The Tulsa Chief. (Tulsa, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 21, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 4, 1908 Page: 1 of 8
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Largest
Weekly Circula-
tion in tht* county
SUCCESSOR TO THE gwMrttl lUpttMtCtttl# JAN 1. 1908
Advertising
Sput'i reasonable
l'omim iviiil IVinting
to order.
VOL. XVIII.
$1.00 A YEAR
TULSA. TULSA COUNTY OKLAHOMA. TUESDAY. AUG. 4. 1908
NO. 21
Undertakers, The Wishes of Our Patrons Carefully Attended to. Phone 93 Wm. T.Baxter, 16 So. Main.
URGES MARRIAGE LAWS
TO CHECK INSANITY.
Topeka, Aug. 2.—in hia biennial re-
port submitted to the state board of
control. Dr. . C. Biddle, superintendent
of the state insane hospital at Topeka,
urges the strengthening and the strict
enforcement of the marriage laws in
order to prevent the increase of in-
sanity That Insanity is on the in- j
crease lie admits.
"The question,” he said, “so frequent-
ly asked is ‘Why is insanity increas-
ing so rapidly?’ The answer brlefl>
is: ‘Heredity and degeneration.- In
not less than 75 per cent of the cases ;
of insanity is heredity an active cause ;
of the attuck. Like produces like.' This :
is nature law and tills unchanging, un. j
changable law is no more actively en-
forced that in that Held of nature where
an unsound and unstable mind repro- j
duces Insane and unstable minds. Tills
law is fully recognized and utilized in
reproducing a higher and better type of
animal life throughout the world.
HITMANS ONLY CARELESS
"The breeding of all useful animals. !
except the human, is based on the law
of selection. Not so with humanity: \
here the breeding is indiscriminate, !
unrestreted, without any attempt at 1
selection. Then should we*wonder that ;
with this gross violation of nature's
laws, that has continued through tin
generations, together with additional
stain of alcoholism and other contam-
inating influences, that the stamp of I
degeneracy should mark such a large j
percent of mankind.
"While these important socioiigical |
facts have long been recognized, so-
ciety is practically doing nothing to
mend this, the greatest flaw inour social
fabric. A few states have passed laws
to correct the evil, but they are not
backed by publis sentiment and are
therefore not enforced.
“How many citizens of Kansas know
that It is unlawful for epileptics, im-
beciles, feeble-minded or insane to mar-
ry in this state? Or that it is unlaw-
ful to issue license to marry to such
persons? I am clearly of the opinion
that Kansas has no law of greater
importance than the one prohibiting the
marriage of these defectives.
QUESTION WOULD BE CHANGED
"It is quite certain that a similar
law in each of the states of the union,
together with strict enforcement would
in two generations change the question,
why is insanity increasing so rapidly?
to another one, why is insanity de-
creasing so rapidly? The Kansas law
should be strengthened so as to give it
greater force. A medical certificate
covering the prohibited afflictions
would be an important amendment.”
Accompanying this statement is a
t;.r., snowing the causes of insanity in
patients received during the past two
years. It shows that eighteen were
made insane by alcoholism: twelve by
domestic troubles: fifteen by financial
troubles; twenty by grief and worry;
forty-eight by heredity; ten by isola-
tion; fourteen by overwork; eighteen
by religious excitement and six byn ar. 1
cotics; and more than 100 by di-
seases inherited. In other words 90 per
cent of the patients were either affin-
ed by hereiditary diseases aor were
Double Murder
<’ Journal
A OOLLAR AND A MORAL
In furiated by his wife’s refusal to
driven in.-ane by family troubles.—K torn over her allotment money to him,
and driven to desperation because the
J police were seeking him for two crimes,
Cleoe Harris, aged 22 years shot and
killed his wife and baby girl, in front
— | of the McDowell home, on Brady av-
Waitern Jeweler Take* a Whack at enne; in making his escape shot and
Mail-Order Houses. seriously wounded Walter Vann, an Am
The Clemens Oscatnp, a Cinclnnatti I srlcan Express messenger, made a de-
jewelry concern, takes up most of a , termined effort to kill Myron Brown, a
handsome advertisement in the Times- ! collector employed by Win. T Baxter,
Star of July 2 with this story. J und escaped, pursued by officers and
GONE FOREVER. citizens into the Osage Hills. Harris Is
Six years ago, in Weber county, Utah ! how believed to be in a wild unbroken
u farmer put his initials on :l dollar bill country, where lie has numerous friends
Next day lie came to Ogden and spent. and relatives, and little hopeis held of
it with a merchant Before six months j capturing him.
