Marshal Tribune 1911-1913

The Marshal Tribune 1911-1913

OKLAHOMA INDIAN OLYMPIC VICTOR

James Thorpe, Carlisle Student, Wins Pentathlon

Americans Are In Lead

Craig Wins Final in One Hundred Meter Dash—Yankees Win First, Second and Third in 100-Meter Race and First and Third in All-Round Athletic Test

July 12, 1911—The Marshal Tribune—Stockholm—American athletes won two notable victories at the Olympic games Sunday. R. C. Craig of the Detroit Y. M. C. A. captured the final of the 100 meters dash, while James Thorpe, an Oklahoma student of the Carlisle Indian school, won the pentathlon, a series of five events.

The stars and strips were seen often at the head of the mast where the colors of the victors were raised at the London Olympiad, but the triumph achieved Sunday never before was witnessed on an international athletic field. The flags are erected in the Stockholm stadium where the colors of the nations scoring first, second and third in the final contest of each event are hoisted. When the 100 meters sprint—the event most honored on athletic fields, had been finished, the America flag went up on the first staff, on the second and on the third. Craig, A. T. Meyer, Irish-American Athletic club, and D. F. Lippincott, University of Pennsylvania, were the men they represented. Craig’s’ time, 10 4/5 seconds, equals the Olympic record.

Only one other number on the program was concluded Sunday. That was the pentathlon, which was intended to be a test of all-round prowess. When this event was included in the Olympic games, conservative old-times, both English and Americans, who heretofore had dominated the field of sports, regarded it with suspicion as a trick of the newcomers to gain points, which were not contemplated in the original program.

The United States go the lion’s share of the glory from that also. At its conclusion the first and third staffs floated American flags and the second Norway’s.

The Indian, Thorpe, by his victory won his position as the legitimate successor of Marin J. Sheridan as an all-round athlete. Of those who entered this competition, the four Americans, Thorpe, Brundadge, Donohue and Menaul, started in all the events and stayed to the end with the Norwegian, Bie, the Canadian, Lukeman, and the Swede, Wieslander.

The semi-finals and the tryouts for the running high jump put the Americans in the position of practically owning the events, six representatives of the United States qualifying for the finals in both competitions. The 1,000-meter race was less satisfactory, but was not entirely disappointing, Louis Tewanima of the Carlisle Indian school, Joseph Keeper of Manitoga, Louis Scot of South Patterson, and U. F. McGuire of North Attleboro, Mass., qualified for the finals.

One of the surprises of the day was the running of the little Finn, T. Kolehmainan, who defeated the great Englishman, W. Scott, I the 10,000 meters.

The bicycle race around Lake Malar, a distance of about 200 miles, was won by Lewis of South Africa in 10 hours and 42 minutes. Grubb, England, was second, and Shutt, Kansas City, attached to the St. Louis Cycling club, third. The team race combined with the individual competition gave Sweden first place, England second and the United States third.

CRAVENS GUILTY

Famous Outlaw Convicted by Jury at Guthrie

Given a Life Sentence Jurymen Were Opposed to Returning Death Sentence

Career of Cravens One Black With Crime and Cruelty—Originally a Farmer Lad, He Graduated Into a Famous Criminal

February 2, 1912—The Marshal Tribune—Guthrie, Okla.—After being out since two minutes before 12 o’clock noon, Thursday, the jury in whose hands rested the fate of Ben Crede Cravens, alias Maust, tried upon an indictment for the murder of Alvin Bateman at Red rock, March 18, 1901, notified the court at 5:15 that they had reached a verdict, and ten minutes later the clerk of the court was reading the verdict finding the defendant guilty and recommending that the death penalty not be inflicted.

To the masterly argument of Attorney Al Jennings for the Defense in which he pleaded wht was known to be a hopeless cause, the prisoner owes his life.

It is understood the first ballot stood eleven for conviction and one for acquittal, several ballots being taken before a decision upon the question was settled.

This done, the decree came up for settlement, the first vote showing six for capital punishment and six for life imprisonment.

One by one, those in favor of the death penalty became shaken in their stand until shortly after 5 o’clock, when a final vote was taken, all agreed upon a modified verdict.

Cravens was born in 1861, and is now, therefore, about 50 years old. His parents were farmer folk who located in Chautauqua County, Kansas, while Ben was a lad. Chautauqua county was on the northern boundary of the Osage country, then the greatest breeder of outlaws in the southwest, and it was the call from this country that made Cravens a bad man. As a lad he was a school bully and in his teens be became mixed up with numerous shooting affrays at country-dances and such places.

