OUR STATE CAPITOL LETTER,
DOINGS OF THE
OKLAHOMA
STATE OFFICERS.
OKLAHOMA TAX FERRET
UPHELD IN COURT.
OKLAHOMA NEWS
A Brief Resume of What Our
"Hired Men" Are Doing, How
They Spend Their Time, Etc.
State Warrants Repudiated.
Eight state warrants aggregating
{822.99, issued in connection with the
improvement of the Chandler rifle
range, and included in the last war-
rant call made by State Treasurer
Dunlop, will not be paid by the treas-
urer, under advice of Attorney General
West. It is asserted by state author-
ities that hese warrants lssuued dur-
ing the former administration, with
others emanating from the same
source, and aggregating $41,633.38,
were issued a under a general clause
af the act governing the national
guard, and not under a detail appro-
priation, are illegal.
When claims for the rifle range
work were first presented, former
Auditor Trapp declined to issue war-
rants and a mandamus suit was
brought in the Chandler district court
tefore Colonel Roy Hoffman, then
Judge, and one of the claimants to
Record of Legislative Journal Held to
Outweigh Stenographic Notes.
All question as to the passage by
the legislature of the "tax ferret" law
of May, 1908, was set at rest by the
superior court in an opinion by Jus-
tice Turner alfirming the superior
court of Logan county in the case of
Elizabeth McNeal vs. Fred W. Ritter
bush, treasurer of Logan county
The plaintiff brought suit to enjol
the Collection of back taxes under the i tha V*vev out of the hole and beneath
"tax ferret" law passed by the first lulllld a small package wrapped in pa
legislature, alleging that the bill did
Robers' Treasure Was $1.
Muskogee, Okla.—An echo of tha
old days of lawlessness in the tern
tories came in the find made by an
oil man named Iloss at Blue Mound,
six miles south of Wann, Okla. ltos9
kicked a large rook aside and found
| an amount of paper, discolored with
n ! lige, packed into a small hole. He dug
not pass the legislature, but that the
notes of the official stenographer
showed that the bill was indefinitely
postponed The court holds that
where the journal shows that the bill
per. When he lifted the package th
rotten wrapping fell away and a show-
er of pennies rattled to the ground
The fiud in itself amounted to little
as there were only 100 pennies or $1
in the package, but the fact that the
went through the regular procedure, lien"ies were wrapped as they were
the stenographic notes of official re- i wrapped for distribution by the banks
led to much excitement in the vicinity
Blue Mound, when old-timers there
remembered that Henry Starr, the
bank robber, was reported to have
buried in that neighborhood money se-
cured when he cleaned out the bank
it Tyro, Kan.
I
whom warrants were subsequently is-. . . ■
sued. Hoffman, who is also an 0f ) funds and then se" ,l'le „to Jrelm'
ficer in the Oklahoma national guard, burse the treasury, all under the terms
Wanted the mandamus, and without nf ,he location bill. He so
ippealing the case to the supreme I stated a,ter another conference with
court of the state the auditor issued the conference of the Capitol Building
the warrants. Following the inaugura- Company recently. No agreement was
lion of Governor Cruce, work on the j reached. The company wants to be
stopped by relieved of certain conditions or its
porters cannot be brought into evi-
dence to controvert the Journal, and
holds that the bill was passed by tha
legislature. The opinion also holds
that the act of 1909 repealing the pro-
visions of the earlier act as to collec-
tion of unpaid taxes accruing before
statehood does not operate to bar the i 
collection of back rtaxes levied be- _   « . ,
....... . .. Turtles Bound to Stakes.
tween the dates of the passage of the
1908 and 1909 acts. 1 Muskogee, Okla—The full-blood
   | Creek Indians in the vicinity of We- I
Cruce Would Accept Site. tumka have become seriously alarm-
Governor Cruce believes the state f over th" continued drouth which
can accept the gift of the northeast i threatens the loss of their crops and
site, build the capitol out of the state
i winter of famine, and have resorted
to ancient tribal customs to induce
rain. Farmers near Wetumka have
found numbers of mud turtles bound
to stakes along the Canadian river,
which is at a very low stage. The i
turtles were tied within a few inches ;
of the river, where they could see the 1
water but could not reach it unless a j
rain and consequent rise in the river i
AT THE PICNIC
GAS EXPLOSION KILLS HORSES
RIPS UP TWENTY ACRES AROUND
OIL WELL.
