John Cunningham Died In State Pen Injury Caused When He Was Shot in Gun Battle With Officers Near Duncan Over Two Years Ago Submitted by: Mollie Stehno

John B. Cunningham, one of three brothers, formerly of near Grandfield, serving life sentences in the state penitentiary at McAlester for murdering W. A. Williams, former sheriff of Stephens county, died in the state penitentiary July 29. The body was taken to Duncan, where his aged parents reside, and buried the following Sunday at county expense.

John Cunningham was one of the four brothers who made a spectacular gun fight for freedom about six miles north of Duncan on the night of May 12, 1930, which resulted in the slaying of Sheriff W. A. Williams and killing of Forrest Cunningham. John was shot in the kidney and his brother, Manuel, in the spine. A younger brother, Jess escaped but was captured later at Gunnison, Colorado.

Relatives were surprised to learn of the death. They had believed that John Cunningham, while seriously wounded, would eventually recover.

The basis for this belief probably was the fact that his brother, Manuel, who was shot in the spine, was considered the more seriously injured of the two. Manuel was paralyzed while in jail at Duncan and probably will be the rest of his life as the result of the bullet injury to his spine.

John died of an intestinal obstruction, which developed from the kidney wound received more than two years ago in the gun battle.

The Williams slaying together with the wounding of Police Chief I. B. Gossett, caused the greatest manhunt in this country in years. Sheriff Williams died the morning after the shooting. Gossett lingered between life and death and, after a long fight, recovered.

One of the boys, Forrest Cunningham, and leader, was killed on the spot. The wounded were treated in hospitals at Duncan and then in jail. When Jess was captured in Colorado and brought back, all three decided to plead guilty in exchanger for life sentences. They did on June 28, 1930, Manuel being wheeled into district court on a cot. John, who died Friday morning, was able to walk into court for his sentence.

His brothers confessed to a series of bank robberies in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, after the shooting ended their active careers.

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