As a schoolboy he was a student of Thompson B. Ferguson, latter to become governor of Oklahoma territory, and of Bird S. McGuire, now congressman from this Oklahoma district. Schooling was not much to his liking, however, and he became a farm laborer, working for the neighbors in that locality, and later riding race horses for a Putnam county, (Mo.) man. A chronological history of the man from the time he was 18 years old to the present is considered now of the greatest interest.

BUY HORSES IN A HURRY

February 9, 1912—The Marshal Tribune—Zack Miller and W. J. McKinty were here, Tuesday forenoon, buying horses, and they established a new world’s hurry-up record. They purchased thirteen horses in just two hours, this being a horse every nine minutes. The animals purchased would weigh from 1,000 to 1,400 pounds, the price varying from $85 to $125. Only geldings were wanted.

DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS STEALING

March 22, 1912—The Marshal Tribune— Enid News --Through quick sleuth work on the part of I. L. Terrell, deputy sheriff at Covington, J. F. Shoemaker, of Covington, is now in the county jail charged with horse stealing. Monday morning John Bangerter, who lives near Covington, found that his horse was missing. A search was instituted but the animal could not be found. He then notified the sheriff’s force here and simultaneously made his complaint to Deputy Terrell. Mr. Terrell got on a rather cold trail but kept up his search for about five hours, when Shoemaker was found riding on the horse about fourteen miles from the Bangerter home. Shoemaker was arrested and brought to Enid Monday night.

Shoemaker who is only 21 years of age claims that he did not know what he was doing when he took the horse. His plea therefore will be insanity when he is arraigned for his trial before Justice of the Peace S. H. Bradley. The examining hearing has been set for March 22.

THE CAPITAL AGAIN

April 17, 1912—The Marshal Tribune—Guthrie, Oklahoma, April 17:--Attorney John Deveraux threw Guthrie’s hat in the ring today when he filed with Attorney General West an initiative petition to locate the capitol and seat of government of Oklahoma at the city of Guthrie. In making this move, Deveraux acted for the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, and the action is based principally on the recent opinion, given by Attorney General West to Governor Lee Cruce that the state is not obligated to regard as binding the agreements made in 1910 with Oklahoma City, relative to locating the capital and erecting the capitol buildings there.

The Attorney General held further that because of the failure of the citizens of Oklahoma City to make good on their agreement relative to locating the capital there, that there is noting to authorize Governor Cruce to make a binding contract for the erection of the buildings. The slate thus being wiped clean the citizens of Guthrie through the Chamber of Commerce decided to act, and filing the petition with Attorney General West today is the first step.

APACHE PRISONERS ARE SOON TO BE FREE

Mescalero Reservation, In New Mexico, Probably Home of Tribe for Future

October 18, 1912—The Marshal Tribune—Lawton, Okla.—After 18 years of imprisonment on the Fort Sill reservation, the remaining members of the Apache tribe of Indians are about to regain their liberty under a recent act of congress and start life anew probably on the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico where the tribe has many friends and kinsmen. It is understood that the committee of the war and interior department in charge of the removal has selected that reservation as the future abiding place of the tribe.

There are 267 living members of the famous tribe of redmen, most of who are descendants of the warriors who in times past, made so much trouble for the United States troops and early settlers of the southwest. Very few of the old warriors are left who, led by Geronimo, repulsed the federal troops in 1883, in that battle just across the Arizona line in Mexico, which later was the direct cause of the imprisonment of the entire tribe.

During their residence at Fort Sill, the government has been very liberal in its treatment of the Indians and they have accumulated considerable wealth in the nature of horses, machinery and personal property. This they will take with them and every member of the band is well prepared to start an independent existence.

SNAKE WOULD NOT SIGN

But Wilson’s Speech Aroused Curiosity, and They “Gathered Closer”

June 20, 1913—The Marshal Tribune—Okmulgee—Standing on historic ground, in the courtyard of the national Muskogee Indian capital at Okmulgee, Joseph K. Dixon, leader of the Rodman Wanamaker expedition presented a flag to the assembled Creeks and received the signatures of Chief Moty Tiger and other principal men of the tribe to the declaration of the Indians of North America.

The work of the field expedition was enlivened by the presence of a band of fifteen Snake Indians. They took no part in the ceremonies and stood at a distance from the other spectators. But when a phonographic speech by the “Great White Feather,” (I think this should be Father, but this is how is appeared in article) President Wilson, was announced curiosity got the better of their pride and they crowded close about the speakers’ stand.

