Two more state banks fail

— Sequoyah County Democrat, Sept. 22, 1922

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the Sept. 21, 1997, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

–The financial picture for the county hasn‚t improved much over last year, increasing by about $20,000 to bring the 1997-98 fiscal budget to $1.54 million. But more than $20,000 is needed to cover salaries for additional jailers at the county jail.

Sheriff Johnny Philpot said he was told the county is probably in worse shape this year than last year.

Some corrections have been made at the jail since violations were written up on an inspector‚s report, but Philpot still has broken bunks, inadequate lighting and a cramped kitchen area.

If money were available to fix those things, the county would still be faced with a population problem.

“We are rarely in compliance on the number if inmates allowed for the size of the jail. The county has outgrown the jail,” he said.

50 Years Ago

(From the Sept. 21, 1972, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—The Sallisaw Port Authority met Tuesday at noon at Marrs Restaurant to hear suggestions on steps to be taken for the financing, construction and operation of a port here.

Meeting with the authority were Col. Vernon Pinkey, executive vice president of the Arkansas Basin Development Association, and Frank Moon, who represents an engineering firm looking into development of navigation on the Trinity River in Texas.

In their remarks, both Pinkey and Moon stressed that the ability to expand a port from an initial, small, economical size to a bigger facility when traffic increased was of prime importance.

Pinkey also said the authority should begin trying to obtain money to operate on, saying that probably about $2,000 would allow them to begin operating as an active group.

He also suggested that the authority begin now trying to find a consulting engineer for the project.

75 Years Ago

(From the Sept. 26, 1947, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Shortage of railroad cars is playing havoc with the construction schedule of the Standard Paving Company as far as paving the 8.8 miles of paving east out of Sallisaw on U.S. 64, Lee F. Brooks, resident engineer of Sallisaw, stated Thursday.

Between 900 and 1,000 carloads of gravel and sand is needed for the project. Delivery has been made on only 70 cars of gravel within the past 28 days, Brooks says.

The contractor is already feeling the pinch on the material holdup as he is having to keep trained personnel on a standby basis and the labor bill is mounting up terrifically high before any of the paving is poured.

100 years ago

(From the Sept. 22, 1922, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat)

—The Ford touring car which was stolen from Max Reager‚s garage on the evening of Aug. 30, has been recovered at Branson, Mo., according to a telephone message Mr. Reager received Wednesday morning from the prosecuting attorney at Branson. Not only has the car been recovered for its rightful owner, but the automobile bandit is behind the bars awaiting the arrival of Sheriff C.M. Gay and Mr. Reager.

According to the prosecuting attorney two men attempted to hold up the bank at Hollister, Mo., only a few miles from Branson late Tuesday afternoon, but their attempt was frustrated by officials which resulted in the capture of one of the bandits and the car which they were driving. The alleged automobile and bank bandit gave his name as Sam Lockhart of this county and informed the authorities that his pal who successfully made his getaway was his brother, Ed Lockhart, who is wanted in every state in the southwest to answer to bank robbery charges, and was a former pal of the late Henry Starr.

Sheriff Gay is expected home today with the alleged automobile bandit, while Mr. Reager will drive his car back home.

—Mose Smith, Busheyhead Shade and George Justice, charged with shooting to death Wiley Davis, Wednesday, Sept. 13, near the Redbird Smith stomping grounds, north of Vian in this county, were held without bail for trial for murder, in the district court, at their preliminary hearing before Justice W.W. Thornton at Vian Monday.

—The Central State Bank of Muskogee and the Farmers Bank of Illinois of Gore in this county are the latest state bank failures in this section of the state.

The Central State Bank of Muskogee is reported to have been looted by its officials to the tune of $300,000.

The Farmers Bank closed its doors about six months ago, but was taken in hand by the Indian department at Muskogee, on account of the majority of the bank‚s stock being owned by members of the Keetoowah Society, composed of fullblood Indians of the Nighthawk organization, and a compromise arrangement was made whereby the depositors received certificates of deposit for the amounts due them, and the bank was allowed to open.

It is reported that the time of maturity of those certificates of deposit, now coming due, placed the bank in a position where they were unable to meet the demand on these certificates and therefore was forced to close its doors.