war department bulletin from Ft. Lewis asking local officers to be on the lookout for Esteal Ray Christian, army serial number 'xxxxxxxx', who enlisted at Lubbock on March 23, 1946 for a three year period in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
Sheriff Lane said that Christian was arrested here July 18 on another AWOL charge and in connection with the burglary of the Sanford drug store. He was turned over to army authorities.
Christian's body lies in state at Blackburn-Shaw-Brown funeral home here pending completion of arrangements.
District Attorney Bill McConnell of Perryton arrived in Borger this morning to initiate an investigation of the shooting. He accompanied the sheriff and the two deputies to the scene of the killing at noon.
Sheriff Lane said that he had dispatched the two men in line of duty to carry out his order and in his opinion the shooting was unavoidable.
Jess Love related that from the dim light shining on the instrument in the youth's hand it appeared to be a pistol and said that "I later found that I just had one bullet left in my pistol, too, after firing it in the air in an effort to get the man to stop."
The stolen auto was brought back to the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Dale Lane announced this noon that he had filed charges against Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan charging that "he did unlawfully and willfully kill Esteal Ray Christian by shooting him with a pistol."
The sheriff added that Sullivan had posted bond of $2,500, waived preliminary hearing and was being retained on the county payroll awaiting action of the grand jury.
The filing of charges, he said, was a routine procedure in a case such as this.
(Published in Borger News Herald, November 27, 1946)
-----
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
Name: Estal Ray Christian
Date of Birth: 10 Nov 1928
Gender: Male
Birth County: Wichita
Father's Name: Willie Clent Christian
Mother's Name: Mamie Elizabeth Robertson
Roll Number: 1928_0002
Name: Esteal Ray Christian
Death Date: 26 Nov 1946
Death County: Hutchinson
Certificate: 50914
The youth was shot through the head with a .45 slug fired from the pistol of Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan following a 20 minute chase through the rugged, hilly country twelve miles northwest of Sanford at 11:30 p.m.
Sheriff Dale Lane said that the car, owned by O.E. Bush, 2201 Sanborn street, Amarillo, had been reported stolen. It bears the license number EZ-8827 and had been reported seen in Sanford yesterday. Lane said he dispatched Sullivan and another deputy, Jess Love, to find the car and if possible the person or persons who took it.
Sullivan revealed that he and Love looked for the auto last night but could find no trace so he parked the sheriff's department auto on a side road along the highway and waited.
"Soon the missing auto came by with dim lights glowing and I pulled onto the pavement behind it with my red lights on and the siren going full blast trying to get its driver to stop the vehicle," Sullivan told a Borger News-Herald reporter this morning.
"The driver broke from the highway and took to the dirt road northwest of Sanford. We (Love and I) pulled our pistols and fired shot after shot into the air behind the car trying to stop him," he continued.
"After we had chased him through rugged terrain and mesquite covered hillsides for about 20 minutes, both his car and ours stalled in deep crevices in the breaks. I got out of the car and ran up behind the vehicle and Love approached from the right side.
"As Love neared the car's right side, the occupant leaped from the left door and started toward me with a shiny object in his hand," the deputy recalled.
He said that Deputy Love shouted, "Look out, Woody, he has a pistol," whereby Sullivan ordered the man to halt and "put up your hands."
Sullivan said that the man failed to stop and "I thought it was either him or me so I fired the remaining bullet in my pistol toward his head."
The occupant who was discovered to be Christian, fell with the impact of the bullet face down near the end of the stolen car and died instantly. The bullet entered his left temple and lodged on the right side of his head.
Sullivan said that when they flashed their light on the dead body the right hand of the man clutched a lug wrench that he had apparently intended to use as a bluff to make the officers think he had a pistol or "else he intended to use it another way," Sullivan added.
Dressed in khaki clothing, with an army jacket covering him for warmth, Christian is reported to be AWOL from Company F, 67th ETBN, ETC, Fort Lewis, Washington.
The sheriff's department is in receipt of an official war department bulletin from Ft. Lewis asking local officers to be on the lookout for Esteal Ray Christian, army serial number 'xxxxxxxx', who enlisted at Lubbock on March 23, 1946 for a three year period in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
Sheriff Lane said that Christian was arrested here July 18 on another AWOL charge and in connection with the burglary of the Sanford drug store. He was turned over to army authorities.
Christian's body lies in state at Blackburn-Shaw-Brown funeral home here pending completion of arrangements.
District Attorney Bill McConnell of Perryton arrived in Borger this morning to initiate an investigation of the shooting. He accompanied the sheriff and the two deputies to the scene of the killing at noon.
Sheriff Lane said that he had dispatched the two men in line of duty to carry out his order and in his opinion the shooting was unavoidable.
Jess Love related that from the dim light shining on the instrument in the youth's hand it appeared to be a pistol and said that "I later found that I just had one bullet left in my pistol, too, after firing it in the air in an effort to get the man to stop."
The stolen auto was brought back to the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Dale Lane announced this noon that he had filed charges against Deputy Sheriff Woody Sullivan charging that "he did unlawfully and willfully kill Esteal Ray Christian by shooting him with a pistol."
The sheriff added that Sullivan had posted bond of $2,500, waived preliminary hearing and was being retained on the county payroll awaiting action of the grand jury.
The filing of charges, he said, was a routine procedure in a case such as this.
(Published in Borger News Herald, November 27, 1946)
-----
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
Name: Estal Ray Christian
Date of Birth: 10 Nov 1928
Gender: Male
Birth County: Wichita
Father's Name: Willie Clent Christian
Mother's Name: Mamie Elizabeth Robertson
Roll Number: 1928_0002
Name: Esteal Ray Christian
Death Date: 26 Nov 1946
Death County: Hutchinson
Certificate: 50914
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Pvt 67 Engr Tng BN
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