Cherokee spokesman responds to Coburn’s ‘extortion’ charge

— Sequoyah County Times, July 17, 1997

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the July 17, 1997, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

–U.S. Rep. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., accused several Oklahoma Indian tribes of “extortion,” while in a debate over whether tribes should pay sales taxes in the U.S. House, reported the Tulsa World Wednesday, and said the problem will continue until “Congress tackles the difficult problem of tribal sovereignty.”

Lisa Finley, press secretary for Cherokee Principal Chief Joe Byrd, denied the extortion accusation on behalf of the Cherokee Nation, and questioned Coburn‚s referral to the “problem of tribal sovereignty.”

“There isn‚t any problem with tribal sovereignty. Sovereignty was given by treaty with the U.S. Government over 150 years ago,” Finley said. “What Problem?”

The Tulsa World reported Coburn was engaged in debate over an amendment that would force tribes to pay taxes on sales to non-members of their tribes when he made the “extortion” accusation. He referred to the Cherokee, Creek and Choctaw Nations in his remarks, but did not accuse an individual or particular tribe.

Coburn said he learned about “extortion” incidents about a year ago, but refused to name which tribe had allegedly engaged in the extortion.

The Tulsa World reported Coburn said, “Extortion is occurring today as members of tribes go out and tell people who are independent private businessmen, many of which are members of that same tribe, that if you don‚t sell your fast food store to us, if you don‚t sell your gas station to us, then we‚re going to open one across the (street) and eliminate your business.”

Coburn said he reported the alleged extortion to the U.S. attorney, and believed the case had been turned over to the FBI for investigation. He said he believed the investigation could lead to an indictment and prosecution.

50 Years Ago

(From the July, 1972, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Files for this time period cannot be read.

75 Years Ago

(From the July 18, 1947, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Remer brothers announced this week that they would open a help your self laundry sometime in the near future. Fred Remer stated that their laundryette would be equipped entirely with the new modern Bendix automatic washers.

The laundryette will be located in the building just south of Remer‚s frozen lockers. Watch for the opening date in this paper.

100 years ago

(From the July 14, 1922, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat)

—Grady McMurtrey, an alleged bank bandit and auto thief was apprehended in Wichita, Kansas this week by Kansas officials and was brought to Sallisaw Wednesday by Sheriff C.M. Gay who went after the prisoner.

McMurtrey was at large early in the fall on a bond and was charged with grand larceny and when he pulled out of Sallisaw he took a car belonging to Deputy Sheriff Will Woody and it is said he disposed of the car after reaching Kansas. He is also wanted in Mayes County, according to Sheriff Gay for participating in a daylight holdup of a bank at Adair, Oklahoma, which was robbed following the Christmas holidays. At the time of McMurtrey‚s arrest in Kansas he was going under an alias as Guy Ellis, but following his arrest by Kansas officials he admitted he was wanted in Oklahoma.

—Frank Allen was released from the county jail Wednesday night, after an appearance bond of twenty thousand dollars had been approved by District Judge J.H. Jarman. Judge Jarman is on a fishing trip at the club house at Cookson, on the Illinois River, and the bond was taken there for his approval.

Allen was granted bond by District Judge Guy Nelson of Muskogee at a hearing held before him in Muskogee last week. Judge Nelson ruled that the bond should be approved by Judge Jarman, before whom the case will be tried during the next term of criminal court in December. Allen was held at his preliminary hearing for the shooting to death of Quesenbury Beasley on the streets of this city June 14, for first degree murder, without bail.

—In a raid made by officers from this city Monday afternoon, July 3, on a church on Dry Creek about 12 miles northeast of Marble City, in this county, in which three men were located, a gunfight resulted, and it is now reported that one of them, Charlie Price, wanted by the officers on a charge of being the third man in the recent Muldrow bank robbery, was severely wounded, although he made a getaway at the time of the raid.

Sheriff Gay held a warrant for Price‚s arrest on the bank robbery charge, and acting upon information, he, with M.F. Newman, chief of police of this city, and Joe Morgan, federal enforcement officers, left here about noon in a car for the place on Dry Creek, where Price was reported to be in hiding. When they arrived near the home of Jim Harden, they left the car and proceeded on foot, and as they approached the church, discovered that several men were in the building. Sheriff Gay approached the front door, Newman and Morgan covered both sides of the building.

At the sheriff‚s command, George Price, a brother of Charlie, came out of the front door and at the same time Charlie came out of a window on the side where Newman was located. The shooting then started between Newman and Price. Newman fired seven shots at Price, but failed to stop him and he escaped in the bushes, after shooting several times at Newman. The third man in the church was Jim Harden, who remained in the building until the firing had ended and then surrendered. At that time the officers did not know that Charlie Price had been wounded, and as they were in a wild unsettled country and unfamiliar with the surroundings, the pursuit of Price was stopped. George Price and Harden were released by the officers as they had no charge against them. The officers are now on the trail of Charlie Price who, it is reliably reported, is severely wounded and in hiding in the locality where the shooting occurred.