Henryetta Daily Free-Lance – 1922 (George Riley Hall, Editor & Publisher)

Jan. 13, 1922

FORCED OUT OF MEXIA, TOUGHS HIT OIL TOWNS

Advices received here today were to the effect that hundreds of the tough element, driven from Mexia, Texas, by the presnce of the state militia and the enforcement of marital law, were speeding to other oil towns and that many of them might be expected to reach Henryetta, this now being the most widely advertised oil field in three states.

General Jake Wolters, in command at Mexia, has warned other cities to look out for suspicious characters.

One report stated that all trains leaving Mexia last night were crowded to the limit, many riding on top of the cars.

FOUR PERSONS HURT WHEN CAR LOSES WHEEL

Friday, the thirteenth, maintained its unenviable reputation today when a Buick car turned over several times and hurt all of the four occupants, at a place just this side of Bryant, on the shale road. Tom Murray was driving.

Tom Murray was driving.

All parties agree that he was not driving fast, but anyway, when he made a turn or curve in the road, a wheel came off the car.

The Buick turned over - it is not definitely known how many times.

A man named Knighten, his wife and a girl named Mary Stokes were passengers in the car.

Mrs. Knighten was the first one to scramble out of the wreck. She was bruised up somewhat, but able to get up.

Miss Stokes was skinned and bruised about the face, and both her hands bruised and bleeding. Murry, the driver, was hurt. He was unconscious

Murry, the driver, was hurt. He was unconscious for a time, but finally came to.

Floyd Broshears happened to come along in a car, and brought the injured to town where medical attention was secured.

They got off lucky, even if it is Friday, the thirteenth. It could easily have been worse.

PECULIAR NEWS

From the reading of matter in the Okmulgee Times one gets an idea that the calling of the grand jury was particularly for the purpose of airing allged irregularities in the Henryetta election of 1920.

Other matters coming before that tribunal are merely incidental, from the tone of the newspaper.

The statement is solmnly made that W.H. Crume, secretary of the county election board, went before the grand jury with the ballot box from ward one in this city, and that the box was examined.

It is further stated that there are thumbprints on the ballots.

Well, why not?

That ballot box has led a strenuous life since the night it was locked up after the count was made here in this city on election day, 1920.

Heaven alone knows how many times it has been “examined” since then, and no one knows what all has been done to it meantime.

It was haled into a court of inquiry called for the alleged purpose of ousting Sheriff Lon Kuhn.

Why this was done has never been satisfactorily explained to the public.

That court of inquiry was a sort of punitive expedition into the realms of unknown, and now the grand jury is apparently sought to be used in a similar manner.

If the sanctity of the ballot box has been violated, how about the secrecy of the grand jury?

How does the Times know that two people are to be indicted?

It may be legitimate news to say that Captain Chas L. Wilson, Inspector W.H. Sullins, Miss Sammie Embree, Mrs. Bernice Hughes and Jiss Jama Haynes were all called to testify before the grand jury.

But is the nature of their testimony known in the Times office?

Now as a matter of fact, the writer of these lines has served as a grand juror - has served as foreman of two federal grand juries, and is to say the least of it, somewhat familiar with the ordinary usage as well as the legal restraints in such cases.

It is in the light of such experience that we are amazed at some of the stories printed in the Times about the work of the grand jury.

For example, the statement is made that little testimony was procured from the ladies mentioned above.

How does the reporter know this?

Again, it is said that “the examination of the ballot box revealed strong evidence.” Who said so?

All of this looks as if there is some fixed plan to throw a shadow over some of our citizens with the purpose of unseating Commissioner Liggett. There is the fly in the ointment.

Of course any irregularity in elections is wrong, but why should so much noise be made about this particular one out of many thousands of Oklahoma boxes?

The reason is that in ward one of Henryetta, Joe Liggett got a majority that put him into office.

We do not know whether that election was properly held, or not. But we point with pride to the high character of those of our citizens who held that election.

We have the utmost faith in their integrity, and shall continue this attitude until we are convinced that the election was crooked. And it will require real evidence to do this. No propaganda will have the slightest effect.

The grand jury is almost a law unto itself, and if it or its foreman or members choose to give out interviews concerning its work, that is not our business.

But news is news, and any statements as to what the grand jury did or did not do in reference to any matter would come with grace, if published after the secrecy of the jury had been made into history by finding true bills and the arrest of the parties indicted.

THREE MORE ARRESTS ON CHARGES OF VAGRANCY

Three more men charged with vagrancy were caught in the police dragnet last night.

One of them was Jeff Johnson, who paid the balance of a fine Wednesday and was released.

He was caught again last night and the other two gave the names of Hightower and Porter.

All were taken before Justice S.H. Davis, where charges of vagrancy were preferred against them and their trial is set for this afternoon.

Shortly after the young men, arrested by the police earlier in the week, were discharged and ordered to go to work and report to Justic Davis every Saturday, one of them is alleged to have stolen a pair of shoes and a six-shooter from the home rooms.