Injures One Man and Ruins all Ma-
chinery on Leases—Cause
Unknown.
Tulsa. Oklahoma.—A mvteteriou9
gas explosion occurred on the David
Shipman farm, seven miles south of
here. It tom up the earth for 20
acres, injured one man severely, kill*
ed five horses and demolished all
machinery on the lease.
The Producers' Oil company was
drilling for *11. A few rods away
was a producing gas well. The ex-
plosion was preceded by a. rumbling
noise resembling an earrbquake.
Charles Redd, a rig builder, was
on the derrick of the drilling well.
He jumped from a height of 40
feet, alighting in soft dirt: Although
severely injured, he will (recover. A
team of horses hitched 500 feet from
where tile Explosion first broke, were
thrown a long distant* and were
mangled. Three horses jn adjoining
land were killed.
TO BUILD NEW BRIDGE OVER OLD
"Ma, look!
chicken!"
Jlmmie's stepped In. * h* pie an' «ke an' T'ge'e awkped
Chandler rifle range was . . . , , ,,
his order, and State Examiner and In- contract which ^ ^vernor belleves ^ ^ ^ ^
spector Taylor's department, under essential to the buliaing^ ol tne [ Inquiry develoned th-it the full
the governor's direction, has been in- ™ authorized by the legisla ure so J > caught hundred
vestigating the accounts, but report"1" executive refused to consider the caught hundred
has not been made. j pr°?°sitl"n' .
The offer of the company to turn
AMERICANS IN GERMAN WRECK
MUST T£LL COST OF ELECTION
of turtles
which were staked out along the riv-
ir to "pray for rain." It is the Indian
Pullman Taxes Settled.
The legal war between the state
of Oklahoma and the Pullman com-
pany over state taxes for the years
since statehood, came to an end by
the 800 acres in the tract over to the "leory that the turtles in their dying
state was brought up. Governor Cruce
said that he believed that under the
capitol location bill he can accept this
property, the state to build the capitol
  by an appropriation and then sell the
announcement that an agreement had .
, i i t-u i ,i,„ land to recover the money. The gov-
been reached. The valuation of the
,, ... , n,_ ernor said he would refuse to accept
Pullman company was tixed by tha
^ . ,.J u . the tract unless the Capitol Building
board for 1908 at about $660,000, three; 1
times what the company returned, but company fills It. contract with the
for 1909 and 1910 that amount was In- legislature to the-letter.
creased slightly. Taxes for the three Se,,ator T R Thomas of Lawton'
pgony will implore the "Great Spirit" I
to send the rain and that their prayers j
will be granted. Some of the com-
plsory prayers of the turtles seem to j
have been aswered, for there have
peen several rains, but the Indians are !
continuing their proxy petitions to I
Providence in hopes of a deluge that [
will guarantee late crops and provision I
for the winter.
THROUGH TRAIN FR0.1W SWITZER-
land leaves TRACK*.
Crowded Witlr Tourist*, Among- Them
Many Americans—Cars Were
Telescoqeti.
Senate Adopts Most Rig-,d Campaign
Legislation Ever
Enacted.
president pro tern of the senate, and
a member of the senate capitol corn-
years amounted to approximately $45,-
000, which under the agreementwas j sal(J that the state event.
reduced about lo per cent. Valuation I ^ ^ be, compelIM to build it J Bickneil, national director of the
Announces Red Cross Members.
Oklahoma City, Okla.—E'rnest
,1911, as agreed upon, is about!
