Sam Lockhart draws long sentence

-Sequoyah County Democrat, April 27, 1923

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the April 26, 1998, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —A state appeals court, Tuesday, confirmed a $640,000 judgment against Blue Ribbon Downs, won by an injured jockey in Sequoyah County District Court on July 2,1996.

The rider filed suit against the racetrack on Dec. 9, 1985, alleging Blue Ribbon Downs was negligent in the construction and maintenance of the track. On July 2, 1996, a jury found Barnes to be 20 percent responsible for the accident and the racetrack to be 80 percent negligent, and awarded Barnes $800,000 in damages.

That amount was reduced to $640,000 because the jury found Barnes to be 20 percent responsible, but the award has grown to about $1.3 million now due to accrued interest and attorney fees.

50 Years Ago

(From the April 26, 1973, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Flooded streams, costly road damage and cresting lakes dominate the area as a result of more heavy rains that fell over the weekend in Eastern Oklahoma and Big Basin Country.

Saturday night, four and one-half inches of rain fell on Sallisaw, O.M. Orendorff, Sallisaw’s weatherman, reports. Orendorff said the accumulation was recorded in a three-hour period that stretched from around 10 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

—February 1973 proved to be another record month for retail sale in Sallisaw, the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce manager, Don Elwick announced this week.

Elwick said the tremendous increase represents a 12.8 per cent increase comparatively in the 12-month period.

The February figures indicate an all-time record in Sallisaw for the month of February which is usually a slow month in retail business.

75 Years Ago

(From the April 30, 1948, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Jane Schoonover, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.F. Schoonover, of Roland, was named the best grade school speller of Sequoyah County Wednesday afternoon in Sallisaw after eliminating all others in a contest sponsored by county superintendent Mrs. Okla G. Mitchell.

With over 150 taking part in the competition, Jane, a sixth grader at Roland, “spelled down” every other sixth grader in the contest, then proceeded to outspell third-, fourth- and fifth-grade champion winners.

The contest was held in the State theater in Sallisaw through the courtesy of movie owner Carl Phillips. About 30 schools, both dependent and independent, took part.

100 years ago

(From the April 27, 1923, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —Sam Lockhart, who was taken back to Harrison, Arkansas, last week to stand trial for stealing an automobile entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas penitentiary. Lockhart stole a Ford car belonging to Karl Greenshaw, the prosecuting attorney of Harrison judicial district last December. On good behavior Lockharts sentence will be cut to five years, according to information sent to the local police department.

—Sheriff John E. Johnson has requested the Democrat to appeal to the people of Sallisaw and community to furnish the prisoners in the county jail with magazines, books or newspapers. In the county jail at this time there are more than 12 inmates.

—The largest booze plant that has been captured in Sequoyah County in many months was taken in fold early Sunday morning in the Greenleaf mountains ten miles north of Gore.

Deputy U.S. Marshal George Ritter with the assistance of others made the raid on the high-powered moonshine plant after they had been searching for it during the dark hours of the night. They discovered the plant about ten o’clock Sunday morning running in full time.

At the still there were 13 barrels of mash and small amount of moonshine. The boiler was one of the largest ever captured in eastern Oklahoma and the worm was of solid copper. It stood fifteen feet in height. The men had plenty of water, as they had cut the course of a small stream so that it would flow past there still.