Automobile thieves meet their Waterloo in Sallisaw

25 Years Ago 

—A site for the new county jail could be voted on by the Sequoyah Board of Commissioners Monday.

At the end of last Monday’s regular meeting, the commissioners agreed to put discussion and a possible vote on the next week’s agenda. Among the factors affecting the vote is the architect’s report, Commissioner Cleon Harrell, District 3, said. The architect is surveying various sites for costs and feasibility, he said.

—Vian sewer rates will increase Nov. 1 from a flat rate of $3 a month to $5 minimum.

Vian board members voted unanimously at their regular meeting Monday to accept a sewer rate of $5 per month for as many as 2,000 gallons and 75 cents for each additional 1,000 gallons.

Income from the sewer rates will be used to cover payment on a proposed $800,000 loan from the Oklahoma Water Resource Board. The loan will be used to build a new wastewater treatment plant. The total cost for the project is estimated at a little more than $1 million.

50 Years Ago

—The second motorcycle rodeo of 1974 will be held Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sequoyah County Round-Up Club Arena in Sallisaw.

The four events contestants will participate in are designed for competition and entertainment. They will include barrel, stick, shoe and slow racing.

—E.B. Wilson, new curator of Sequoyah Memorial near Akins, this week issued an invitation to area scouts, school and church groups and other interested organizations to visit the memorial.

Wilson, who taught Oklahoma history a number of years, is well versed on both state and area history.

Wilson also said he invites opportunities to speak to area school and civic groups about Sequoyah, the memorial, and other parts of Oklahoma history.

75 Years Ago

—The hospital fund drive with a goal of $1,400 is expected to come to a successful conclusion by the end of this week according to an announcement made by the committee selected to raise this fund. The committee composed of Dr. F.B. Oliver, Roy Holder and Dorman Young, announced that $400.00 has been paid to date.

Dr. Oliver stated that the committee is asking every citizen in the county that received a pay check to contribute $2.00 or more.

—This year’s first bale of cotton was brought into Sallisaw last Tuesday, Sept. 20, by Jess G. Williams of Sallisaw, it was announced.

The bale which weighed 1,515 pounds was taken to the Kobel-Dunkin Gin where it brought 11 1/4 cents per pound.

It has been the custom around Sallisaw for the past several years to take up a collection from the different citizens and merchants and put this money in a common pot, then the first one to bring a bale of cotton into town gets the pot.

100 Years Ago

—Sheriff John E. Johnston and his force of deputies have been extremely busy for the past ten days, coping with the crime wave which sweeps over each community every so often, and results prove that they have the best of the deal by far.

Possibly the most important capture of the week was that of Frank Chance who was taken into custody only after a gun battle in which Chance fared worst. Chance is a young man about twenty-eight years of age who has lived in Sequoyah and Adair counties for many years past. He has recently made his home north of Gore in the Greenleaf Mountain section of the country. During the early part of August it is alleged that he, with a younger brother, held up the K.C. Southern station agent at Westville and the pair were later captured but the older brother escaped and has been at large since then.

On Thursday of last week, three auto thieves were captured here and are confined in the county bastille. They were first seen just beyond the city limits of Muldrow and trailed to Sallisaw and were stopped here and questioned closely. They all claim Detroit, Mich., as their home but were driving a car with an Ohio tag and they also had a 1924 Illinois tag under the car seat.

On Friday evening, two car thieves were apprehended and placed in jail when they stopped at Max Reager’s garage for gasoline. The car which they were driving had been stolen in Arkansas City, Kansas, and the Sheriff’s office had full information relative to same. The men will be returned to Arkansas City and turned over to officers there.

On Tuesday evening of this week, thieves broke into the Price store in Vian and stole four sacks of sugar. The job was neatly executed and it was difficult to get a trace of the persons who committed the crime. On the following day however, the Sheriff’s office took into custody a young man named Bailey who lives in Vian and whom it was alleged had had a hand in the affair and another arrest is expected before the week is out.