Keck slaying is still a mystery

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the May 7, 2000, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Wal-Mart representatives will be at the Sallisaw city commission Monday to present the final plat for a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Sallisaw.

City staff has reviewed the plat and recommends approval.

Frank Roberts, agent for Wal-Mart Stores East Inc. and Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, will present the plat. The property is located next to Interstate 40 on the north side, between Kerr Boulevard and Cedar Street.

Another construction topic is also on the commission agenda. Clayton McEver, district 2 county commissioner and chairman of the Sequoyah County Criminal Justice Authority, is asking the city to vacate the north 25 feet of Creek Avenue, across Block 38 in the original town of Sallisaw. The intent of the request is to ask for more room for the construction of a new county jail.

50 Years Ago

(From the May 8, 1975, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Who killed Cooter Keck? Sheriff’s office personnel and the Sallisaw Police Department are still looking for the killer, or killers, of William Hiram “Cooter” Keck, 43, of Sallisaw Saturday afternoon.

Keck’s body was found by a farmer on a dirt road east of Highway 59 south near the Sallisaw airport at about 7:30 p.m. on May 3.

It is believed he was shot at about 5 p.m. A witness stated he heard a gun fire at about that time.

A number of cars passed the scene near the old city dump and the passengers stated they saw Keck sitting up at that time.

However, when the body was discovered at 7:30 p.m. it was slumped over the passenger side of the front seat.

Sheriff’s deputies theorize that Keck was standing beside his car, bent over slightly at the waist when he was shot.

He had been struck on the head prior to the shooting.

The blast from a .12 gauge shotgun entered the man’s jaw and shoulder and came out his back.

75 Years Ago

(From the May 12, 1950, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Two boys who led State Highway Patrolman Jack Larmour on a wild gun battle and car chase last Friday here were charged in city court at Muskogee Monday with stealing a 1939 model Ford.

One of the two, J.W. Hunicutt, 17, distinguished himself at Muskogee Dec. 30, 1947, by jumping from an airplane to freedom while being taken from Sallisaw to the state reformatory at Helana.

The plane was being refueled at Hatbox field at the time.

The other is James. D. Roosevelt Payne, 18, who has a record at the police station in Muskogee.

In the complaint, filed at request of Deputy Charles, Jones, the two are charged with stealing the car from J.J. Bartholett.

—No charges have been filed, after a Kansas clergyman reported Monday night that he had been struck in the face by an officer at Muldrow, after having been arrested for a traffic violation when the preacher’s car collided with a truck in Muldrow, according to County Attorney Fred Campbell Jr.

Marshall Ed Gantt admitted that he was the officer, according to a Fort Smith, Ark., newspaper, and that he had slapped the clergyman two times. The minister identified himself as Rev. F. R. Chrystie of Lakin, Kan.

A highway patrolman, who was called to the scene of the accident, told Your TIMES reporter that he arrived after the alleged incident and that he didn’t see any of it.

100 years ago

(From the May 8, 1925, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —With a “tip” that more than 1,000 bottles of home brew was to be delivered to Fort Smith Saturday night, Sheriff C.M. Gay and Deputy Sheriff Lee Blair went to Moffett early Saturday morning for further information and it was not long until the officers had secured all necessary information to make one of the largest raids in several months.

The officers waited until Saturday afternoon and then like a “tornado” they swept down upon the homes of Slayton Faulkner and Teel McKinley, one mile north of Moffett and landed their prey. McKinley and Faulkner seeing the officers coming broke two gallons of corn liquor in the house, but Sheriff Gay was a little too fast for the boys, he grabbed a bucket and caught the liquor as it dripped through the floor. The sheriff was able to get more than a gallon and a half in his “catch.”

A pond near the homes of McKinley and Faulkner looked a “wee bit” shaky to the officers and they decided to investigate. Securing a seine the officers donned gummed boots and to their surprise they seined out of the pond more than 300 gallons of home brew and two barrels of mash. In one of the houses a complete bottling outfit was found, this the officers destroyed.