Heart attack fatal to Sallisaw coach
— Sequoyah County Times, Aug. 7, 1975
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 6, 2000, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —A fire which caused major damage to McKnight Sallisaw Inn and Jacuzzi Suites on U.S. 59 south in Sallisaw was under investigation by Sam Pinson, state fire marshal, Friday morning.
The fire began about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, destroying one wing of the complex which contained apartments, and left about 11 families homeless and without belongings, Mark Detro, motel and apartment owner said Friday.
No one was hurt or injured in the fire. Sallisaw and other firemen from throughout the county fought the blaze, which spread through the ceilings to adjoining apartments, from about 11:45 a.m. until getting the fire under control at about 3 p.m. They remained on the scene until after 5 p.m.
50 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 7, 1975, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Perry Floyd Lattimore, an eastern Oklahoma coaching fixture for 20 years, died from a massive heart attack Sunday afternoon.
Lattimore, who had coached five all-staters in his 10 years at the Sallisaw helm, had been playing tennis and complained of chest pains, following the match. He died at 5:15 p.m. at the Sequoyah Memorial Hospital Lattimore took over a sagging Black Diamond football program and built it into a state grid powerhouse. While head coach of Sallisaw, Lattimore guided the Diamonds to NOAA conference crowns in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1972. a native of Sallisaw, Lattimore played football on the High School team and earned a berth as a tight end. During his playing days at SHS, he was tagged with the nickname “Volcano.”
75 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 11, 1950, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —The recount of the votes in Sequoyah County in three races was completed Monday night at 10 o’clock without changing the nominee as named in the original vote.
E.W. Floyd’s majority in the sheriff’s race was reduced to five votes from the 35-vote majority as originally listed.
Frank Tickey Green gained eight votes in the recount for commissioner, district No. 3 and in the Governor’s race Murray gained 33 votes.
After the recount was completed and Judge E.G. Carroll formally announced the winners, Green and T.H. Harrell and Floyd and Huckleberry Shell shook hands. Representatives and attorneys for both Coe and Murray expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the recount was conducted by both the County Election Board and Judge Carroll.
100 Years Ago
(From the Aug. 7, 1925, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —Chief of Police J.C. Woll on Tuesday arrested J.B. McRea, alias Will Scott in this city, following notices sent to him recently from other cities giving a description and urging local officers to be on the lookout for him. He was arrested at the Bonham Hotel where he had been staying. The Chief gave him the third degree Thursday morning and secured a confession from him that he was wanted at Birmingham, Alabama and asked that the sheriff there be notified. He said that his parents lived at Bear Creek, Alabama. Local officers claim that the man has drawn numerous drafts in this part of the country, upon a Chicago law school, and has secured the cash on most of the drafts. His latest escapade was renting a business office in Fort Smith last week, renting typewriters, employing stenographers and then leaving very suddenly and mysteriously, Chief Woll was the next man to conduct any business with the gent. He will be returned to Alabama as soon as word is received from there.
—The little city of Moffett, situate on the crumbling banks of the Arkansas River across from Fort Smith will be the scene next Saturday morning of a most interesting and hard fought trial in the court of Justice A.B. Ferguson when John King, outfielder on the Fort Smith league team and Cy Williams, pitcher on the Okmulgee league team, are brought into court to face a charge of fighting. The alleged fight occurred last Sunday afternoon at the ball park on the Oklahoma side of the river. King is said to have called Williams some vile names and Williams didn’t like his line of talk. Following the game, Williams is said to have taken a healthy punch at King and a lively fight ensued in which King is believed to have chewed William’s ear nearly off. Warrants were issued for the players, and they have been notified to appear in court next Saturday.
