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

July 6, 1922

TRAGIC SCENE IN COURT OVER O'HARA'S TRIAL

A sensational scene was enacted this forenoon in the superior court room where Justice S.H. Davis was hearing the preliminary examination of Dan O'Hara, charged with murder in connection with the killing of John Gray, in a room over the Henryetta grocery the night of June 13.

The beginning of the hearing was delayed until about 11:00 o'clock, awaiting the arrival of the defendant from Okmulgee where he has been confined in the county jail since a few days after the killing.

The first witness called was T.V. Dollins who testified he was passing on the opposite side of the street and heard the shot fired which is said to have killed Gray; that he started across the street and saw two men come down the stairway leading to the office where the killing occurred. He approached to within a few feet of the sidewalk and testified he did not recognize either of the two men.

Frank Thompson was the next witness called.

He said he lived in Arkansas and had been a deputy sheriff before entering the service during the war. He said he was visiting here the night of the killing and was passing the Henryetta grocery when the shot was fired. He said he saw two men come down the stairway and recognized one of them.

He was asked if that man was in the room he said yes and in answer to another question, said he could point him out and on being asked to do so pointed to Dan O'Hara, sitting beside his lawyers and said, "that is the man."

At that instant a clapping of hands came from a seat back in the audience near a window and woman screamed. "Thank God!" Following another scream from the woman she called out "Oh Jesus!"

There was at once commotion in the court room and Justice Davis instructed a bailiff to quiet the woman or remove her from the room. She was said to be Mrs. Gray, widow of the murdered man. The bailiff was able to quiet her without taking her from the room at that time and the hearing was continued.

Thompson was cross-examined at some length but persisted in his statement that the man he saw come out of the stairway was O'Hara.

The next witness was Francess Karr, a waitress in the Elite Cafe, who testified that shortly after the shooting Dan O'Hara came into the cafe and got a cigar. She said he appeared to be somewhat excited

Ṫhe court then took a recess and on reconvening this afternoon Assistant County DA Williams placed a number of additional witnesses on the stand, all having to do with their having seen O'Hara that night or about the time of the shooting.

At 2:00 o'clock this afternoon the state was still introducing evidence and it was not then to be learned if the defense will offer any evidence on the prelimary examination. They have had a number of witnesses summoned and many of these were present in the court room this morning and sworn when the rule was invoked and they were all required to retire to the witness room. There were a number of them there this afternoon.

STEADY, NOW

Let us not get excited about it. We all wanted just that, and now we should feel much gratified with the comfortable growth in taxable values in Henryetta.

The figures are not yet available to complete shape, but it is known that the increase is more than a million dollars since and above last year.

In these days of big items we might be disposed merely to say a million without trying to visualize and realize how much such a sum really is.

Some of our people believe the figures will show more nearly two million than one, but we are afraid to say so much. Let us be happy with one million, and if it be found that two million is right, so much the better.

We learn from the Okmulgee papers that the valuation in that city has slumped a million. But while they have slipped back a million and we have stepped forward a million, yet there is a wide gap between us.

Okmulgee has large property values - approximately three times those of Henryetta. Therefore when we do anything, municipally that equals our neighbor city we are really doing something. And the tendency this year is at least toward equalizing the two cities.

We hope to eventually come up with these neighbors in every way. Oil business made Okmulgee great, and now that the same thing is happening here, we naturally hope to catch up with the county seat in both population and wealth - unless they keep growing at the old ratio.

In this connection it may be well to remember that when both were mere villages, Okmulgee had three million dollars of valuation. At the same time we had considerably less than one million.

Therefore if Okmulgee has multiplied valuation by six during, say fifteen years, so we have multiplied by six.

In other words, the growth of the two towns has been about equal from that time. But while the county seat has three times our property values, they have less than twice our population.

The difference is that they have some rich men, while all of our people are comparatively poor.

Okmulgee began with two millionaires - James Parkinson and Fred Severs.

HARVE POWELL FREE

Henryetta people will remember a series of trials in superior court here three or four years ago in which Harve Powell was convicted and sentenced to serve three and a half years in the state penitentiary for complicit of in automobile stealing. James Hepburn was attorney for Powell, and appealed the case.

Things have a habit of happening, and events moved along.

Hepburn became city attorney here in Henryetta, and later became prosecuting attorney. A few days ago he received notice that after this long time the high court had reversed this case.

Hepburn had forgotten all about it, but Harve Powell had not. Harve had lived all this time in the hope that the findings of the lower court would be set aside.

Meantime no dug coal, and now that coal digging is out of order, he is resting. He has a home on South Tenth Street, and thinks of putting up a grocery store there.

Harve has many friends in Henryetta. He is a genial sort of man, and last winter became a member of the Methodist Church in this city. His life seems to be blameless, and there will be many people pleased with this change in the case.

IN POLICE COURT

Two cases of drunkenness made up the docket in police court this morning. Both defendants paid fines.

Both defendants paid fines.

A man had been arrested charged with scattering chats on the paved streets. Inasmuch as the man went back over the trail of his wagon last night and swept up all the chats, he was not prosecuted.

SALES COMPANY OPENING IN HENRYETTA

F.G. Phenneger, president of the Co-Operative Sales Company, of Oklahoma City, is spending several days in this city overseeing the opening of their branch office here at Room 14 Kingsbury & Wilson Building. Telephone 1131.

The local office will be in charge of J.H. Jones. This concern handles real estate, business opportunities and oil leases. They operate and have a plan of bringing buyer and seller together, acting as a clearing house in handling business deals.

