William Forrest Tatton, aged 14 years, 10 months and 6 days, and son of Mrs. H. C. Marshall of Charleston, Okla., and of Henry Tatton, whose home is near Coy, was killed suddenly about noon on last Sunday, September 21, 1919, on the banks of the Cimarron River southwest of this city, while returning from near Coy to his mother's home near Charleston, 27 miles south of Protection. He attended the county fair in this city week before last and went from here to the Coy neighborhood.On Sunday he and two other young men were on their way to the Marshall home. They drove a team and buggy. Forrest had with him in the buggy a shotgun which was loaded with an ordinary load of shot. The boys started to cross the Cimarron at a point where there was no regularly traveled road. As they approached the bank, which is lined thickly with willows, the buggy was partially tipped over an embankment. Forrest was sitting on the knees of the other boys and was holding in his hands the shotguns, the butt of which rested on the bottom of the buggy. It happened that there was a hole in the bottom of the buggy near the front, and as the buggy was partially overturned the gun slid through the hole. Forrest, who still held onto the end of the gun, attempted to draw it back through the hole in the buggy bed and in doing so the hammer was struck in such a manner that the gun was caused to be discharged. The entire contents of the barrel was emptied into the young man's left breast just above the heart, the shot ranging upward. He stepped out of the buggy and remarked, "Boys, I am shot." Those were his last words. In a very short time he was dead. The load had penetrated the upper part of the chest and badly shattered the collar bone and completely severed a large artery.
The body was brought to this city on Tuesday for burial. Funeral services were held from the Methodist Episcopal church, the pastor, Rev. L. F. Abernethy, being in charge. The sad ending of this young life elicits the heartfelt sympathy of all. Forrest was a dutiful and trustworthy young man and was well liked by all his associates. For about three years he lived with his mother in this city and attended the M. E. Sunday school and the public schools. Most of his life has been spent in Woods-co., Okla., where he was born on November 13, 1904. His father, Henry Tatton, is well known in this county. Besides his father and mother, Forrest is survived by one sister, Laura Leota, aged 9.
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