had passed he got the satin- dollar hack. The nows of the dual tragedy swept
Four times in three years the hill came ! through the city like wildfire and it
back to hint for produce, and three created a sensation. A posse was im-
tinics lie heard of it in tin- pockets of i mediately formed and cst out in pur-
his neighbor- Tin- last time he saw . suit of the murderer, Out after follow-
the bill was three years ago. He Sent it
to a Mail-Order House. Hi* will never
ing tin* trail with bloodhounds to a
eonfletd near Flat creek, four miles
see that bill again The dollar bill I northwest of the city, were forced to
will never pay any more school or! abandon tile chase because of the con-
cern nt\ taxes for him, will never build j dition of their horses. Another posse
ur brighten any more homes in tin* which included Sheriff Lewis, und
community Hi sent ie entirely out Officers Dolund and Walker left the
of the usefulness to himself and his city shortly after (i o’clock last night,
neighbors when he sent it to the Mail- with tile Intention of scouring the
Order House
country northwest of hen
MORAL: It was shortly after H o'clock Sat-
Trade at your home Jewel.L Store,: unlay morning when Mrs. Harris car-
wlu-re your ilullor buys most anything, tying her baby in her arms, came rush-
ami where you may get it back again ing into flic liome of Mrs. Nellie Mi-
ami "boost” Uincinnatti. ‘ Dowell, at 211 Brady avenue. She
Having pointed the moral the ad- i was highly excited and in a terror
vertiser goes on to tell of bargains in j stricken voice called to Mrs. MeDow-
eolonial ice pitchers. I ell to telephone for the oplice, that
'------- I “Ulevo" was in the»Harris home, which
SCHOOL BOND CARRIED BY adjoins the McDowell residence and
A VOTE OF 73 TO 19
On last Tuesday the School election
was held at tin* old school house for
tlie purpose of voting bonds to the
omunt of $7,000 and also the election
of a rustee and a Clerk of the school
board. The $7,000 is to be used to com-
plete tlie new school house that is be-
built here at Red Fork which by the
way when completed will make one of
tlie finest buildings in the state for its
that lie was going to kill tier.
Mrs. McDowell went to the tele-
phone and put in a call for the sta-
tion. She suys that from tlie police
station came tlie information that an
officer could not be sent until a war-
rant was sworn out.
Mrs. McDowell had hardly turned
from the telephone when Harris rush-
ed through the rear door of the house
Mrs. McDowell divined his object and
size und will cost about $15,000. The talked to him, imploring him not to
Clerk and Trustee that were elected
were W. G. Clayton and Sam Hinkle
both being elected by a large majority
over R. M. llrown anw Lincoln I’os-
toak, Mr. Hinkle and Clayton along
with Mr. E. J. Bonacker have been the
real pushers of the new school house
and well Reserved their places on the
do u.nything rash
Harris turned to his u ife and sapped
out, "I suppose yon want that money,
don't you,” but the woman was be-
side herself witli fear and could not
repl>. He motioned to Mrs, McDowell
to take the money out of his pocket.
The movement was obeyed and the
money, $150 in bils, was turned over to
school board.
Tlu- day w as extremely bos so the | Mrs. Harris,
men stayed at home and let the Ladies I “Let me kiss flu* baby,” said Har-
do voting, this being their first chance j ris, and he made a motion toward the
to vote in Red Fork at a school elect- | child. He snatched a kiss from the
ion. Harry Strangley and E. J. Bon- baby anil pusing Mrs. McDowell
acker furnished carriages to take the-; aside he made a dash for his wife,
ladies t" the polls. Derrick. | She screamed and rushed through tlie
__I open door to the sidewalk, when sud-
Mrs. John Day returned Sunday night j denly Harris whipped out a 38 Colt
from a two months visit in St. Louis j revolver and fired five times in quick
and Cherryvale, Kas. j succession. The mother and child
-ank to tile sidewalk, both expiring
utmost instantly. The same bullet
that killed the mother had pierced
the baby's heart
Rushing to ills own home Harris
secured another revolver and then ran
up tile alley to Cameron street.
