HISTORICAL society
The Norman Transcript
A ijivE REPUBLICAN NEWSPAP ER—DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF NORMAN AND CLEVELAND COUNTY.
VOLUME XXVIII
NORMAN, CI.EV ELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA,
THURSDAY, Jt'NE 14. 1917.
N LIMBER 13.
The Wreck at Flynn
One Trainman Killed, Others Will Die
and Eleven Passengers Injured
—Heal-On Collision of
Terrific Force.
Turk-Page Cane
Referee Gresham's Finding Endorsed
by the Supreme Court in Every
Particular—A Celebrated
Case.
Over and Over Again
From Wednesday's Daily
THE DEAD
James A. Hall, engineer, Arkansas
City, Kan.
George Rain, engineer, Arkansas
City, Kan.
INJURED
O. W. Dickerson, Oklahoma City,
broken nose, other injuries.
George Shelton, address unknown,
(i years old, leg broken.
Dr. R. H. Monogue, Norman, right
leg broken.
Bruce Brandhouse, address un-
known, slight injuries.
Mrs. C. W. Wilson, 21 East Fifth
street, Oklahoma City, right leg
broken.
T. Chamberlain, Perry, t)kla.,
broken ribs.
T. Macklenburg, 514 East Seventh
street, Oklahoma City, four ribs
broken.
N. M. Fitzgerald, Rice, Texas, teeth
knocked out, other injuries.
the
the
for
A mile or so south of the flynn
switch, which is some four miles
north of Moore on the Santa Fe rail-
road this morning (Wednesday, June
13, 1917) about 9:25, a head-on col-
lision occurred in which the engineer
of one of the train lost his life, and
other trainmen were seriously in-
jured that their recovery is doubtful.
The trains were passenger train
No. 411 which reaches Norman
at 9:50 a. m. and extra freight train
No. 3131, which passed through Nor-
man, going north at 8:55 this morn-
ing.
The engine of the extra freight' was
one of those large Mallett machines,
and its train consisted of some twen-
ty-five cars loaded with hogs and
cattle bound for the Oklahoma City
market. Jas. A. Hall was the engi-
neer, with Geo. T. Freeman as con-
ductor. It received orders to run to
the Flynn switch and there take the
siding to await No. 411. Geo. Raines,
engineer of 411 received same orders
at Oklahoma City, viz: To go to
Flynn switch and there await the
stock train. It is evident that Mr.
Raines misconstructed or overlooked
his orders, maybe tKinking they
meant Moore, for he ran his train
past the Flynn switch and was on
his way south to Moore when the col-
lision occurred. He was seriously in-
jured and is expected to die.
There is a sharp curve just north of
where the accident occurred, which
cuts off the view of the track from
the south. That track is on the down
grade, and the stock train was going
north at a rapid rate to get to :ts
destination. The passenger train, too,
was evidently running rapidly, for
when the engines came together ;t
was with such terrific force that 'joth
of them were thrown from the track,
and completely demolished. Their
remnants looked as if they had rear-
ed up and came at one another just to
demolish each other. '
Almost the whole force of the
collision was seemingly spent on the
two engines, for only tl\e first three
cars of the stock train were .wrecked,
and the front of the baggagge car of
the passenger crushed in. The first
car of the stock train was loaded with
red hogs, and almost all of them
were killed, the car breaking on the
tender of the engine and filling it
with dead hogs. The other two ears
were loaded with cattle, many of
them being killed. These cars ran up
onto the first car and the engine, and
dead cattle were left hanging in the
wreckage.
All the passengers were badly
shook up and received majiy painful
bruises by being thrown here and
there through the cars. Eleven re-
ceived broken arms and legs and had
other serious injuries. One passenger
in describing it says he was stooping
over tying his shoe, and the collision
sounded like a heavy explosion. The
car stopped "right now," and he pick-
ed himself up from the floor and, look-
" ing out of the window, saw th2 boil-
ers of the engines at the side of the
road.
happened
Twenty-six years of litigation was |
brought to an end yesterday when the
state supreme court in the case of
Herman Turk against Albert S.
Page, decided against Turk, says to-
day's Oklahoman.
The case originated over title to j
land in Cleveland county. Turk in |
1897 got possession of land in a sher- j
iff's foreclosure sale. He then brought
suit to clear the title, and the years
that have passed were filled with
litigation in which every angle of
the case was tharoughly tested.
