County hospital plans complete, contract to be let in 60 days

-Sequoyah County Times, March 26, 1948

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the March 22, 1998, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—The newly-constructed Muldrow Public Library officially opened its doors to the public March 5.

“We are so excited to finally be in the new building,” said Bethia Owens, librarian.

Owens said the new, much larger, building is going to provide the additional room to allow more things to take place at the library She said it will also allow the library to offer more to the public.

Owens said the new library will offer meeting rooms for non-profit organizations to use. There will also be two computers for public use, one which will have Internet access.

Owens said the new library offers things for people of all ages.

She said the people of Muldrow should be proud of the library because so much community effort went into the building.

50 Years Ago

(From the March 22, 1973, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Sallisaw’s city police were called to an attempted break-in Friday of Matthews Grocery located at 112 E. Cherokee.

Ralph Matthews, owner, said an attempt to break in to his business occurred around 10 p.m. or 12 a.m. Friday evening.

It was reported that the burglars attempted to enter the store by breaking the bars from the stores rear windows with a lawn mower blade.

When this failed to gain entrance the burglars pulled off the awning from a motor and compressor located on top of the building. The motor was removed and turned on its side but the burglars could not enter the building.

75 Years Ago

(From the March 26, 1948, issue of the Sequoyah County Times)

—Sequoyah County’s Memorial Hospital plans are now complete and await final O.K. by the State Health Department bureau of hospitals, it was announced Thursday.

A conference was held by the county hospital board and Carnall Wheeler, member of the firm of Bassham and Wheeler, Fort Smith architects Tuesday morning in which the final details for submitting the plans for the State and Federal Government’s final O.K. were worked out. A representative of the State Health Department will be in Sallisaw one day next week to draw up application papers and other necessary documents.

Sallisaw city officials are drawing up the deed and having the community building grounds platted in preparation to turning over the building and necessary land for the hospital.

The hospital, when completed, will cost approximately $98,000. Of this amount the county will pay $59,400 from a bond issue that was voted two years ago. An additional amount will be secured from public subscription to bring the total one-third Federal government aid to the needed $98,000.

100 years ago

(From the March 23, 1923, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat)

—Joe Brandon will know this morning at nine o’clock whether he will have to face a jury in the May term of district court or be a free man. On Tuesday his preliminary hearing was had after a postponement on two other occasions. The trial was called promptly at ten o’clock Tuesday morning and continued until four o’clock in the afternoon.

It was a battle between some of the best legal talent in this section of the state, and just who won will not be known until Judge McLaughlin’s gavel hits the desk this morning at nine. The courtroom was crowded as expected and the crowd of fans were thrilled time after time as it looked as though a few little skirmishes might take place between those occupying different sides of the table, but the cool March air cooled the situation off.

Brandon was represented by Attorney T.M. McCombs, while the state had County Attorney Harry Pitchford and Attorney Tom Watts of Muldrow and Attorney Roy Frye of this city. On motion of the county attorney the charge against Brandon on passing a bogus check was dismissed, but the state announced he would be prosecuted on charge of forgery, J.E. McDonald, active vice-president of the institution which holds the alleged forged paper was the first witness on the stand and his testimony was that “On this occasion the cashier waited on the defendant,” Mr. Mc-Donald also brought out while on the stand that the alleged forgery was not discovered until Brandon’s sudden disappearance.

—Owen Kirk, charged with the murder of Mack Dodson was acquitted in the justice court following his preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon. The case was tried before Judge McLaughlin and attracted wide attention as the court house was packed. One hundred citizens from Marble City were here for the trial. Kirk was represented by Carlile and Wall.