Till-
t,lined an assessment was sus-
Guthrie and*tderal 'iiSt''iCt roun at
Eighth district,'Pittnrj:OUrt f0'' th6
has an appeal pending1"^."5
T'nitf'd States supreme court.
capitol building and that an accept 1 American Red Cross society, ha, an
ance of the land ill the northeast siti; bounced from the1 Washington office j
by the state offers the best solution. ; following members of the (MUii
Ahother prominent* senator who was 1 l1(,ma state oard of the American. Red
a member of the capitol location com-j Cross: President, G vernor Lee
Cruce; treaaucer,, DftinJs T Fhnn of
Oklahoma 'City; secretary. Miss Kate-
Bamard; state commissioner of chari-
ties and. cinrrectixjos: M fe mass*
•iBgame. of Sallisaw; William .bis&jby
of McAlester, Saywonr C. He.vmun ot
mittee of the last • legislature,- said
~[s i today that he favors calling a special
will bo dismissed. Settlement or rn^pssion of the legislature for the pur-
Western Union's tax levy has not been p08e rc locwvittg the cap'ljtl
readied. Attorneys will take deposi*I  
iioto in the cases in New York July L'4. Appeals Light Seirience.
'' Must Stay Out of State. j t0 four 5'ears' imprisip.t>ac for maa-
Governor Cnice has issued a parole s, er from Semino^unly, ip-
t>u~ i  . , , npalen fn tnp rrlmltinl /*niiNAf.
to Theodore Barker, who was senteno
Jess Humphrey, i,,■, v sentenced^ oklr Aoma City, Charles I^nge of Pttlsa,
ed in Pottawatomie county June 10,
1909, to serve sixty days in jail and
pay a fine of $100 for violation of the
prohibition law. A condition of the
parole is that Barker is to remain out-
side the state. Barker went to Califor-
nia shortly after his conviction ana
is now residing there. The parole is
issued because Barker is in bad health
and also in view of the expense inci-
dent to his return.
Board of Affairs Makes Report.
The state board of affairs has de-
livered Its first report to Governor
Cruce. The document covers opera-
tions of the board from the date of its
appointment to July 1, and shows in
detail the purchases, average price
paid, and approximately the amount
of money saved the state.
To Test Oklahoma "Jag-Book."
A test case is to be brought to de-
termine whether the new prohibition
act of the last legislature is in con
flict with the federal law governing
interstate commerce of intoxicating
liquors. This announcement was made
Wheat Inspection Simpler.
The state grain commission held a
meeting and adopted the new rules
and regulations for the inspection ol
grains previously drawn up by the
  State Grain Dealers' Association. More
following a conference of county at-;''l5eral rules were ordered for wheat,
pealed to the criminal cournf a.p
peals. Humphrey shot and killed~w? i
H. a SbanKrEmt of "Mns'irjpiee
Senator Owens' Mother Dies.
Doolin following a quarrel between the r Guthrie, Okla.—Hrs. Narcissa Owen,
two men over their children. Humph-
rey claimed self-defense.
Appeals From Drowning Verdict.
• The city of Shawnee has appealed
to the supreme court from a verdict
in the district court of Pottawatomie
county awarding James Cheek $2,000
agfl 80„ mother of United States Sen-
j ator 1-jbert 5.. Owen, died here as a
result tfi 'iojuvies i:t*eeived several
weeks ago it. . fall. She was a Chero-
kee Indian, a native of Weber's Falls,
in old Indian Territory, and had
achieved fame as an author and ar-
tist. Her principal book was a his-
Mullheim  Badeo, Germany. — A
through enpress from Basel. Switzer-
land, for Berlin, crowded with a
heavy tourist tralBc, baa been wreck-
ed here. Klevea persoo  are known
to hav* been killed, while many
others were injured* some of tlietja
daugeroiyaly.
Gi'fat, contusion followed the acci-
dents atad it was with difficulty that
the. Extent of the disaster could be
determined. So far the dead had
rjt 'been identitled and it was impos-
iiW.e to learn whether there were
Aifnericans among the dead.
The accident occurred as the train
'coming from the south was entering
the station. The locomotive was de-
j railed and was followed from the
| track by four cars, a first class, a
j second class and two-third class
coaches. These cars telescoped each
j other. At the same time the remain-
I ing cars were thrown to the opposite
| side of the track and piled up against
a train standing on the south-bound
! rail. Not a passenger in the first
three coaches of the train escaped
' injury. Those in the other cars suf-
fered less.
Interesting Engineering "Stunt" Will
Cost the Santa Fe
$1,235,000.