The supreme court has had
case up twice. Page prayed in
Cleveland county district court
possession and offered to pay Turk
for the improvements which he had
put on the land. Turk, on the asump-
tion that he was the lawful owner of
the land, refused such settlement.
On its first appearance in the su-
preme court, more than a year ago
the case was remanded to the Cleve-
land county district court. Judge Jas.
M. Gresham of Norman was appoint-
ed referee by mutual consent who re-
turned a report covering both law
and facts, which was adopted by the
trial court. Turk then appealed. In
every particular the supreme court
has upheld the findings of Referee
Gresham.
The statute of limitations was the
basis of the last appeal. The supreme
court yesterday held that the statute
of limitations does not favor a mort-
gagee in possession. Turk has been in
possession all through the course of
the controversy.
The supreme court upheld the trial
court's judgment of $1,639.50 in fa-
voi' of Turk for improvements. Page
h;s title to the land.
Mr. Gresham feels highly gratified
at the opinion of the supreme court,
for he put in many days of strenuous
work on it, and about all he gets out
of it is this glory of having his find-
ings so unanimously upheld by th;s
supreme tribunal.
Over and over again,
No matter which way I turn,
I always find in the book of life
Some lessons I have to learn.
I must take my turn at the mill;
I must grind out the golden gain;
I must work at my task with a res-
olute will,
Over and over again.
We cannot measure the need
Of even the tiniest flower,
Nor 'check the flow of the golden
sflnds
That run though a single hour;
But the morning dew must fall,
And the sun and the summer
rain
Must do their part and perform it
all
C. A. Bashara to
the Penetentiary
West Main Street Merchant Turned
Over to Grady County Officer!?
and Taken to McAlester
to Serve 10 Years.
Over and over again.
The brook through the meadow
flows;
And over and over again.
The ponderous mill wheel goes. From Monday.8"B^a7
Once doing will not suffice, j chas. A. Bashara, the Syrian mer-
Though doing be not in vain; ! chant who recently came to Norman
And a blessing, failing us once or | from Tuttle, purchased a West Main
twice, ! street lot put up a building and open-
May come if we try again. I t,(j a store, was taken into custody by
j Sheriff Wheelis on Saturday, and
The path that has once been trod , turned over to Sheriff Rucker of
Is never so rough for the feet; Grady county, by whom he was taken
And the lesson we once have learned ; to the penetentiary at McAlester to
Is never so hard to repeat. J begin serving a ten year sentence for
Though sorrowful tears must fall, j murder. It is said he had arranged
And the heart to its depths be I his business so that Mrs. Bashara can
riven i run it, and she will continue to do so.
With storm and tempest, we need | Mr. Bashara is said to be quite well
them all
To render us fit for heaven.
Death of Mrs. Crow
From Saturday's Daily
Mrs. Hattie Katherine Crow, wife
of Mr. R. J. Crow (dee'd) and mother
of Mrs. C. S. Bobo, died at the home
of her daughter, 320 North Peters
avenue, at 4:15 a. m. today (Saturday,
June 9, 1917), after an illness of sev-
eral weeks. Death was caused by
general debility and a gradual failing
of the vital forces. She was in her
80th year, a long life of good works
and earnest christian endeavor, and
many, many friends mourn her de- j band, she leaves three children
mise. She is survived by three daugh-1 ma, Willard and Lucile. The
ters: Mrs. C. S. Bobo of Norman, j born of Mr. and Mrs. Wickizer, a
Mrs. O. H. Barker of Elk City, and daughter, died in infancy and sleeps
Death of Mrs. Wickizer
Alice Margaret Wickizer, wife of
Rev. D. A. Wickizer, pastor of th©
Norman Christian church, passed
away at University Hospital, Okla-
homa City, at 4:10 a. m. today (June
14, 1917). Just a week ago she en-
tered the hospital for a surgical op-
eration, which was performed two
days prior to her death. She had been
slowly gaining and was thought to
be in a fair way to recovery, when the
end came suddenly. Besides her hus-
Wil-
first
at Oskaloora, Iowa.