In addition to Chief Tiger of the Creek nation, Chief Sam Brown of the Euchees, Bennie McIntosh of the Creek house of kings, Ellis Childers of the house of warriors and B. W. Grayson, national interpreter, were present.

CRISIS OF THE WAR

Story of The Famous Battle of Gettysburg, Fought fifty Years Ago

Loss of Life Was Fearful

Both Armies Struggled Bravely, and the Confederates Were Conquered Only After Three Days of Bloody Conflict

July 7, 1913—The Marshal Tribune—Fifty years ago nearly 165,000 Americans met on the field of Gettysburg, and for three days fought one of the greatest battles of history. General Robert E. Lee’s army of some 84,000 southerners which had invaded the north was met there and overcome by about 80,000 Federal troops under the command of Gen. George G. Meade, and the tide of fortune in the Civil War, which up to then had often favored the south, was turned. Thereafter the Confederacy was on the defensive.

Though the south lost the battle, there was nothing to choose between their bravery in the conflict and that of the northerners. Both armies fought with valor and stubbornness, and the losses in dead and wounded were tremendous.

Commanding the corps of the Union Army were Generals John F. Reynolds, W. S. Hancock, Daniel F. Sickles, George Sykes, John Sedgwick, O. O. Howard and H. W. Slocum. Lee’s corps commanders were Generals James Longsreet, Richard S. Ewell and A. P. Hill.

Reynolds, sent ahead to feel out the enemy, arrived at Gettysburg the evening of June 31, and in the fighting, which began early, the next day, was killed. Gen. Abner Doubleday, who succeeded him, was forced back to Seminary Ridge, and after hard fighting, and then had to abandon that position, so that the first day of the battle was in reality a Confederate victory. That night Meade ordered the entire Union army to Gettysburg, and by next morning the two armies were confronting each other along a ten-miles line of battle.

Lee ordered Longstreet to turn the left flank of the Federal army by taking Little Round Top, but Sickles defended that position so stubbornly that Longstreet’s movement was check, Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill and The Devils Den were the scenes of desperate fighting and Little “Round Top was save to the Federals by the arrival of brigade under General Weed.

The third day opened with a wonderful artillery duel, the greatest of the entire war, and then came Pickett’s charge, which has gone into history of one of the most heroic assaults of all time. The men of Pickett’s division formed in brigade columns, moved steadily across open fields which were swept by such a storm of shrapnel and rifle fire as had never before been seen, and though they fell like grain before the reaper, some of them reaching the Union lines, only to be speedily overcome.

That ended the mighty battle, and there was nothing left for Lee to do but get back into Virginia.

Gettysburg cost the Union army the lives of a number of generals, and the loss of nearly 24,000 men. On the Confederate side five generals were killed and nearly 30,000 men killed or wounded.

A. H. T. A. FOR ENFORCEMENT

Two Conventions Adjourn; Sallisaw and Guthrie for 1914

October 31, 1913—The Marshal Tribune—McAlester—Adopting resolutions thanking the state legislature for the stringent anti-gambling law enacted last winter, strongly indorsing those public officials who have worked consistently for law enforcement and pledging themselves to work for the defeat of officers who have winked at law violations, selecting Sallisaw as the next place of meeting and electing and installing officers for the ensuing year, the eleventh annual convention of the Easter Oklahoma Anti-Horse Thief association completed its business and adjourned.

Regret was expressed in the resolutions to what was termed an abuse of the referendum in delaying the state’s new anti-gambling bill and the members were pledged to support the law when it some to a vote of the people.

These are the officers elected: State Senator E. T. Sorrels of Wilburton, president; P. A. Fox of Coweta, vice president; William H. Harrison of Checotah, secretary; I. H. Long of Afton, chaplain; Senator Campbell Russell of Warner, member of executive committee. President Sorrels has served as president one year. Secretary Harrison has been the only incumbent of that office since the organization of the association in 1903. Six hundred delegates and visitors were present the closing day. The association now numbers 9,000 members, with more than 300 local chapters.

Western A. H. T. A. Officers

Blackwell—The A. H. T. A. convention adjourned after a two-days’ session. Three hundred delegates were in attendance. The following officers were elected: President, James Kirkwood; vice president, William Marlowe of Bigheart; secretary, Ross B. Kelley of Blackwell; executive committee, W. W. Pierce, Oklahoma City; W. R. Mock, Carnegie, and R. P. Molden, O’Keene. Guthrie was designated as the meeting place for 1914.