Three flee jail

25 Years Ago

—The Sequoyah County Criminal Justice Authority is leaning toward hiring a general contractor to direct and oversee the building of the new Sequoyah County Jail.

During the authority’s meeting Mike Kelly of Kelly Engineering in Tahlequah, which is the county engineering firm, and consultant Hedley Prout explained the pros and cons of a general contractor and a construction management firm, which was explained in detail by Brent Page of TAO Construction Management.

50 Years Ago

—Three escapees from the Sequoyah County Jail in Sallisaw are still at large, according to reports from the sheriff’s office.

Chico Gonzales, Clifford Haney and Jimmy Caves escaped Sunday night by using a tool to break the weld on some bars which had been damaged in an escape attempt by four other prisoners weeks ago.

The three men went out through the skylight, and lowered themselves to the ground using some blankets tied together to make a rope.

—The front and side windows of Muldrow’s new city hall were broken by vandals during the early morning hours of Friday, April 4, the day work on the project was to be completed. About $1,500 in damage was done, but it didn’t slow down progress. Special dedication ceremonies are still scheduled for April 13.

75 Years Ago

—The new roller rink just one-fourth mile from town north on Highway 59, owned and operated by Joe and Bertha Rigsby, will open soon, according to Rigsby. It will be called the Gay Way Roller Rink.

“This week we began to lay the skating floor,” Rigsby said. “It is of the best maple that can be bought for this type of floor.” He said. He also said that the skating floor will be 100 x 48 feet.

A shipment of skates has arrived, which have fiber wheels so as to keep the floor in best of condition, Rigsby pointed out. He anticipated the arrival of the music system late this week.

Rigsby said that the cost of the building would figure between 10 and 12 thousand dollars with the floor costing in excess of $1,800 alone. “This is the reason we will not allow any iron wheels on the floor,” Rigsby said emphatically.

He also made it clear that both he and Mrs. Rigsby will act as chaperons at all times the rink will be in operation.

—E.W. Floyd, who is now serving his first term as sheriff of Sequoyah County said today that he definitely will seek his second term in that office. He stated that several people had asked him if he intended to make the race for second term and he wanted to let everyone know that he is going to run again.

Floyd, with his family, lives in Sallisaw. He stated his formal announcement will appear in an early issue of this paper.

100 Years Ago

—Future golf champions who have looked forward anxiously to the day when they might avail themselves of opportunity to display their talents and ability, will shortly have such hopes gratified. The special committee named about three weeks ago by President Frank Herring, and composed of Roy Frye, Max Reager and I.T. Newlon, had done some excellent work and the course is rapidly being completed. The sixty acre Payne tract adjoining the city on the west, makes an ideal location and is pronounced by golf fans to be an ideal course. Steve Creekmore of Fort Smith came out last week and assisted the committee in laying off the course and location of the greens.

—Two men broke into the Ford Motor company agency at Vian Monday night and obtained an undetermined amount of gasoline and accessories. The night patrolman at Vian detected the men and gave chase as far as the city limits and then notified the officials in this city. Night Patrolman Perry Chuculate, patrolled the roads awaiting for the alleged thieves. He came in contact with the men a few miles west of town on the Albert Pike highway and the chase was on. Chuculate fired several shots at the casing of the car, the alleged bandits were driving, but the men escaped the net work and headed towards Gans. Officials here express the belief that these are the same men who escaped from the Pawnee jail Sunday.

—Ray Terrel and Doland Williams, the last element of Spencer’s famous bank robbery gang were traced as far as this city, after their sensational escape from the Pawnee county jail, where they were being held in connection with a recent bank raid. In their flight for freedom Terrel and Williams held up an oil field worker and relieved him of a car and journeyed on towards the eastern part of the state. Officers throughout eastern Oklahoma were waiting for the escaped bandits, but they were successful in evading the law.