Mr. Phenneger says he is very much pleased with Henryetta as a city and especially with the business conditions here. He stated that people are talking about Henryetta and are watching the oil developments here daily.

OFF FOR MISSOURI

R.B. Williams left today for Moberly, Missouri, where he will join his wife, who has been there for several months.

That is their old home place, and they will remain there for several weeks before returning.

Mr. Williams and three daughters are driving through in an auto, and will doubtless enjoy a fine outting.

Mr. Williams is a deputy sheriff, and is one of those officers always on the look-out for the enemies of morality and civic decency.

On his return he will take up his official duties as before.

PAVERS BUSY

True to their promise, the Park-Moran people put a force of men at work on the paving of West Main, and they are busy there now in the preliminary work of laying lead connnections and preparing for the paving.

The great inconvenience of having the Main Street of a town closed must be endured for a time, because that is the only road open to our people in order to reach the happy condition of complete paving - the inconvenience of being shut out for a while.

TRUCK RIDE

A crowd of young people assembled at the Webster School last evening and from there were conveyed in trucks to Arbeka crossing.

Refreshments of sandwiches, fruit and ice cream were served.

Those making up the party were Misses Hortense Hill, Margaret Cullen, Mildred Schriver, Florence Morrison, Louise Ham, Ethelyn Allen, Marnette Giles, Virginia Hill, Mary Keeling, Messrs. Mike Faletti, Willie Hare, Claude Wilson, Lloyd Vivian, Judson Munsell, Clyde Fretwell, Monroe Anderson, and Howard Alexander.

Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Teague and Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Hicks were chaperones.

MORGAN TOMORROW

"Reported Missing," starring Owen Moore, which opens at the Morgan tomorrow was made by the Selznick company in their studios in the east. Its cast, however, was recruited from the best

Its cast, however, was recruited from the best screen players to be found in both the east and west.

Tom Wilson, best known among the comedians who frequently appear in pictures, was brought on from Los Angeles especially for the important role he has in the production as was also Togo Yamamote who has long specialized in Oriental "heavies."

Pauline Garon, who plays the leading feminine role, was recruited from the "Lillies of the Field" company playing on Broadway.

Nita Naldo has supported Mr. Moore in a number of previous productions.

WILLIAMS TO REMAIN

WASHINGTON, July 6 -- Major General Clarence C. Williams, chief of ordnance of the war department was nominated Wednesday by President Harding for another four-year term.

REGISTRATION BOOKS WILL BE OPENED MONDAY

The registration books will be open for supplemental registration here Monday morning July 10. This registration will continue until ten full days have passed.

All persons who possess the qualification of voters and who are not now registered, must register during that period, in order to vote in the primaries August 1.

All persons who have become of legal age since the last election and all persons who have become residents since then, must register.

All persons living in territory which is affected by changed boundaries, such as changing precinct or ward lines, must present their old registration certificates and have them cancelled, and get new ones.

These are the steps necessary in order to cast a legal vote, and legal votes are the only sort that can be cast and counted.

Both men and women are required to register.

It is the law, and it is the plain duty of every person to register and to vote.

That is the only means of expressing your wishes in the government of your country, and voting is just as much a duty in times of peace as fighting is in times of war.

Therefore get busy and register.

OIL OUTPUT INCREASED

About everybody in the Henryetta oil field took a day off July Fourth but yesterday morning all went back to work with a realization that July is going to be one big month in the field.

Men in close touch with the situation, yesterday predicted that more wells would be put down during this month than was the case in June.

The Lyons-Quinn pool is holding up beyond all expectations and in its extended territory, as well as in the original field, new producers are constantly being reported.

The great development of last month was Turkey Pen Hollow and there is a promised a great pool. Another location promising much is section 36-12-12 and a pool is predicted there also.

From the continued rush of material to the field, it is evident that there is no let-up in the development and the field is being constantly brought closer to the very doors of the city.

BASEBALL

Meadows won a pitching battle yesterday form Lonon in the thirteenth inning.

He not only served effectively on the mound but with two men on bases he crashed out a double to deep center in the last of the thirteenth.

Lonon pitched good ball but weakened in the thirteenth and a walk coupled with two hits lost the game for him.

Okmulgee scored her lone tally in the fourth when Bass stole home Miner dropping the ball.

Henryetta scored once in the sixth when Henninger was hit by a pitched ball, Casey's error and Wagner's bunt.

Henryetta plays at Okmulgee three days then come back home for three games with McAlester and then go on the road.

CARAWAY GOES WILD OVER THE LIQUOR SALES

By Associated Press. WASHINGTON, July 6 - President Harden and Chairman Lasker of the shipping board were charged by Senator Caraway, democrat, Arkansas, in the seat today, with flagrant violation of the prohibition laws in permitting the sale of liquor on shipping board vessels. The senator said "all Christian Americans protest against such sale of liquor."

FEAR BREAD FAMINE

EUREKA, Calif., July 6 - This city was faced with bread famine today as a result of a fire last night which destroyed the only bakery in the county.

Just before the blaze broke out, the bread stock, 2,000 loaves was delivered to the United States destroyer flotilla in the harbor.

FIVE YEARS SENTENCE

KANSAS CITY, July 6 - Five years in the penitentiary was the sentence for Russell Ewen Wednesday when he pleaded guilty in criminal court on a charge of robbing a man of an empty bill fold Tuesday night.