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

May 26, 1922

WAS BUSY EVENING

Last evening furnished too many attractions for anyone to see all of them. The schools held the commencement at the high school auditorium, Mrs. Steep, an ex-nun, delivered a lecture at the Baptist Church, and Col. Moss ran his rodeo at the corner of Sixth and Main for the school meeting only.

It was well attended. We hear that the Baptist Church was crowded with people to hear the exnun and the rodeo had a good crowd. But then Henryetta is now big enough to stage various attractions, and all of them have a good audience.

BIBLE CLASS FOR THE YOUNG BUSINESS MEN

A number of the young business men of the city, who are members of the First Methodist Church, met at luncheon today at a café in the Elks building and organized the Young Business Men’s Bible class. Nine enrolled in the work today and there will be about sixteen with which the class will begin.

These young gentlemen have set a high mark to which they will work. Two hundred members in three months is to be their slogan.

Their teacher will be Oscar Adman, formerly of Waco, Texas, now residing here and who for fifteen years has been actively engaged in work among young men and boys.

The young business men composing the class and undertaking the work, cordially invite young men not in the habit of attending Sunday school they particularly hope to interest in this movement.

BASEBALL

The Hens came back with their batting eye yesterday and took the second game of the series from McAlester by a score of 7 to 3. They got to Dennis (McAlester’s youngster) – for four runs in the first two innings and kept their lead throughout the game. McAlester threatened in the last two innings but Meadows pulled through in fine shape.

In their half of the ninth, with one man down Dennis and C. Grigg both hit safely but Meadows struck out Murphy and Fruth. Both pitchers were a little wild at times. Meadows hitting McMillen twice and walking C. Grigg twice, while Dennis walked six men and was frequently in the hole.

Bradbury drove a long fly over the left field fence in the second scoring Fife ahead of him. The McAlester pilot poled one over in the same neighborhood with no one on in the fifth.

May 28, 1922

TEMPLARS HERE FOR SERVICES ASCENSION

Gethsemen Commandery of Okmulgee, will hold special services this afternoon at the Baptist Church. The Knights Templar of the county hold their membership in the county seat and the large number of Knights in Henryetta together with the special Masonic program to be put on here are influences that induced the officers to arrange for the regular Ascension Day services to be held in this city today.

The visiting knights and ladies will come by special car over the K.O. & G., arriving here a little after two o’clock. They will be met by Henryetta knights in full dress, and will be escorted to the Masonic hall from which place they will march to the Baptist Church where Rev. J.C. Curry, pastor of the Methodist Church will preach the sermon.

The Masons of this city and vicinity and the DeMolays are to attend, and the entire public is cordially invited. Their service is entirely public in character. And the music is to be furnished by the Episcopal choir of Okmulgee.

Many of our people have heard these gifted musicians, and those who have not, should be glad to hear them. They are fine. The music they rendered at the Easter service here on a former occasion was as good as if every member were a professional as indeed several of them are.

OFFICERS HAD BUSY DAY WITH BOOTLEGGERS

Strawberry Wine, Corn Whisky and “Choc” by Gallons

Since the cutting affray near the bridge below the Whitehead No. 2 mine, when Mert McCoy was dangerously wounded, Frank Jones, deputy sheriff, has had his eye on all that locality, both immediately about the mine, this side of it and on the other side.

Yesterday this would up in a somewhat promiscuous raid, but one which netted good results. On the cement floor of Deputy Jones’ office last night rested a 5-hallon water bottle about half full of strawberry wine, as pretty and red as are fresh berries. Next to that was no less than four half gallon fruit jars filled with corn whisky.

Then there was a black glass jug holding half a gallon of whisky. There was a drug store pint bottle and one of the irregular sized pints such as near beer is sold in, all containing whisky. Then there was a big galvanized iron pail which had contained “choc” up to the time the officers got hold of it.

Early in the morning Deputy Jones and Tex Gunter had found about 50 gallons of “choc” and 16 gallons of wine in the city and this made two cases in police court.

One of the defendants in these two cases in police court. One of the defendants in these two cases had the effrontery to come to the station last night and ask for a 100-pound bag of malt, taken in the raid, be given him, saying he wanted to make bread of it. He did not get it.

Early in the forenoon Deputy Jones, Chief Stormont and Tex Gunter went to the home of a family named Campbell, residing at the corner of Eighth and Ragan streets. Tex Gunter wielded the hoe at this place and in the potato patch dug up a gallon of whisky.

Russell Campbell was arrested and placed in the city jail. On the morning trip there were Deputy Jones, Chief Stormont, Tex Gunter and Deputy Sheriff Been. In the afternoon they were joined by John Prather.

They made diligent search of several places for which they had search warrants. Near the Whitehead mine they intercepted a man named Smit, who was attempting to hide a half gallon of corn whisky. He was brought to jail and his whisky confiscated.

