Frank Harlan whipped by masked men

Sequoyah County Democrat, Nov. 3, 1922

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago Roy Faulkenberry NEWS EDITOR (From Nov. 2, 1997, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

–For the fifth time in six months, Blue Ribbon Downs is raising purses.

This purse raise will be $300 across the board with the possibility of yet another raise before the end of the race meet Dec. 21, said Tom Ritchie, BRD‚s racing secretary.

“In addition to the purse increase, Friday live racing and the four scheduled Thursday dates for the rest of this meeting, including Thanksgiving, will be canceled,” said Ritchie.

“These changes will help ensure a successful remaining meet and a healthy purse account for next year,” Ritchie said.

In other news at Blue Ribbon Downs, the track‚s local attorney said this week that the State Supreme Court has denied an appeal by the owner of a race horse which was injured during a race.

50 Years Ago

(From the Nov. 2, 1972, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—The Sallisaw Police Department reported Wednesday morning that Halloween night was quiet with little “tricking‚ taking place in the city limits.

A spokesman for the department said, “It was just a little wet this year,” which apparently kept the local ghosts and gobblins at home.

The department did report some egg throwing but otherwise the expected window soaping was kept to a minimum.

Said the police officer, “Mostly big kids were out, though there were scattered groups of smaller kids trick or treating.”

The office concluded, “It was the quietest I‚ve seen it.” —Sallisaw‚s Booster Club hosted a Beat Spiro Steak Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fig Tree Restaurant.

Dr. Bob Mitchell, booster club president, presented awards to the Black Diamond football players who have played outstanding football the past several years.

75 Years Ago

(From the Nov. 7, 1947, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Armistice Day will be observed in ceremonies at the High School auditorium next Tuesday at 10 a.m., Paul Post, commander of the Carnie Welch Legion post, said this week. Senator Ray Fine of Gore, combat veteran of World War II, has been chosen to deliver the principal address. Mrs. Wayne Watts, ex-army nurse and Pacific war veteran, will represent the female Legionnaires on the program.

—The annual Sequoyah County Christmas Seal drive will get underway on or about Nov. 24, T.B. Westmoreland, president, said Thursday. The commercial class of Sallisaw High School are addressing the envelopes and stuffing them with two sheets of stamps.

100 years ago

(From the Nov. 3, 1922, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat)

—Frank Harlan, a young man about 32 years old, who drifted into Vian in the west end of this county, about two weeks ago, was taken from the city jail in Vian Friday night of last week and put in an automobile and conveyed some distance from town and severely whipped by seven masked men.

Harlan is now in this city at the Exchange Hotel, recovering from the effects of his flogging and Sheriff C.M. Gay is making an investigation of the affair.

Harlan had been convicted in the city court of Vian for gambling and fined twenty-one dollars. He refused to pay the fine, claiming that he had been the subject of a frame up. He was placed in jail Tuesday and was released Saturday after being whipped by maskers and paying a part of his fine and giving his note for the balance.

Harlan claims that he had been drinking some whiskey the night he was whipped, which had been furnished him by a “friend” and was lying on his side asleep when the cell door was opened with a key and three masked men grabbed him, tied his hands and feet and placed a bandana handkerchief over his eyes. He was then dragged to an automobile and taken several miles into the country, where the car was stopped under a large tree and the party was joined by another car containing four men. He was taken from the car and placed across the car seats, that had previously been placed on the ground for the purpose, and then severely flogged with a rope or a piece of rubber hose.

He says that the maskers stated that he as being whipped because he refused to pay his fine and that they cursed him and threatened to hang him if he did not do so after he was released. Harlan stated that the men told him that they had a thirty-foot rope that would be used to hang him if he did not comply with their directions and that they were members of the Ku Klux Klan which was 175 strong in Vian and 175 strong in Sallisaw.

He stated to the Democrat reporter that he begged for mercy but when he did that he continued to receive more lashes from the men wielding the rope or hose.

He is being treated here by Dr. R.A. Ballance for the bruises from the whipping and claims that he was ruptured by the rough treatment at a point where he was operated upon for appendicitis. The Democrat reporter saw the evidence of a genuine good thrashing, which were displayed at the interview given him Wednesday morning, nearly a week after the lash had been applied, but, as far as we could judge this was the only injury inflicted.

Harlan has the appearance of a rounder, and stated that he was a gambler and drank bootleg whiskey. He says he was in Vian to visit friends. After selling a string of horses at Joplin and was on his way home at some point in Arkansas.

He claims he recognized several members of the party by their voices, and that on the return trip he managed to pull the bandage down from over his eyes enough to see the driver of the car, whom he states was unmasked and easily recognized by him.

Sheriff Gay has taken the matter up with higher officials and states that he will investigate the matter thoroughly.

This is the second whipping in Sequoyah County recently.