Topefta, Kansas —Tile engineering
department of ill.*. Atchison, Topeka
K- Sati'H Fe rallrowl will undertake a
difficult and unusual job in replacing
1 bo dd single trwik bridge across the
Missouri river Sibley, 21 n jles east
of Kansas City
The Santa Va engineers intend to
build a new rftmblw track I ridge at a
lower elevatiou on the piers of the
old bridge ajil use the old bridge un-
til the new one Is completed. This
job will inpolvo difficult engineering,
because tt« traffic over Hie Santa Fe
   — ts heavier- than any ather line be-
W ishlngtom n. <f.—1Thr. miwi tween K«n as City an I Chicago,
drastic, campaign publicity legislation i -1'1 tv >* bridge will be one of the
evi r passed in either brancft of cou- costliest on the Missouri rlvei, tho-
gr^ss was ajopted l i< the smate prao- j estimate being $1,233,000.
tii.-ally without a dissenting vo(.< ■.
It originated in file house and was (N]EW ANGLO-JAP TREATY SIGNED
designed so require the pmbllcacijun ol ______
exiienseR before- election. That lis
not required by the existing publicity j
law.
The. senate amendments required
publicity of ill primary election ex-
penses and all pledges of political. (
jobs or favors. | London. The fourth clause modifies
The more rigid portion of the hill j the clause providing mutual assist-
limiting the amount the senatorial ] ance |n the event of war, making the
or congressional candidate may spend i provision inapplicable tn the event
In any election, and prohibiting the [ either party to the agreement
Jap.jn, in Case of War With United
States, Would Get No Help
From England.
London, England—A revised Anglo-
Japanese treaty has been signed in
PROFIT
CITY WATER PLANT
damages for the death of his 9-year-old ' ,ory of the Cherokees, and her paint-
son, Tomkine Cheek, who was drown-
ed in the old water works reservoir at
Shawnee May 18, 1909.
Mine Development Co. Chartered.
Secretary of State Harrison has is
sued a charter for the Eufalua Mines
Development Company of Eufaula
with $3,000 capital stock. The incor
porators were Carl W. Gust, James
Blake and H. C. Blake of Eufaula.
ings have won her fame in Washington
and other eastern cities.
torneys and legal representatives of
railroad companies held here.
day.
The interstate commerce law re-
quires that intoxicating liquors ship-
ped between the states be delivered
to the consignee or upon his order,
whereas the state law recently enact-
ed requires that delivery shall be made
o,nly after the consignee has signed
tho "jag-book," which Is the term ap-
to the whisky records at depots.
Major A. J. Niles Relieved.
General order has been Issued by
the governor through the office of the
adjutant general, relieving Major Alva
j. Niles, judge advocate of the Okla-
homa National Guard from the duties
of disbursing officer a/t his own re-
quest. Adjutant Geenral Canton has
been designated as disbursing officer.
Express Hearing Postponed.
The state board of equalization's
bearing of express company officials
ordered to appear here July 10, with
records to testify in connection with
the assessment of taxes against their
companies, was postponed until Au-
gust 1. Among others orderred to a] 
pear was Thomas Piatt, son of th#
United States senator from New
York, and an executive officer of th#
United States Express company, and
officers of the American, Wells-Fargo
and Pacific companies,
thus putting the provisions governing
the tests of that grain in harmony
with those of surrounding states. Xew
rules also were adopted concerning
kaffir corn and milo maize.
The fee was recently lowered from
$1 to 50 cents per car, and the board
has limited Inspector H. Stauffach-
er's expenses to $100 per ifionth. Mem-
bers of the state grain commission as
designated by an old territorial stat-
ute, are Secretary of State Harrison,
chairman; State Auditor Meyer and
Attorney General West,
Cruce to Keep Out of Texas Fight.
Governor Cruce was Invited to ad-
dress an audience in Gainesville, Tex.,
taking the Prohibition side of the pres-
ent campaign. He sent his regrets.
The governor insists that the fight be-
longs to Texas and not Oklahoma.
Shot at Rats; Killed Himself.
Muskogee, Okla—While shooting
rats in his smokehouse in the rear of
his home at Tahlequah, County Attor-
ney \\. I, Johns of Cherokee county
accidentally shot himself in the abdo-
men and died within an hour.