Yesterday the police at Okmulgee reported to Chief Stormont that they had picked up the man wanted about 6:00 o’clock yesterday morning and that he was wearing the shoes described.

The chief sent an officer after him and on reaching there it was found the prisoner was not the man wanted. He has not yet been captured. He is a young man, has lived here a long time and the officers expect to get him.

HELD FOR STEALING 48 INNER TUBES FROM CAR

Fred Odom, 25 years old, is in the city jail charged with breaking into a Frisco car enroute through Henryetta for Texas and stealing therefrom forty-eight inner tubes for automobile tires.

This occurred on the night of January 5, and he was arrested by “Red” Williams, a deputy sheriff, after, it is alleged, he had sold the inner tubes to a garage man in Henryetta for $36, seventy-nine cents apiece, far less than their real value at wholesale.

The officers say the garage man told them that Odom had told him they were “wet,” thieves slang for stolen.

A special officer of the Frisco was here today looking after the case. He said the man arrested has been about Salina, Kansas, and Slick, Okla.

Chief Stormont said Odom drove a team here about three years ago.

There is a federal law against theft and burglary on cars in interstate transit and the man may be prosecuted under this, or held to be tried under the state law.

Jan. 15, 1922

BOUGGOUS FOUND GUILTY 4 MONTHS $100

T.J. Bouggous, former deputy under Sheriff Kuhn at Dewar, was found guilty in the federal court, at Muskogee, Friday, on a charge of entering into a bootlegging conspiracy, fined $100 and sentenced to serve four months in jail.

It was shown by the evidence adduced in the trial that he had entered into a conspiracy with Jim Grubbs and B.O. Jones, to sell whiskey manufactured on the Jones farm.

Grubbs had nervously entered a plea of guilty and was the government’s chief witness.

Jones was alo found, but Judge Williams said he was not so much to blame as was Bouggous, who was sworn to uphold the law and sentenced on Jones was postponed until June.

A few days after Bouggous was removed as deputy sheriff and his commission taken from him, he was arrested by county officers and an information was filed against him in the superior court here, charging him with transporting whiskey.

He made $1,000 bond in that case and was released.

SCHOOL NEWS

The completion of three rooms in the basement of the auditorium will enable the school authorities to take care of the fourth, fifth and sixth grades formerly attending at the condemned Irving building.

The seating all details will be completed during Monday, and Tuesday morning the pupils under Miss Lytal, Miss Graham and Cloud are instructed to report for school at the new auditorium.

STOLE FINE RUG

James Darby, residing at 103 North Eighth Street, reported to the police that a fine rug had been stolen from his gallery shortly after dark Friday night.

The rug had been taken to the gallery to be dusted and was forgotten until after dark and when Mr. Darby whent out to get it he found it was gone.

WORKING GIRL LOSES SUIT CASE AND CLOTHES

Late Friday a young woman was going to 13-11- 11 to work in a boarding house when a taxi driver from Okmulgee came by and tendered her a ride, as he was taking a party to that place.

Her suit case was placed on the running board and soon after leaving Bryant it was lost.

The loss was discovered before they had gone over three-quarters of a mile and the man reported it at the police station yesterday morning.

The suit case was brown and had a name tag, that of Miss Ella Bonner and contained about all the clothing of which the young woman was possessed.

BUSY BEE CLUB

Mrs. Felix Smith was a pleasing hostess Friday evening when she entertained the Busy Bee Club having as special guests, the husbands of the members.

Following an enjoyable evening of games and music, a delicious two-course luncheon was served.

Those who enjoyed the evening were Mr. and Mrs. Bill Holland, Clarence Green, Ralph Morgan, Ernest McElhaney, Horace Thames, Watson Garner, Bill McTavish, George Black, Bert Cosper, Mrs. James McTavish, Mildred and Bernard Smith.

DOLLAR DAY

The Women’s Mission of the Presbyterian church will have a dollar day session at the church next Thursday afternoon. Two thirty is the hour fixed, and every one is expected to bring a dollar.

The purpose is to aid the rebuilding of Dwight Mission, and the afternoon will be devoted to doing things looking to this.

Those designated to be hostesses for the session are Mesdames J.D. Munsell, W.B. Hudson, G.W. Burroughs and J.H. Turriff.

WILSON-GARBER

Marked with beauty and simplicity was the wedding of Mr. Roy E. Wilson and Miss Gladys Garber, both of Okmulgee, last evening at 5:30 at the home of the bride’s sister, Mrs. R.B.F. Hummer, Rev. F.O. Seamans, officiating.

Only the immediate family was present and following a lovely buffet luncheon, the young couple left on the 7:10 train for a short wedding trip in Tulsa and other points.

The bride is a very charming young lady and has a number of friends here, as she has been the guest of her sister very often.

The groom is identified with a prominent hardware company in Okmulgee.

Following their wedding trip they will be at home in Okmulgee, where Mr. Wilson has completed and furnished a beautiful bungalow.