Smallpox epidemic now raging in southeast portion of Sequoyah County

25 Years Ago

—Blue Ribbon Downs kicks off this year’s 118-day race meet Saturday with high hopes and one main goal, Don Essary, the Sallisaw racetrack’s general manager, said Tuesday.

“Our goal is to improve our position in every way, for our horsemen, our patrons and the financial position of Blue Ribbon Downs,” Essary said.

Blue Ribbon Downs will feature the $5,000-added Inaugural Handicap Saturday, at 350 yards for 3-year-old and older Quarter Horses. Sunday’s racing features the mile-long Tenkiller Handicap for Thoroughbreds.

“Up until 1999, we were improving our position,” Essary said. “Then the Choctaws began simulcasting at Pocola and Lake Arrowhead.

“Our goal now is to hold our ground. We are not changing our previous goals and we’re trying to deal with that problem.”

50 Years Ago

—A temporary restraining order has been issued by Dist. Judge Bill Ed Rogers against the City of Sallisaw and Police Chief Sam Lockhart and the Sallisaw Police Department, preventing them from enforcing an ordinance which would have forced the Guys and Dolls Recreation Center to change their hours of operation.

The ordinance was passed on Jan. 14 and was aimed at controlling the hours in which a recreation center may operate.

The police chief attempted to enforce the new ordinance early Saturday morning.

According to reports a Sallisaw police officer closed Guys and Dolls at 1:30 Saturday morning and ran all the patrons out.

75 Years Ago

—The most devasting ice storm in the history of Sallisaw struck the county early this week, leaving in its path a trail of twisted and broken trees and broken telephone and power lines.

Crews of telephone linemen and power line repairmen have been kept busy restoring communication and power to the various communities throughout the county.

Power lines were snapped by heavy deposits of ice in nearly all sections of town at one time or another during the storm. Liberty grade school was dismissed Wednesday and Thursday due to lack of power to operate electric thermostats which control the heating units in the building.

To date, no attempt has been made to estimate the damage done, both to public and private property, but indications are that the figure will easily run into four digits.

—Edgar Blackard of Blackard Mercantile Company in Muldrow announced this week that he has bought the interest of Mrs. Etta Blackard, in the general store.

The Blackard store is one of the oldest in the county. It was established in 1895 by the late W.D. Blackard, father of the present owner.

The store features general merchandise of all types and is well-known, along with its owner, throughout all Sequoyah County.

100 Years Ago

—A smallpox epidemic is gradually grasping the entire southeastern portion of Sequoyah County, according to information obtained by the Democrat Wednesday. There has been more than 20 cases of this dreaded disease found by Dr. Collins of Muldrow, county superintendent of health.

According to Dr. Collins smallpox has been raging during the past three weeks, and about three days ago he accidently found a case near Muldrow, which prompted him to a further investigation and he found more than twenty cases.

—Henry Fox, town marshal of Moffett will be tried in the district court on a manslaughter charge, as the result of the fatal shooting of Nead Fentress, alleged king of Oklahoma’s “Little Juarez” situated on the banks of the Arkansas River at Moffett.

Fentress with a long record in the police courts was fatally wounded in a fight with Henry Fox and Horace Fox Saturday afternoon, in one of the bloodiest encounters to occur in Sequoyah County in recent months. Fentress died in a hospital in Fort Smith within an hour after the shooting. He was buried in a Cemetery at Fort Smith, Monday morning.

A booze raid conducted last Friday by federal authorities and assisted by Henry Fox, town marshal, was said to have caused the trouble leading to Fentress’ death.

Fentress was away from, home that day and as the officers found a quantity of liquor they left a message for Fentress to appear before the federal officers to face charges of possessing liquor. Saturday afternoon about 4 o:clock Fentress left his home in the direction of Fox’s home. Fentress fired three shots in the general direction of Fox’s home advancing at the same time, but as usual the alleged “bad man” had met his match, he was fatally wounded in the scuffle between himself and the two Foxes.

Sheriff C.M. Gay went to the scene of the shooting and brought Henry Fox to the county seat. Horace Fox, the mayor was not placed under arrest it is said.

Horace Fox, mayor of Moffett, and father of the accused man testified that he was sitting in his house when he heard a gun fire.

Fox said that he approached Fentress and said “Nead, what’s the matter. Stop this shooting and we’ll settle it someway.” He declared that Fentress replied, “I’m going to kill you.” Fox continued. “Fentress fired, and I grabbed him. There were one or two other shots fired. Pretty soon I heard another shot and Fentress dropped down. I was on top of him. I threw him over. While we were down there someone came up and took his gun. While we were down we were both holding it.”

When asked if he and his son could not have clubbed Fentress into submission he replied, “We might have and we might have been killed.” Fox stated that he did not have a gun on him during the fight and denied that he had said he thought it might have been himself who killed Fentress.