Funeral service will take place to-
rn <-..ow (Friday), at 2:30 from the
church. Dr. I. N. McCash, President
of Phillips University at Enid and a
life long friend of the family, will
fixed financially. Much sympathy is
felt and expressed for him and his
family. It is believed, too, that he will
rifit have to serve a very long term,
but will secure his "elease on parole.
The killing for which Bashara was
convicted occurred at Tuttle several
years ago, the victim being a man
named Selby. The nrrties fell out o"cr
ai> eighteen inert space of ground be-
tween their buildings, which Se'.by
closed up by nailing planks at each
end. Bashara tore the planks down
nr.d Selby put them, back Finally, one
morning Mrs. Bashara got an ax and
av.tin removed thsiii. ;'nd, while sht
was doing so, Selby caaio out ind &r-
I'.red her away; usit g tome force as
testified by defense witnesses, against
her. Bashara came out of his place of
business with   Winchester and shot
and killed Selby. Witnesses for the
defense declared Selby was reaching
inside of the sweater he wore when
Bashara shot him, and when his
body was examined after the killing
an automatic revolver was found but-
toned up under the garment. Bashara
claimed self-defense, and protection
of Mrs. Bashara, who he believed was
Wheat Harvest.
The wheat raisers of this locality
are taking no chances on bad weather,
and took advantage of the fine
weather on Sunday to get into their
fields. By Thursday night it is be-
lieved all the wheat in these parts
will be cut and in the shock.
There is a fairly good acreage
and the best estimate is about 10
bushels to the acre.
As to prices, D. L. Larsh thinks the
minimum will be $2.00 per bushel,
and it may be $2.25 or more. He looks
for the government to fix a minimum
price, one that will encourage the
farmers to sow a large acreage the
coming fall, and that price will be
$2.00 or more.
At $2.00 or more per bushel, the
wheat raisers of this locality will
have little to complain of even if they
do not get a record yield. It is twice
what they received last year, with
the yield about the same.
Mrs, Geo. W. Ragsdale of Dallas, all
of whom were with her in her last
hour, and to whom go out the sincere
sympathies of the community.
The funeral service will be held
from the Bobo residence at 10 o'clock
a. m., Monday, June 11th, conducted | conduct the service.
by Revs. R. L. Ownbey and E. R. | The Transcript will publish in its
Welch, with interment in I. O. O. F. I Saturday's issue a more extended ac- j being abused.
Trial was held at Chickasha, and
Bashara convicted of manslaughter
to state that our community is shock-
_ ,, i ed by the news, for the whole of Nor-
From Monday's Dailv. ' , ' , . ..
—Mrs. Crow's Funeral. There was man feels it has lost one of its
large attendance at the funeral J strongest and truest women. The loss
services* of Mrs. R. J. Crow, which I is most keenly felt by the church, for
were held at the residence of the | she was idolized by every member,
cemetery, by the side of Mr. Crow, ^ of Mrs. Wickizer s life and
who passed away some years ago. i work. In the meantime it is fitting
daughter of the deceased, Mrs. C. S. j and the earnest sympathies of all go
Bobo, on North Peters avenue yes- j out to the bereaved husband and
terday. Many beautiful floral tributes ! children.
indicated the love and affection felt j
for the deceased by a large circle of JJ()OVer Food Dictator
friends. The services were most ] •  
solemn and impressive, and at their
conclusion a long line of automobiles
followed her to her last resting place
in I. O. O. F. cemetery, where she
rests by the side of her husband.
in the first degree, and sentenced to
10 years imprisonment. He took an
appeal to the Criminal Court of Ap-
peals, and has been at liberty for
some months on a $20,000 bond. The
court recently affirmed the proceed-
ings in the lower court, and his trans-
portation to the penetentiary follow-
ed.
Norman Man Takes
$352,000 in Bonds
Chas. H. Taylor, formerly connect-
ed with the University of Oklahoma
in the Geology department, and who
now resides in Oklahoma City, where
he is hea"d of the Slim Oil company,
has subscribed for $325,000 of the
Liberty Loan bonds, declaring it to
be a '"first class investment."
About $100,000.
Counting what the banks have tak-
en, only a little over $100,000 of the
Liberty Loah has been subscribed in
Norman and vicinity. This is not
enough. It cught to be double $100,-
000. Subscriptions outside the banks
are only about $15,000 or $20,000,
when they should be five or six times
that amount. And if each private citi-
zen would do his or her part, they
would be.