In front of the Fairchild grocery
store on Cameron street Walter Vann
and D T Fuireliild were standing
Vann had received instructions from
tlie downtown American Express of-
fice to get a package at the corner of
Cameron und Denver. He wann’t able
to locate the cull anr he had stopped
at the Fairchild store with a view of
getting information . Their attention
was attracted to the scantily clad
man running up the street. As tin*
man approached, without a word of
warning lie whipped out a revolver
and shot a bullet crashing through
Vann’s side. Then swinging into a
run lie disappeared up the street.
Vann was assisted to his feet by
Fuireliild and helped into tin* store.
The bullet had passed through Vann's
body and tile blood was saturating his
clothing. Fairchild telephoned to
the police and to a physician, hut
while he was doing tills Vann calmly
walked out of the store, mounted tlie
express wagon and drove down town.
Here lie was taken under the care of
Dr. P. R Brown, and latter removed
to tlie hospital. His physician stated
that the wound thogh serious was not
dangerous.
In the meantime, the murderer now
running as though his life depended
upon it, continued up Cameron to El- j
wood. Near tin* corner of Elwood and !
Denver, Myron Brown a collector
employed by W. T Baxter, sat in
his rig looking over some bills. Brown
never noticed tlie fugitive until he
rushed up to the buggy.
Whipping the revolver from his
pocket Harris tired point blank at
Brown, tlie ball missing Brown’s
head by but an inch. Again Harris
tried to shoot, but the catridgc miss-
ed tire. Brown, nearly frozen with
fright. Jumped and fell out of the
buggy into the road.
Harris leaped into tlie rig, and grab-
bing the whip started the horse gallop-
ing up Elwood avenue, and striking
westward set out for the Osage coun-
try .4
The news of the tragedy had spread
quickly and a great crowd gathered
in front of tlie McDowell home. The
mother and child were taken into the
Harris home and latter removed to the
Mowbray undertaking rooms. The po-
lice arrived and in company with the
county officers determined upon pur-
suit.
A posse was formed upder Chief
Newblock and Sheriff lain Lewis, and
their path being laid out by blood-
hounds, they struck into the country.
About four miles northwest of this
city, they came upon the horse which
Harris had stolen, but the murderer
had evidently abandoned it some time,
and had taken to a strech of timber to
the west.
Tlie officials searched in vuin for a
trial for two hours, and tlu-ir hors*-.-,
be weary, they returned einpt> handed
shortly before 1 o’clock Saturday after-
noon Another posse of officials left
last night intent on bringing Harris
buck dead or alive, hut then- is very
little hope of catching tile fugitive
now.
Almost since their wedding day tie-
Harrises have had trouble. Harris, a
profligate, spent the greater part of
his time in tin* joints und about the
gambling houses. From time to time
by use of his lists and at the point
of a gun he forced Ills wife to fur-
nish money for Ills support. His wife,
the daughter of Chauncey Owens, be-
ing of Indian blood, had considera-
ble property, und it was by tin* sale
of this that money was furnished to
Harris.
Two children were horn to them
Nellie Owen, aged four and 11 half
years, and Naomi, aged one and a
half years, who was murdered. The
trouble between the two culminated
four months ago when Mrs. Harris
applied for a divorce, but tlie suit was
finally withdrawn on tin* idea of Har-
ris that ho would do Ills duty to his
family.
On MoTuiay of ttiis week tlie re-
strictions were removed from the al-
lotment of Mrs. Harris, and Harris
demanded that she sell the property
at once and turn the money over to
him.
Mrs. Harris first refused, hut final-
ly consented. The forty acre home-
stead was sold to Dick Borden for
$700. Harris demanded'thc money and
trouble followed. Threatening murder
lie forced his wife to give him $150.
Mrs. Harris telephoned tin* police and
Harris faring arrest fled to Claremore.
This was on Friday night. Officer Do-
land anil Walker followed Harris to
Claremore, but he doubled hack on
them and went to his home on Brady
avenue.
Mrs. Harris fearing for her life
took the two children and spent the
night at the home of iter father. She
returned Saturday morning to the
house with only the baby. The trug-
edy follow'ed.
The dead woman was hut 20 years
of age and had been married to Hur-
rls something like five years. She
was the daughter of Chauncey Owens,
one of the most prominent of the pio-
neers of this city. Besides a father,
she leaves a half sister, Daisy Martz,
of Keystone, a brother, Pogue Owens,
of this city, and a half brother, Uhus.
Feely who now makes ,Seattle his
home. The funeral of the dead wo-
und the child was held Sunday after-
noon from the home of U. A. Owens.
