Henryetta Daily Free-Lance (George Riley Hall, Editor & Publisher)

Sept. 1, 1921

ONCE PAROLED BOY BURGLAR AGAIN IN JAIL

On May 12, 1921, Ben Hodges, a 16-year-old boy, was charged in an information filed in the superior court, with having entered the dwelling house of J. W. Swinford, forcibly in the night time and taking there from a revolver of the value of $30.

The boy was thus formally charged with burglary and on July 23, 2021, entered a plea of guilty in the superior court and was sentenced to two years imprisonment in the state reformatory in Granite.

Judge Christopher gave the boy a lecture and said as this was his first offense he wanted to give him a chance and was going to do so. He then paroled him, during good behavior and told the boy he must behave and to report to the court once each month. Hugh J. O’Conner, deputy court clerk, said today the boy had never made any report to the court.

Yesterday evening George Williams, deputy sheriff, said he had picked up the boy and placed him in the city jail; that he would be held there until Judge Christopher arrived here Tuesday or be taken to the county jail at Okmulgee. The officer said the boy had been loafing around in bad company, had been shooting craps and had not complied with the court’s instructions in any way.

NO CRIMINAL TRIALS SUPERIOR COURT NOW

OKMULGEE, Sept. 1 – Superior Judge H. R. Christopher returned yesterday from Chicago and other northern points where he has spent a month’s vacation.

Upon his return he announced that the criminal term of superior court called by September 9 will not be held. It became necessary to withdraw the order calling for the term of court when the county attorney said he would not be prepared to go to trial in any criminal cases by that time.

A civil term of superior court will begin September 19, which will last for possibly two weeks.

BURNT SHALE ROADS

Commissioner Liggett has just completed a stretch of road leading out nearly to Bryant, southwest form here, and has treated it to a top dressing of burnt shale. It may not be out of place here to say that burnt shale is the result of spontaneous combustion in the great heaps of shale thrown out by the coal mines here. The slate taken from the strata of coal is dumped out as waste, and in the course of years there appears long hills of this material. It contains enough carbonaceous substance to supply much heat, which follows its piling up as stated. These little hills of shale burn from Christmas to Christmas, smoldering away as if some demon kept the fires kindled. But all the time it is purely spontaneous combustion going on inside the dumps of shale.

A result of this great heat is to bring the slate colored shale to a dark red color. This is noticed when brick are made of pulverized shale. It is gray or slate in color at first, but the action of high temperature changes the color to dark red, and thus fine red bricks are made.

Mr. Liggett took a dump of this shale at the Victoria mine, five miles down the Frisco, and after bringing the road to the proper grade, gave it a coating of this burnt shale about a foot thick. After it was put on as evenly as possible, it was subjected to the crushing process of rolling with a big heavy roller. After the work was completed the road takes on a nice, smooth appearance, red of course, as if paved with red brick. The cost of dressing is estimated to be as low as 25 cents per square yard. This, of course, is made possible only by the close proximity of the heaps of shale. Transportation to distant points would increase the cost. The road is ideal and is as smooth and comfortable as could be wished. It is said that the reduced shale forms a coating nearly or quite impervious to water, and therefore will stand up under traffic better than any other sort of road except real paving. No mud appears possible in this road, but it will require a certain amount of maintenance in the way of keeping depressions filled up by dragging, occasionally.

It is not, of course, so good as paving, but is a fine cheap road. If all roads were conveniently near a shale heap, we could wish to see Okmulgee County treat much road in this manner. Those who drive over our nice new road are loud in its praise, particularly when it is considered how cheaply such a road may be built.

PAWHUSKA INDIANS TAKE FIRST GAME OF SERIES

The Pawhuska Indians hung the Indian sign on the Hens yesterday, and the Hens suffered the first defeat out of eight games. The score was 4 to 0.

Shepard was ineffective, being touched up for eight hits in four and a third innings, which netted the Indians their four runs. Powell relieved Shepard in the fifth with only one down and a man on third and one second. Powell retired them without a score or a hit.

O’Byrne, an outfielder and pitcher, received from Drumright in a trade for E. Miller, was sent in the box in the sixth. Powell was purposely taken out to save him for today or tomorrow. O’Byrne had things his way for the rest of the game, allowing the Indians only three widely scattered hits in the last four innings.

Malone was in fine form, pitching shutout ball all the way through. His control was perfect and with the brand of ball that he pitched he had the win coming to him. Only one Henryetta player got as for around as second and that was Thomas, who singled to center and went to second on a sacrifice. He was there when the inning was over.

The losing of yesterday’s game put the Hens in third place, a half-game behind Pawhuska and the same ahead of Okmulgee.

Beginning today all games will begin at 3:30 p.m. on account of shorter days.

Summary: Stolen base, C. Rossi. Sacrifice hits, Nichols, Schneider, Henninger. Two-base hits, L. Rossi 2. Double plays, Thomas and Haskey; Henninger, Cassidy and Kitterman. Runs batted in by Felber 1, Nichols 1, Schneider 2. Hits, off of Shepard 8 in 4 1-3 innings; off Powell 0 in 2-3 innings. Struck out, by Malone 2, Shephard 1, O’Byrne 2. Base on balls, off Shepard 1, off O’Byrne 3. Wild pitch, Shepard. Left on bases, Pawhuska 9, Henryetta 3. Time, 1:35. Umpire, Donahue.

BEAUTIFUL SCENES FILMED

Many picturesque scenes are shown in the William DeMille Paramount picturization of Sir James M. Barrie’s play, “What Every Woman Knows,” which will be shown at the Morgan, today and tomorrow. The story is laid in Scotland and London and deals with a young student with political ambitions and with his matrimonial experiences with a young woman whom he agrees to marry that he might secure the means to finance his career. One of the most unique settings in the picture is a cheap London barber shop which has been converted into the political headquarters of the young candidate for parliament. This set has been pronounced perfect in detail and atmosphere by those who are familiar with London. Conrad Nagel is the leading man.

OKMULGEE CARPENTERS REDUCE SCALE OF WAGES

OKMULGEE, Sept. 1 – The carpenters of the city, who have been out on strike for six weeks, yesterday adopted a scale of $8 a day, meeting the demands of contractors and have signed contracts with several of the employers.

The action was the first of its kind taken since the labor trouble began here several weeks ago, according to contractors.

The reduction of the scale to that offered by the contractor’s means that the carpenters now may go to work on any job in the city the contractors said yesterday. Provision was made in the few contracts which were signed, however, providing that non-union labor may be employed on jobs where union carpenters are working.

ALL A MISTAKE

Free-Lance has learned that all fears about the welfare of Umpire Smith in the game between two local ball teams some time ago, were more than groundless. We spoke of the critical moment when Mr. Smith was led out of the ball park on that occasion. This, immediately following the execrations from the grandstand, made it look bad for the young lawyer.

But since that time we have learned on good authority that Attorney Smith was called from his pleasant duties as umpire, not to expiate his crimes as such umpire, but rather to greet his young son whose appearance made it desirable to call the father away from umpiring, or in fact, any and everything else. The junior Mr. Smith was said to weigh ten pounds, and judging from the lusty yells he has since emitted, may grow up to be a lawyer.

ATTENTION ECONOMICAL HOUSEWIVES

Car Michigan grapes suitable for grape jelly, grape marmalade, and grape butter now in Henryetta. Sugar is cheap this year. Now is the time to cook something real good for winter. Phone your favorite grocery for grapes.