The people ought to subscribe the
This shows how quickly it all ] greater part of this bond issue. If the
banks of the country use up their
Rain, the passenger engineer was ' surplus and active capital in taking
found holding to the throttle. He was J the bonds, they'll have no money to
still conscious when dug from under loan on private enterprises; to finance
the ruins of his cab. He admitted that
he had caused the wreck by forgetting
to stop at Flynn. He was adjusting
the lubricator in his cab and was not
aware that his engine had traveled
past the Flynn sidetrack.
projects that employ labor and
move the crops. They should not be
required to put great amounts of
their surplus and capital into these
bonds, for by so doing the prosperity
of the country may be retarded.
The United States is learning by
the experience of other countries that
the time to conserve food is when
there is food to conserve. The Euro-
pean nations waited until there was a
scarcity before they appointed food
dictators. The United States has ap-
pointed one right now, putting the
work into the hands of Herbert
j Hoover of Belgian relief fame and
j giving him drastic powers. The sys-
i tem of food control will include the
I following:
Voluntary mobilization of food
producers and distributors for "in-
telligent control of food consump-
tion."
Full inquiry into existing available
food stocks, costs and practices of
food producing distributing trades.
Prevention of all food hoarding and
j ''corners."
Requisitioning of food supplies and
1 equipment for handling them when
i necessary.
Government establishment of
=  their
profits.
Prohibition of food waste.
Licensing of legitimate mixtures
and milling percentages.
Control to end immediately after
the war.
There is not a bit of doubt that
Oil Excitement
There was quite a bjt of oil ex-
citement in Norman yesterday when
it was reported that the Prairie Oil
& Gas company was offering as high
as $250 per acre for leases on land
adjacent to the Waco well, east of
Stella, but later the report was con-
tradicted.
It was not for leases around the
Waco well for which the big prices
were offered, but around the Prairie's j
well at Maud. It is said the Prairie
people are now ready to "shoot" their
well at Maud, and that really they
are offering $250 per acre for cer-
tain leases.
This Maud field is just sixteen
miles east of the Cleveland County, . , e  
_ ,, ... . prices to guarantee farmers
Development well, and if, a gusher
struck there it will give good promise !
of what may be expected in Cleveland
county.
It is certain there is "Something |
Doing" in the Maud field, and further
reports are anxiously awaited. 1 There .g ^ ft feit of doubt
1 there are plenty of foodstuffs in the
Oklahoma C ity S rr ay country; oceans of it, in fact, but it
Hess and Ellsworth
W. J. Hess has sold an interest
in the Democratic-Topic to Geo. Ells-
worth, an experienced newspaper
man formerly of Chickasha, who
now in charge of the plant and paper,
as managing editor. He is a pleasant
gentleman, and the Transcript wc-1
comes him to "the best little city in
Oklahoma." Mrs. Ellsworth and chil-
dren have arrived from Chickasha and
are now domiciled in the Koepke
house on North Peters. Mr. Hess will
put in his time developing h;s ;;inc
properties.
Red Cross Work
Fourth of July
Plans Being Made to Have a First
('lass Celebration at Norman
—Committee Appointed.
There is every expectation that
Norman will celebrate the national
holiday this yea<t with the vim, en-
ergy and patriotic fervor never be-
fore reached in our history. Commit-
tees have been appointed, and every-
thing possible will be done to give a
fine entertainment and glorious cele-
bration. The committees are as fol-
lows:
On Finance and Arrangements: W.
C. Weir, Clyde Pickard, Clyde Bogle,
D. Trigg and Joe Vincent.
On Program and Grounds: C. A.
Richards, Geo. Ellsworth, Ray Carter
and Arthur Williams.
On Speakers: John Luttrell, W. L.
Eagleton and James M. Gresham.
Look out for further announce-
ments.
Oklahoma, City, Okla., June 7.—
Business will not be good for business
men of this city who do not subscribe
to the Government Liberty loan. This
is what a committee of leading bus-
iness men today began telling the lag-
gards. Influences which are being em-
ployed by the business men leading
the propaganda through the Chamber
of Commerce are having effect. Ok-
lahoma City still lacks $800,000 of the
$2,100,000 apportioned here. A com-
mittee of eleven will be in constant
session at the Chamber of Commerce
until June 15, hearing men who are
being brought before them by other
members of the organization to show
cause why they have not purchased
bonds.
being hoarded up by speculators
and manipulators of "corners." It will
be one of Mr. Hoover's main duties to
uncover these "corners" and get the
food stuffs on the market.