Then they went to near the Western smelter where they arrested a man named Bottoms. He is alleged to have had one-half gallon of whisky which the officers got. Bottoms landed in jail. Here is where they found the 2 ½ gallon of strawberry wine, the officers alleging that this was in the possession of Bottoms.

Then they went to Kusa, or rather Sandtown, about a mile below Kusa and there they found a man named Smith toting a half gallon of whisky in a gallon jug. The officers have the whisky and Smith is in jail.

Many containers said to hold “choc” were broken up. At one place a man is said to have jumped through a window with a package, got in his car and made a get-away.

Although it was a busy day but the officers predicted Sunday would be rather quiet in many places heretofore marked with drunken rows.

In as much as Assistant County Attorney Williams was unable to file complaints in the superior court last night against these men, they will have no opportunities to make bond and must remain in jail until Monday.

NEW TRAFFIC COP

Henryetta cannot have all it wants, nor in fact all it needs. But our growth is such and our population so much given to auto mobiling, that at times a traffic cop seems essential to the wellbeing of the public.

For example, from seven to eleven in the evening when the weather is pleasant, the two or three most populous corners are so thronged with cars and pedestrians that danger must ensue. Last evening was a good example of what we mean.

Chief of Police James Stormont has an idea that if rules be promulgated to prevent reverse turns for at least three blocks, it would aid very much. Possibly it would render all parties a bit safer to enforce such a rule, but in case of a bit safer to enforce such a rule, but in case of any infraction, say by a driver unaware of the rules, then danger would be greater because the pedestrians would not expect the reverse.

If the city officials could find it possible to place an officer at the intersection of Fifth and Main and Fourth and Main, it might be money well spent.

WHAT BIDDERS FIGURED FOR THE CITY JOBS

City Engineer Berman said yesterday that the city had received a large number of bids for the vast amount of work to be done here this summer in the way of additional sewage disposal plant, water main extensions an d the construction of sanitary and storm sewers; that the competition among the bidders was keen and that he believed the city had succeeded in securing good contracts for all the work.

The following is a summary of all the bids received:

Water Main Extensions

Merkle Machinery and Construction Company of Kansas City, pipe, $26,390; valves and hydrants, $2,870; labor $13,405.

Ladd Construction Company, Kansas City, pipe $26,390; valves and hydrants $2,569; labor $14,954.

National Cast Iron Pipe Company, Birmingham, Ala. pipe, $26, 390.

Sherman Machine and Iron Works, Oklahoma City, pipe $25, 812.64; valves and hydrants $2,925; labor $13,973.

Joe Bryant, Henryetta, labor $17,105.

Hamon-Bird Iron Company, Birmingham, Ala., pipe $25,396.

Sanitary Sewers

E.I. Hansen, Ada, $26,615. Briton & Lang, Henryetta $34,697.

Briton & Lang, Henryetta $34,697.

Merkle Machinery and Construction Company, Kansas City, $33,135.

William Plummer, Springfield, Mo. $30,722.

Sewage Disposal Plan

Merkle Machinery and Construction Company, Kansas City, $41,900. Fuller & Co., Tulsa, $57,000.

Fuller & Co., Tulsa, $57,000.

William Plummer, Springfield, Mo. $45,900.

Storm Sewers

I.E. Hansen, Ada, $76,202.

Merkle Machinery and Construction Company, Kansas City, $78,900.

Parks & Moran, Henryetta, $71,215.

William Plummer, Springfield, Mo. $77,706.80.

IN POLICE COURT

In police court yesterday morning Enrico Nassaeo entered a plea of guilty to unlawful possession of 18 gallons of “choc” and paid a fine of $50. Frank Jones, deputy sheriff and Tex Gunter found the “choc” in Henryetta Heights, in the northeast part of the city.

At a nearby house they also found 32 gallons of “choc” and 16 gallons of wine. The man owning that was cited to appear in court and said he would be in late yesterday evening as he was at work during the day. He is due for a fine of $50. All the parties are Italian, the man entering a plea of guilty yesterday.

NEW HARDWARE FIRM

The Clark-Darland Hardware Company has bought out the Buchanan interests here, and will take over the store Thursday morning.

These gentlemen come from Tulsa where they have been with the Nichols Hardware Company for the past ten years. Both men are, therefore, experienced in their line, and come with a full and technical knowledge of the work before them. Each member of the new firm has a family, and will move here as soon as suitable locations can be found.

Thus, do we Henryetta people gain some of Tulsa’s best citizens, and we are glad to welcome the new people to Henryetta.

NEW CHANDLER AGENT

The Matthews Garage people secured the agency for the Chandler car, yesterday, closing the contract for Henryetta and the southern part of the county. In fact we did not learn just what the boundaries of the territory are, but that does not matter.

The Matthews brothers are well known here, and will handle this agency nicely. They are well fixed with a large building on Main Street, and have every facility for the expeditious handling of a large agency business.