Hansford County Biographies

Sheriff Robert E. Martin
submitted by Oneida Swickard Bynum

Transcribed from the book “ A Search for Opportunity,” by Dottie Jones, 1965

COUNTY TRAGEDY

Hansford County encountered its first major tragedy January 26,1911 when the County Sheriff, Robert Eli (Bob) Martin was killed by the fatal bullet from the gun of Phil Fifer. Bob Martin had served the county as sheriff from November 11,1908 until the time of his death. The scene of the shooting was on the Fifer Land on the Cold Water some twelve miles northwest of the present town of Gruver.

Fifer was not happy with a fence line which divided his property and was changing the line to his own likings. Sheriff Martin had warned him that this line was not to be tampered with but his fence was moved.

A U.S. Marshall was called into the case to settle the dispute. The Sheriff and Marshall went to the Fifer ranch to discuss the matter and come to an agreement. Upon their arrival they found fifer not home and returned later in the evening when a light appeared in his home.

The two men waited in front of the house and called to Fifer to come out to talk with them. Instead of coming out Fifer fired a shot from his double barrel shot gun from the barn which killed sheriff Martin. The Marshall left for fear he would shoot again and fifer became frightened and went to the Johnson home in the Oslo Community for help and to find someone to take him to the law office. He was taken to the county seat and sent to prison following his trial in court.

the death of Sheriff Bob Martin left behind his wife and nine children, Clarence, Millard, Max, Chip, Minnie, Ray, Robert, Bill and Lillie. the couple moved to Hansford County in 1906 and settled in the black Community to the east of what is now Spearman. Sheriff Martin was buried in the Black Cemetery.

NOTE; Sheriff Martin’s body was moved in the 1970’s to Hansford Cemetery, along with that of a young daughter when the Black cemetery was closed. Many of his descendants still call Hansford County home and several of his descendants have gone into Law Enforcement.

transcribed from Hansford History, Vol. I

R.E. (Bob) Martin Murder
Hansford County History 1876-1979

Page 14

The Phil Fifer Ranch, on the Coldwater Creek, 12 miles northwest of the present town of Gruver was the scene of the murder of Sheriff R.E.Martin. There was a boundary dispute between Fifer and neighbor, Norton. A U.S. Marshall, L.J. Bolton, came from Amarillo to Hansford to talk with Fifer about a Federal Court ruling which was in the Norton favor

Sheriff Martin accompanied Bolton to the Fifer place. When they arrived, Fifer ran to the barn and went into a calf shed. Martin called to him to come out. Fifer returned the call with a shot from a shotgun, which entered the stomach of Martin. Bolton, the U.S. Marshall, panicked and fled to the neighbors. The shot fired from the shotgun proved to be fatal to Sheriff Martin and he succumbed January 26,1911.

Fifer was arrested by Ochiltree County Sheriff, Sid Talley. He was taken to the Lipscomb County jail for safety until the trial. The trial was held in Lipscomb, fifer was sentenced to prison, he appealed the case. The Court of Criminal Appeals at Austin upheld the conviction.

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This page was last updated February 6, 2005.