St. Joseph's School
The Sisters will conduct a
session at St. Joseph's
summer
Convent
Norman intends and expects to do
its part towards raising the $500,000,-
000 asked by President Wilson for
the Red Cross work, and to that end
a number of the leading men of the
city and country will have a meeting
on Sunday to apportion the city and
county into districts and thoroughly
canvass every citizen. Every man,
woman and child will be expected to
give something, even if it is a small
sum; to give something, give willing-
ly, and give according to his or her
means.
So, this is to give notice that you
will be called upon to do your part,
and should be prepared to do it. If
all give something our proportion of
the fund will soon be raised.
It is a great work—this work of
caring for the sick and wounded
soldiers, and easing the last moments
of the dying. Whatever you may think
of the righteousness of the war, this
is one thing you can and should con-
tribute to most willingly.
Next week is "Red Cross Week."
Everywhere in every community in the
United States, a campaign will be
waged to raise funds for this great
work. Norman and" Cleveland county
The "Bone Dry" Law
Every train that passes through
Oklahoma these days is delayed at
every station unloading booze
Every train that rolls into Norman
unloads from twenty-five to fifty
packages and some of them run as
high as 100.
The "Bone Dry" law goes into ef-
fect next Sunday, according to the
bill passed by I e legislature, but it
is a dollars to a'jughnuts proposition
that it will be submitted to referen-
dum vote. It is well known that peti-
tions asking a referendum have been
circulated and sufficiently signed to
secure a referendum, and they will be
filed with the Secretary of State Wed-
nesday or Thursday.
But. the booze-fighters ave taKinc
no chances, and dealers in the aooze
centers do not want them to. This is
their harvest, and they .are making
hay while iheir sun is shining.
Thousands upon thousands of dol-
lars have gone out of Oklahoma with-
in the pa. t week for liquor th.it ought
to h ue been invested in Liberty Loan
'i .ndf or in the Red Cross campaign.
It is safe "to say that not one out of
a hundred who are now receiving
these packages have invested a dol-
lar in the Liberty Loan. Their slogan
is: "To h—1 with the government,
only so I get my booze."
It looks as if the booze fighters are
arranging for one last grand and
glorious drunk. When it is taken into
consideration that Norman is but one
little city among the hundreds and
thousands big and little cities of Ok-
lahoma, and that every place else is
receiving a proportionate amount of
beer and whiskey, it may be imagined
what a tremendous lot is coming into
the state.
will do her part. All that is needed is
that her citizens be asked. This com-
mittee will do the asking and are
be a
—Try a classified liner.
School, giving Music and Commercial I
courses. Apply at once at the school
building for terms and particulars.
Splendid service in both departments.
,r 7,7 VT~1 77 1 perfectly satisfied there will
-You vvil find the Clark, ^
Jewel and Florence Blue Flame
Oil Stoves at Nolan & Martin's. _pjne line of Herriek and
-New Photo~Stud7o: J. A. Brodie! Alaska Refrigerators at Nolan
has opened a photo studio over Reed's j ^ Martin S.
Drug Store. i
Summer Session
The enrollment for the summer
session of the University still con-
tinues, belated students coming in
every day. The enrollment now num-
bers more than 1050, and enrollment
will continue for two more weeks. The
total enrollment last year was 84(1,
and a 20 per cent increase over that
is expected this year.
Registrar Newby and Prof. Phelan
are extremely well pleased with the
enrollment. It has pleasurably sur-
prised them by its magnitude, when
conditions of the country are con-
sidered.
The students, too, are of the high-
est grade, everyone of them being
seemingly imbued with the im-
portance of being earnest.
The Transcript man notices that a
number of them get out to 7 o'clock
a. m. classes, and stay late, and work
Saturdays as well as other days of
the week. Sundays are about the
only time they have for recreation.
They evidently mean business.
—Evorene Alder was hostess to the
Q. Q- Q- girls Saturday afternoon. Af-
ter a social hour the girls were
served to ice cream and cake. The
next meeting will be with Ruth Reed.