Christmas tragedy results from craze producing corn whiskey
— Sequoyah County Democrat Jan. 1, 1926
25 Years Ago
—Last week’s winter ice storm left behind broken trees, broken utilities and broken lives, and will remain on the minds of many for years to come.
At least three area deaths are attributed to the storm, and county commissioners roughly estimated that the storm caused $300,000 in damages to the county alone.
Albert Marquez, Sequoyah County emergency management director, said county officials are gathering information on the storm and its effects on Sequoyah County so the county can be declared a disaster area by the federal government and be eligible for federal disaster money. Michelann Ooten, spokesman for the state Department of Civil Emergency Management, said the disaster declaration issued last week by Gov. Frank Keating enables communities to use state resources to recover from the storm’s aftermath.
Among the information the commissioners are gathering is the Sequoyah Memorial Hospital’s report of 100 people who were injured or became ill due to the winter storms.
Officials are also gathering information on two deaths reported in the county due to the storms. One county man died in a wreck Monday due to a snowcovered Interstate 40 and another died in a house fire believed to have been caused by electrical problems.
50 Years Ago
—Two men armed with shotguns held up the Lewis DX station in Roland Saturday night.
According to Sheriff Max Newman between $400 and $500 in cash was believed to have been taken.
The men were believed to be between the ages of 18 and 20.
Newman said the service station attendant didn’t recognize the two, but would know them if he ever saw them again.
The incident occurred at 8 p.m. There were no injuries.
75 Years Ago
—With the rapid erection of steel on Carl Phillips’ new $40,000 theatre building, the top is due to be completed within a few days, Phillips said this week.
Rain has held up the work to some extent, but crews are expected to keep pretty well up to schedule.
An interesting feature of the completed structure will be a “cry-room,’ which will be insulated so that no sound can escape. A loud speaker in the room will enable mothers to enjoy the movie while their infants exercise their lungs, all without disturbing the other patrons.
The sound-proof room will seat from 12 to 15 persons, Phillips said.
100 Years Ago
—Christmas day brought sudden death to a citizen of Sallisaw and a veteran of the World War, when Ross Taylor, was shot and instantly killed about 8:15 p.m. on that day, by Perry Chuculate, deputy sheriff, following an attempt by Taylor to take the life of the deputy. Taylor has resided in this community practically all of his life and is well known all over the county. He served in the World War and saw much foreign service.
Last Friday, on Christmas day, he had inquired of several people about town for liquor stating that he wanted a Christmas drink. Late that evening he was supplied with a quantity of liquor. Personal friends state that since boyhood, intoxicating liquors have had serious effect upon him and that his mind quickly became effected, following the drinking of liquors. Friday evening he returned home and the family saw at once that he was in a bad way and that a serious situation confronted them. A physician was called and relatives came to assist in quieting the man, and officers were called for but no one responded until about 8:15 p.m., when Perry Chuculate, deputy sheriff who lives close by, responded and went to the home to render any possible assistance. Chuculate had lived neighbor to the Taylor family for more than a year and he and Taylor were good friends and Chuculate had befriended him upon more than one occasion. Chuculate believed when he entered the home, that he could quiet the drink crazed man easily, but immediately upon his entering the room, Taylor leaped at him with an open razor, backed him from the bedroom into the living room and thence to the front porch with Chuculate pleading at every step for him to stop. His words were not headed however and as Taylor bore down upon him Chuculate was forced to shoot, in in actual defense of his own life. Two shots were fired and Taylor fell to the porch floor mortally wounded and died soon after.
