Johnston wins

25 Years Ago

—The City of Vian is almost ready to begin construction of a new sewer plant, Scott Neel, project engineer with P. Doug Harvell & Associates in Sallisaw, said construction of the plant should begin in July.

Scott Neel said the facility is one of the four main projects the city must complete to meet regulations for wastewater treatment set by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

Neel and other engineers are currently working on a study to upgrade and repair the city’s sewer lines.

The facility upgrade is necessary and required for Vian to meet guidelines in a state consent order. The new facility will replace the city’s outdated plant that does not meet specifications for wastewater treatment, Neel said.

50 Years Ago

—Juvenile delinquency is on an increase in Sequoyah County and one of the prime factors is believed to be idle hands. With 1975 not half over yet, the number of cases filed in the court clerk’s office is more than half of what the total for 1974 was.

—Approximately 36 feet of steel steps are about to be installed in the county courthouse, from the radio dispatcher’s office on the second floor to the jail cells on the third floor.

On Wednesday construction of an exit door for emergencies began in the jail area. After work is completed on that project the steps will be installed.

Also planned is the complete rewiring of the jail.

75 Years Ago

—More than six miles of 18-foot gravel surfaced farm-to-market road construction is set to commence in Sequoyah County by June 8, according to County Commissioner M.G. “Punch” Fink.

Work orders have been issued by State Highway Director H.E. Bailey on 3.874 miles starting south of the Cherokee County line and proceeding south through Blackgum toward Box and on 2.832 miles of like work leading southwest out of Blackgum.

One hundred working days have been allotted for the completion of each job.

—J.W. Hunicutt, 17-year-old who has escaped twice from officers, was taken to the Muskogee County jail Monday and pleaded innocent to charges of stealing a 1939 Ford from J.B. Bartholet May 5. He remained in jail in default of $1,000 bond to await preliminary hearing June 16.

James D. Roosevelt Payne, 19, is slated for sentencing at Muskogee on charges of burglarizing a filling station June 9. He and a companion, James Herbert Webster, 15, were arrested at the request of Sallisaw authorities late Sunday.

100 Years Ago

—John E. Johnston loomed as the next sheriff of Sequoyah County, late Wednesday when all the evidence had been placed before a jury of 12 men selected to hear the contest suit filed by him against C.M. Gay, republican, who, according to official returns was elected to office, Nov. 4 by a majority of 31.

Sheriff Gay’s chances of success dimmed rapidly in the trial of the suit, when a recount, under the direction of the court, of the votes for the Marble City precinct, and precinct three, Long township, gave Johnston a net gain of 121 votes, completely turning the tables and placing Johnston in the lead with a majority of 90.

The opening of the ballot boxes followed the introduction of testimony by the plaintiff, Johnston, showing that the boxes had been kept in an absolutely safe place since the November election, and their integrity had been preserved.

Judge C.C. Smith of Guthrie, who was assigned here by Chief Justice Nicholson of the supreme court to try the case following the disqualification of Judge Parks, ruled the legal can opener would not be applied to the box from precinct two, Paw Paw township, stating that the box did not appear to be in the same condition, as the testimony showed it to be at the time it was placed in the hands of the county election board following the election. Attempts by Sheriff Gay to offset the long lead gained by Johnston on the recount, by the testimony of witnesses as to the legality of 91 ballots cast in various precincts, were made as a leading part of the program for the defense.