Fatal Shot Fired By Cecil Quaintance

QUAINTANCE, OLIVER, DOYLE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 1/13/2014 at 13:43:55

The Grinnell (IA) Herald
Friday, June 21, 1918

SHOT WITHOUT WARNING
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William Oliver, Young Farmer Near
Montezuma, Is Instantly
Killed.
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FATAL SHOT IS FIRED
BY CECIL QUAINTANCE
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Charge From Shotgun in the Hands
of 16 Year Old boy, Strikes Vic-
tim in Forehead.
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A shotgun, in the hands of Cecil Quaintance, a 16 year old boy, dealt out instant death on Wednesday morning to William Oliver, 26 years old, east of Beulah in the Montezuma neighborhood. The full charge entered the forehead of the victim.

Oliver had started to the barn about 5 o'clock in the morning to do the feeding. When he was within a few feet of the entrance, Quaintance stepped out and fired. Oliver fell dead. There had never been words between the two or trouble of any kind. After killing Oliver, the boy threatened to kill the terrified wife of his victim but changed his mind and went away. Mrs. Oliver ran out of the house after she heard the shot that killed her husband.

Quaintance was arrested by Sheriff Lamb at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Quaintance, on the Kinyon farm, near the farm occupied by the Olivers. At first he denied his guilt, but later admitted it and revealed the hiding place of the gun.

Some weeks ago young Quaintance took a horse from Ed. Mann's barn and was found next morning in a barn on the Kinyon place with the animal. He was brought to Montezuma and gave bond. He has acted strangely at times and the Montezuma Republican states that it is thought he is subject to emotional insanity.

Oliver was born in Missouri nearly twenty-six years ago. He was married in 1914 to a daughter of E.C. Doyle, who is well known to a number of Grinnell people. The Republican says: "He was a splendid young man, industrious and ambitious. His home life was ideal and he enjoyed the esteem and respect of all who knew him. His death is indeed sad."

Coroner J.H. Friend impanelled a jury consisting of Clyde McFarlin, C.M. Powers and E.D. Rayburn which found that deceased came to his death from a gun-shot wound from a gun probably in the hands of Cecil Quaintance.