The headline of the Midland Reporter-Telegram literally screamed. "Officer, Negro Die in Gunfight." The sub-head said "Twin Deaths End Midland Police Chase."
It was November 28, 1961, and in the early morning hours two people died in a shootout, one of them a Midland police officer. This was the first time in the history of Midland that a police officer had been killed in the line of duty by gunfire. It was also the last.
Here's the story from the pages of the MRT. It's a story about a murder, a manhunt, a stolen gun and a shootout. Check it out.
Police Lt. Gordon Smith, Jr., 41-year-old veteran peace officer, was shot and killed early Tuesday by a 23-year-old negro ex-convict being sought for the sex-slaying several hours earlier of a negro woman.
And, although mortally wounded, the normally easy-going officer fatally shot the negro, identified as Johnny Lee Douglas, with a burst from a submachine gun.
Both Lieutenant Smith and the negro ex-convict were pronounced dead on arrival at Midland Memorial Hospital shortly before 7 a.m.
The bullet entered Smith's right chest and penetrated the heart.
The gun battle climaxed an intensive nightlong search which began with the finding of the scantily-clad negro woman in an apartment at the rear of 1508 East Industrial Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. Monday.
The woman, dressed only in a slip and brassiere, was identified as 34-year-old Gladys Marie Crockett, 507 South Jackson Street.
Deputy Disarmed
Midland police joined by sheriff's deputies, state highway patrolmen and Stanton officers, immediately launched the search, intensified when the suspect attacked Deputy Sheriff Melvin Simmons in a negro beer tavern and fled with his .357 Magnum revolver - the same weapon used in the slaying of Lieutenant Smith.
Traffic Lt. John Farrell, who was at Smith's side when he died, said he and his fellow officer were riding together about 6:30 a.m. when he finally spotted the negro fugitive.
The traffic officer, who normally works during the daytime, joined the manhunt shortly after 4 a.m. and began riding in the patrol car with Smith.
"Smitty said he was tired from driving all night and asked me to take the wheel," Farrell said.
Fugitive Sighted
"We were driving north on Terrell Street and had just turned to the east on Industrial Avenue when my headlights picked up this negro man, walking down the street about a block away.
"He immediately started running when the light hit him."
The officer speeded up.
"There he goes, Farrell shouted, and his companion began preparing his machine gun for firing.
At South Mineola Street, the negro ducked between two houses and darted up an alley running from East Wall Street to East Texas street and between South Mineola and South Marshall Streets.
The two officers radioed for assistance and police cars, including that of Police Chief Harold Wallace, began converging on the area.
Chased On Foot
"Smitty and I bolted out of the car," said Farrell, and "started after him on foot thought the littered backyards.
"He jumped over this sheet iron fence, which must have been seven feet tall.
"We saw this barrel up against the fence and both of us made a dive for it.
"Smitty climbed up first, and I went right up with him. He had the machine gun in his left hand, and I had my right hand, with a revolver in it, around his shoulder to steady myself.
"Smitty never said a word, and suddenly this negro fired one shot.
Machine Gun Burst
"I knew right away Smitty was hit. He grunted and slumped against the fence and about the same time fired a burst from his machine gun. About the time he quit shooting I fired a couple of shots from my revolver.
"Smitty started falling then, and I couldn't hold him up. Both of us fell backway off the barrel and wound up flat on our backs with the machine gun lying across both of us."
Farrell said he brushed the gun away and jumped to his feet.
"Send for an ambulance," he shouted. "We've got an officer down."
The police chief, accompanied by his assistant, Major Isidro Trevino, and Detective Capt. Wayne Taylor, were only about 20 feet away when the gun battle broke out.
Negro's Body Found
They ran to the fence, kicked though the sheet iron and found the negro man face down about 30 feet form where Smith was felled.
Justice of the Peace D. M. (Doc) Ellis, who conducted a coronery inquest, later said six bullet holes were counted in Douglas' body, all of them apparently shot from the rear.
Farrell said the negro turned an started to run immediately after firing the first show.
Although, two spent shells were found in the gun the negro clutched, witnesses said they heard only the one shot.
The tragic night began shortly after 10 p.m. Monday when a negro man identified as James A. Polk returned to his apartment on East Industrial Street and found the negro woman's body stretched on the bed.
Police were called and an investigation was launched.
The negro woman apparently had been strangled to death and there were several scratch marks on her throat.
She clutched $6 in cash in her left hand.
Investigating officers learned that she had been seen a short time earlier with Douglas in a negro beer tavern in the 1500 block of East Industrial Avenue.
Although Douglas had been in Midland only tow weeks, coming here from Oklahoma, where he reportedly had served a prison sentence for burglary, officers were able to learn his name and obtain a description within a short time.
Spotted In Tavern
He was described as being about five feet, six inches tall and wearing a pair of overall, covered by a light top coat.
At 12:55 a.m., Deputy Simmons walked into a beer tavern on East Texas Street near the intersection with North Lee Street.
He spotted two negro men, both wearing overalls and fitting the description, sitting in a booth.
He calmly ordered them against a wall, searched them and then ordered one man to turn around. As he turned, he reported later, he kicked the officer with his foot and struck his gun hand with his fist.
The gun fell to the floor and both mad a dive for it. During the struggle, the negro man grabbed the gun and struck Simmons over the head with it, dazing him momentarily.
Douglas then jumped to his feet and leveled the revolver at Simmon's head.
"Don't shoot that man!" several others spectators in the tavern shouted.
Three men jumped between the two and Douglas whirled an fled through the door.
Road blocks were set up on all highway entrances in the city as the manhunt was intensified.
All-Night Search
Though the night, the search continued with about 40 police officers taking part.
Chief Wallace also was summoned from his home and personally directed the manhunt through the night.
Smith, father of five children had been in police work the last 15 years.
A native of Sherman, he attended school there and during World War II was wounded twice while serving with the U.S. Marines in the South Pacific.
Arrangements Pend
Returning home in 1946, he joined the Sherman Police Department and rose to the rank of captain before joining the Midland Police department in April, 1953. He resided at 303 East Oak Street.
Funeral arrangements pend at the Newnie W. Ellis Chapel, and the body will be forwarded to Sherman for interment.
Surviving are the widow; three daughters, Mrs. Jim Forney of Sherman and Becky Smith, eight, and Shelie Smith, six, of Midland; two sons, Michael Smith, 15, and Pat Smith, 11, and the father, Gordon Smith, Sr., of Sherman.
An entry for Lt. Smith can be found at the Officer Down Memorial .
As part of series on Midland history, let's have a look at one of the many famous people who passed through these parts.