11-year-old boy confesses to robbing store of $700
-Sequoyah County Democrat, Oct. 2,1925
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 years ago
(From the Oct. 1,2000, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) expect to spend a combined amount of about $30 million to build a new bridge on U.S. Highway 59 south of Sallisaw and additional roadwork to accommodate the project.
ODOT announced plans in September to award bids on two projects in November. Construction is expected to begin around May or June 2001 for the bridge over the Arkansas River at the Sequoyah and LeFlore county line. Darren Saliba, division engineer for ODOT headquarters in Muskogee, said.
“This project is going to be a wonderful thing for the area south of Sequoyah County Its going to be a great improvement,” Saliba said, about the widening of U.S. Highway 59 south to its intersection with State Highway 9.
—Vian City Manager Darzella Barnes is currently working on two projects, a new sewer plant, which is under construction, and the Vian City Take.
Barnes said she will soon be submitting two grant applications to upgrade the plant and the park at the Vian City Take.
Barnes said once the plant is finished, she also wants to upgrade the sewer and water lines in the town.
50 Years Ago
(From the Oct. 2,1975, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —The grandmother of Sallisaw football coach Ron Etheridge, was found slain at her Stilwell home Tuesday The body of Mrs. Mae Etheridge, 78, was found at her home by a friend.
According to Adair County Asst.
Dist. Atty. Rex Starr, Mrs. Etheridge was apparently beaten and then shot between 3 and 4 p.m. Tuesday.
—Burglars continue to keep busy in Sallisaw, according to Police Chief Sam Tockhart.
Friday night the home of William O’Neal was broken into and approximately $3,000 worth of merchandise was taken.
Sunday night Sassy’s beauty salon was burglarized. In addition to merchandise, $80 in cash was stolen.
Several cars parked at the Ramms Trailer Court were broken into Sunday night. Items taken included clothes and tools.
75 Years Ago
(From the Oct. 6,1950, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Files for this period are missing.
100 Years Ago
(From the Oct. 2,1925, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —William Barnett, 11-year-old son of a Fort Smith factory worker, who robbed the H.A. Mannan and Son, general merchandise store of Roland, of $700 in currency and checks, was released on probation Monday when his father promised to place the lad in school.
When the money was missed all of the boys that were in the store that morning were held on suspicion and were questioned by the sheriff and county attorney, but no information could be learned. On Sunday the Barnett boy gave some small boys in the neighborhood one and five dollar bills to keep them from telling about him having so much money, the parents of the children noticing them with money began questioning them and soon learned of the Barnett boy having this money.
Ed Wade, a farmer living in the same neighborhood had the children to show him where the boy had the money hid, which was in an old house nearby. Deputy Sheriff G.C. Smith, was notified that the money had been found and upon questioning the boy soon had a confession from him that he had stolen the money and how he did it.
The father stated that he had to work long hours at the factory and could not give the boy the proper attention, he sent him out above Roland to the boys uncle, thinking that if the boy was out in the country he would probably keep out of trouble. Some of the boys in the neighborhood told the Barnett boy of seeing a bill fold in the show case of the Mannan Store, he stated. Saturday morning he decided to make away with the bill fold. The proprietor of the store and all the clerks were busy at the time unloading a car of flour and there was as usual a large crowd of small boys around, then the Barnett boy seeing his chance, edged around the counter and slipped the bill fold into his pocket and beat it up the railroad track towards the home of his uncle.
The boy stated that upon noticing the checks he threw them away and seeing so much money in the bill fold he came very near bringing it back as he thought there was only a few dollars in it.