Harris is 22 yours of age and has
lived in this section for some years.
He has been Implicated in a number
of crimes, and is now a fugitive from
arrest from Illinois, where in the town
of Fairfield, on the night of July 4,
of this yeur, he shot a man In an af-
fray.
The bereuver relatives
sympathy of many friends.
have the
The Story of Damon and Pythiaa.
Incidents have occured In the past
tew days that prove that tlie old story
of true friendship and gratitude, so
beautifully portrayed in that touching
story of Damon und Pythias, still ex-
ist in the humuti race.
Clayton llruncr is a <’r*-ek negro
about 27 years old and has an allot-
ment and homesteul in Wagoner coun-
ty.
Clayton is freuiiently in troubl* and
lias rcpialedly been before tlie courts
for divers and siunlri violations of the
la w.
Some three or four months ago he
was in Jail for some misdemeanor and
w hen released was in need of some
monel co get medicine und to pay a
hoard hill. He went to Judge Cobb’s
office to seek help. The Judge was not
in and so Clayton made Ids wants
known to Mrs. Cobh, who was in the
Judge's office at that time. As a con-
sideration 01 what money lie needed
for immediate needs, in* told Mrs 1 'obb
Unit he would give her a deed to Ids
homestead of 40 acres m Wagoner
eounty.
lie was advised that he could not
give a deed to ids lioinesetal until ufter
the 27; when the restrictions came off.
This lie promised to do and put it ill
writing. Mrs. Cobb advanced Clayton
money enough to meet Ills immediate
wants and Clayton went away with a
heart fill lot gratitude, promising to
eep Ids word und to execute tlu* deed
on tlio 27th.
On Sunday, the 2«th, Clayton was In
Jail at Holdenvllle, charged with steal-
ing cattle. Some grafters learned that
he was in Jail and that lie hud a
homestead very near the Glen Pool oil
district. The said grafters went to
Holdenvllle, obtained an Interview with
1 layton, made a $500 cash deposit with
the sheriff, for his return, and brought
him to Wcwoka, Intending to keep him
in tow until midnight, get a deed to his
homestead and then return him to the
sheriff and redeem their $500 deposit.
Sunday evening Clayton gave the
grafters the slip und hunted up Judge
Cobb. He found hi tnand told the
Judge that had promised Mrs. Cobb
a deed to his homestead on the 27. He
wanted to Judge to lock him up In his
office until 12 o’clock so the grafters
could not get him. He was accommo-
dated and although the said grafters
tried to ge.t him out, ho refused to talk
to them, and after 12 o’clock he execut-
ed a deed to his homestead and was
happy. Hi* hail fullfilled his promise.
He was taken back to jail Monday and
locked up.
The Homestead, which consists of 40
acres in Wagoner county, is close to
developed oil land anil promises to he
very valuable I11 tin* near future. Sem-
inole Cauitol.
Miss Leo Hates leaves today for a
weeks visit In Oaney, Kas.
THE CRAWFORD STORE
Half Price Sale of White Suits and Wash Waists
$65.00 Dresses for.................. $32.50
40.00 “ " 20.00
25.00 “ “ 12.50
20.00 " “ ................. 10 00
15.00 " “ 7.50
12.00 “ “ ................. 6.00
8 00 “ “ 4.00
5.00 '■ '* 2-50
This is a closing out of all Fine
Lines of Dresses and Waists. You
find the “Princess” and Two-piece
Suits. This is a rare opportunity
to buy an elegant dress for just
ONE-HALF
$22.50 Waists for ... - ....... $11.25
20.00
18.30
15.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
7.00
HALE PRICE
HALF PRICE
HALF PRICE
HIl
SILK PETTICOATS
We have a very large assortment of Silk Petticoats for you to select from,
especially good values. You must see them to appreciate them.
In this sale we are going to offer three
P 4 Black and 1 Brown. These did sell
U for $4 98 but the sale
|
price is........................
$2.98
in These are Black, Brown, Red.
IU etc. They are worth from
$8.50 to $10. youochoice for........
$5.98
8
of these, They are worth $12 and
$12.50, in this sale you buy your
choice for only.................
$9.98
Crawford Bros. Mercantile Company
TULSA, OKLAHOMA
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Henry, George. W. The Tulsa Chief. (Tulsa, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 21, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 4, 1908, newspaper, August 4, 1908; Tulsa, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1172993/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.