State Surgical Society Formed.
Oklahoma City, Okla.—A commit-
tee representing the surgeons of the |
larger cities of Oklahoma met in Ok- [
lahoma City for the purpose of form-
ing the Oklahoma State Surgical so- j
ciety. The committee was selected
during the last annual convention of
the Oklahoma State Medical associa-
tion, when it was decided by the sur-
geons that hey needed a separate or-
ganization. Officers were elected and
adjournment was taken to August 8,
when a general meeting of all sur-
geons will be held and a constitution
and by-laws adopted. The officers
elected are: Dr. Grossnart of Tulsa,
president; Dr. Clark of El Reno, sec-
retary and treasurer, and Dr. W. A.
Dickey of Oklahoma City and Dr. My-
ers of Lawton, members of the cen-
sors .committee-
Kansas City, Kansas, Plant Shows
Clean Profit Over all
Expenses.
Kansas City, Ka"nias.—The Kansas
City, Kan., municipal water plant is
making money while giving the city
the best service it ever had. The
water department made a profit of
$77,270.41 for the city, after paying
all expenses for operation and main-
tenance, the first six months of this
year.
The profits are used to pay the in-
terest on the water works bonds, to
provide a sinking fund and for ex-
tensions.
Heavy Shipment of Stamps.
Kansas City, Missouri—Five trucks
! carried mail, valued at $400,000, from
the Union depot to the postofflce.
The shipment was from Washington
j and consisted of stamps, in packages
I of 200,000. Eleven million two-cent
| stamps, 7,000,000 "ones," 150,000
I stamps of other denominations and
15,000 stamp books made up the load.
making of all campaign pledges was
adopted after long debate.
JAP WAR SCARE IS ALL OVER
Toklo Looks Upon New English
Treaty as Practically Triple
Alliance.
i was fighting a nation with whom the
other had concluded u general arbi-
tration treaty.
A general arbitration treaty be-
! tween the United States and England
1 is being prepared and will be sub*
j mitted to congress.
RECOVERS $60,000 DAMAGES
Washington, D. C.—It is predicted
here that Japan will shortly begin
negotiations with the United States
for an arbitration treaty similar to
that being concluded between the
United States and Great Britain
Those who venture this assertion
base it on Japan's agreement with
England that It will not demand Eng-
land's aid in caBe of war between the
United States and the Eastern empire, i clgaret manufacture in Norfolk
• -     * " Va,, assessed $20,000 damages in Ta-
¥okio, Japan.— ^FiiG revised Anglo-1
Japanese alliance is hailed in many
First Recovery of Damages Under
Sherman Law Hits American
Tobacco Company.
Raleigh N. C.—After having been
out 24 hours, the jury in the Ware-
Kramer Tobacco company case
against the American Tobago fcom-
pany ^or (lesu^j'ijjg Its business in
- . * • r •   . ... •-
quarters here as a practical triple
alliance between the United States,
England and Japan.
INVESTIGATE PIPE LINE RATES
yor of ihfc plaintiff. Suit wag brought
j under Section 7 o£ thg Shgjnj^a
j anti-trust law for treble damages Vnd
i the Judgment will be $000,000. This
I is the first recovery of damages since
! this law was enacted.
Commerce Commission Will Inquire
Into Rates of Oil Pipe Line
Companies.
Washington, D. C.—An invest!,
gation of pipe lines, the rates, classi-
fications and regulations, was or-
dered by the interstate commerce
commission. Informal complaints
have been made to the commission
that certain pipe lines are being
operated in an unlawful manner and
to the prejudice of the interests of oil
shippers.
Gov. Cruce Grants Parole.
Upon the offidavits of two physi-
cians that longer confinement may r 
suit in the death of the prisoner, who
is in a very serious condition, Gover-
nor Cruce issued a parote to Alfred
Robinson, serving a ninety days' sen-
tence in Pottawatomie county for vio-
lation of the prohibitory law. Gover-
nor Cruce also revoked the parole of
Roy Cowan who was sentenced to
three years from Muskogee county for
forgery and paroled by former Gover-
nor Haskell May 3, 1910.
Two New Oklahoma Temples.
