Freight car thieves busy at Hanson
— Sequoyah County Democrat, April 3, 1925
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 Years Ago
(From the April 2, 2000, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —After 40 long years of cutting and buzzing hair, Padgett’s Barbershop in Sallisaw is moving. Luckily for those with hair, they aren’t moving far.
Owner Dewey Padgett said his father, Willie Padget, began the barbershop in 1959 in Stilwell. Padgett said his father was a minister, and after one year of operating the Stilwell barbershop, his ministry called him to Sallisaw.
Padgett’s Barbershop re-opened in Sallisaw at their current location at 219 N. Oak shortly after the move.
Padgett said the barbershop will move across the street to 201 N. Oak, next to farmer’s Furniture in Sallisaw.
50 Years Ago
(From the April 3, 1975, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Rosanna Han, 3, of Vian, found two prize eggs during the Vian Jaycee’s Easter Egg Hunt Sunday.
Beverly Scarborough of Vian won the prize for finding the most eggs, 23 in all.
Each prize was a large Easter basket filled with a bunny, candy and eggs.
75 Years Ago
(From the April 7, 1950, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —The new skating rink under construction north of Sallisaw on Highway 59 is nearing completion and will be finished in the near future, according to Joe Rigsby, owner.
“I want all the kids to get their skates oiled up,” he said, “because it’ll be open and ready to go in about two weeks.
Construction on the rink received a temporary setback recently when high winds pulled down partially finished walls, but the work is reported to be running along smoothly at this time.
—J.W. Smith, formerly of Eufaula, announced this week that he will open his jewelry store Saturday, April 8, 1950.
Smith declared that he will handle all the leading watches, Bulova, Longines, Wittnauer, Elgin and leading makes of the shock-proof watches as well as diamonds and all types of costume jewelry.
“I came to Sallisaw on the merits of others who told me what an up and coming town this is, and the fact that the people are said to be the most friendly in Oklahoma,” Smith said. He also stated that he becomes more enthused over Sallisaw every day.
100 years ago
(From the April 3, 1925, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —Local officers were notified on Monday of this week that thieves had broken into five local freight cars on Sunday night at Hanson and had stolen a large amount of merchandise freight. The total amount could not be ascertained but was considerable. The thieves broke the cars open and stole the merchandise while the train was held there on a siding for travel orders. Conductor J.A. Jackson, in charge of the train, came back to Hanson on Monday and succeeded in recovering four sacks of the flour stolen.
At the time of going to press, none of the other stolen property had been recovered and the thieves had not been apprehended. Railroad and county officials are working diligently to apprehend the thieves and it is believed that they will be caught before the week is out.
—Two masked hi-jackers late Tuesday night stopped J.R. Powell and Mr. Davis of Tulsa, tourists on the Albert Pike highway four miles east of Vian, enroute from Tulsa to Fort Smith, forced them to leave the machine, robbed them of about $100 in cash and jewelry and then escaped in Powel’s luxurious automobile. The alleged hi-jackers fled towards Muskogee after they had accomplished looting their victims pockets of ready cash.
Powell and Davis were forced to walk to Vian, a distance of four miles, and notified local police force. A net was spread over the highways by local officers, but the hi-jackers had more than an hour and were easily outside of Sequoyah County by the time local officers were notified.
No arrest has been made in connection with the crime.
