Last Sunday, December 23, 1917, between the hours of 3 and 4 o’clock in the afternoon occurred a shooting affray at
Crawford, Oklahoma in which John Zinkins was shot by Bill Miller.
From the reports of the shooting, it seems that there had been some bad feeling existing between these men for several months,
which was the outgrowth of a business transaction between Jim Zinkins, a brother of the man who was shot, and Bill Miller.
Zinkins lambasted one of Miller’s boy, which prompted Miller to pommel him. After these encounters the feeling gradually
grew worse until it reached a climax last Sunday afternoon in Crawford when the tragedy occurred.
According to the only eye witness, Miller started across the street from Roberts’ Store toward Flewelling’s Blacksmith Shop,
when Zinkins followed after him. Zinkins attracted his attention by making some kind of insulting remark. Miller turned around
and told Zinkins that he was a liar. Zinkins made a motion toward his hip pocket when Miller drew a 32 Special and fired,
the bullet taking effect in Zinkin’s left side and lodged somewhere in the spinal column, which produced paralysis
of the lower limbs. Zinkins was only bluffing as he had no side arms on his person.
He was brought to this place for medical attention Sunday night and was removed to the Clinton Hospital Wednesday afternoon,
where he died early Thursday morning, December 27, 1917.
Miller is held in the County Jail at this place awaiting trial. He has a family that resides near Crawford, Oklahoma.
Zinkins said that he had a wife at Seattle, Washington, but would not consent to have her notified of the tragedy.
He also has a brother, Jim Zinkins, who is said to be some where in Oklahoma City, but his address is not known.
Cheyenne Star, December 27, 1917
Cheyenne Star, December 27, 1917