Muskogee, Okla.—A message recelv.
ed from Rochester, N. Y., where the
Imperial Council of the Shrine Is
meeting, is that Muskogee and Tulsa
have been granted Shrine temples in
eastern Oklahoma.
Starves Rather Than Beg.
Guthrie, Okla.—Florian ("Jack")
Siexas, aged 52, several times city
clerk here, bank clerk and accountant,
died at the Methodist hospital here
from the effects of "walking" typhoid
fever, which resulted, it is said, from
starvation. He had been without work
for several weeks and rather than
ask friends for money he starved. He
was a bachelor without any known
relatives and no property. He had
hundreds of friends here who would
gladly have helped him.
Convicted on Finger Prints.
Chicago, Illinois. — Thomas Jen-
nings, a negro, the first man ever con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged
in this country on finger print evi-
dence, has been granted a stay of
execution by the state supreme court.
Fast Horse 8aved Negro.
McAlester, Oklahoma.—C. E. Cor-
sey, a white boy 18 years old, was
stabbed and killed in a quarrel by
Jamie Gibson, a negro 18 years old,
at Savannah and a mob gathered but
officers got the negro safely to jail.
Exploding Powder Kills Three.
Denver, Colorado.—One man was
killed, two are missing and probably
dead and two nitroglycerin buildings
were destroyed by the explosion of
3,000 pounds of nitro-glycerin at the
Dupont Powder company's plant, 15
miles south of Denver.
Two Women Held for Murder.
Junction City, Kansas.—Mrs. Char-
les King and daughter, Mrs. Luella
Bruce, were rearrested by Sheriff
Ilarber, charged with the murder of
the former's husband.
Mrs. Napolitano Not to Hang.
Ottawa, Ontario.—The cabinet com-
muted to life imprisonment the sen-
tence of death passed upon the
Italian woman, Angellno Napolitano,
for the murder of her husband at
Sault Ste. Marie. Mrs. Napolitano,
who killed her husband April 10, al-
leged at her trial that she killed him
because he tried to force her into an
immoral life for the financial benefit
An Old Italian Castle Burned.
Milan, Italy-.—Fire partially burned
Sforza castle at Saint Angelo Ledi-
gano. The tower, which was built in
1391, and the armory still stand, but
the archives containing important
documents were destroyed.
Newspaper Men in Session.
Detroit, Michigan—Newspaper men
and their wives and families have
taken possession of this city and will
hold it for three days. The annual
convention of the National Editorial
Association Is in session in the Hotel
Pontchartraln and as usual the at-
tendance is large and enthusiastic.
John W. Qates Improving.
Paris, France.—John W. Gates, the
American financier, who has been 111
here for some time continues to galu
slowly.
MINERS KILLED IN AN EXPLOSION
Victims Could Not be Reached for
Three Hours—All Foreigners
But Three.
DuBois, Pa.—Twenty-one miners
Were killed (ti ah explosion in the
shaft of the Cascade Coal and Coke
company's mine at Sykesville, nine
miles from here.
All of the dead but three are for-
eigners. The explosion was slight, as
evidenced by the small damage done
in the mine. Fire damp is believed
to be responsible for most of the
deaths.
Real Estate Men in Convention.
Denver, Colorado.—The greatest
gathering of real estate men ever
held in the world Is the convention oC
the National Association of Real Esi
tate Exchanges, which is being held
here. Something like 800 delegates
have come from all parts of tha
United States and some sections oC
Canada.
Good Texas Cotton Crop.
Dallas, Texas.—Reports from 132
cotton counties In Texas Indicate that
cotton is in good condition since the
recent rains and prospects are fain
for one of the best crops in several
years.
General Diaz to Switzerland.
Bad-Nauheim, Germany. — General
Porfirio Diaz is preparing to leave
for Paris, being advised not to take
the waters on account of his age.
From Paris Diaz will go to Switzer-
land for the summer.
More Earthquakes in Hungary.
Budapest, Hungary.—There was a
recurrence of severe earthshocks in
the Kecskomet district, 50 miles
southeast of here, from 5 until 7
o'clock a. m. At Kecsk9met the tower
of the synagogue was wrecked.