The Ada Morning Times (Ada, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 218, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 28, 1938 Page: 1 of 12
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ADA OKLAHOMA SUNDAY AUGUST 28 1938-
NUMBER 218
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Jnpaid Bills Inherited Pryor
ays Blames County Excise Body
or Bad Meters Needy Are Cited
H Pryor city commission-
of public works Saturday
ted to “inheritance” as the
on for more than $5000 in
lid water bills in the fire
irtment
t the same time he blamed
excise board which guards
city treasury for “bad
ers”
full explanation of water
irtment activity and an an-
r to a statement made by
Knox executive secretary
of the Taxpayers League was
contained in the following state-
ment released to the press:
TO THE CITIZENS OF ADA:
In regard to the delinquencies
in the Water Department I have
this to say: In the beginning was
P H Deal P H Deal begat
Walter Smith Walter Smith be-
gat O T Hunt O T Hunt be-
gat Henry Kroth Henry Kroth
begat J H Pryor J H Pryor
begat Wi P Armstrong W P
Armstrong begat J H Pryorr
and so have accumulated the de-
linquent accounts since the be-
ginning It has been intimated that the
$5000 referred to has all accum-
ulated during my term of of-
fice This of course is not true
Every commissioner who has
served in this capacity has turn-
ed these unpaid accounts over
to the next man in charge and
as a result they have been hand-
(See Page 3 — Number Three)
EILAV
ETIITliN
AY GO BEFORE
FDGE MONDAY
1WW
By
ibmission to District Judge
Crawford of a petition ask
the calling of a second grand
Excerpts from a letter address-
ed to this department by “An
Saturday had been delayed Innocent Bystander:”
1 “Monday at the earliest” I have often wondered if you
le petition is certain to be had “guts” enough to rap the
early this week however
circulators said No reason
“big shots” — all I have ever
seen in your columns was a
given for the delay and it knock on some of the “small
been previously announced fry” Who couldn’t or wouldn’t
filing would be Saturday
is known that there are
it 175 names on the petition
that work of securing sign-
ee Page 6— Number Four)
AGE S SET
(§) Gt IF AIR
'tPRSES WILL
2 A FEATURE
rse races will be a feature
each of four days of the an-
1 Pontotoc county free fair
tember 21 to 24 it was an-
nced Saturday by C W Zorn
irman of a committee which
handle the races
fight back — if you are the kind
of a man I think you are you
will have no fear of whose toes
you trample on
I have sat quietly on the side-
lines and watched the strife and
turmoil in the city and county
setups — the grand jury tax lea-
gue investigation etc Believe it
or not there has been a time in
Pontotoc county when we citi-
zens could elect our officials to
public offices without having
some one snooping around in
their offices trying to dig up the
dirt in order to hold his job
Now let’s discuss this tax lea-
gue business Personally I
am for the tax league 100 per
cent as I am a taxpayer myself
But why does one member have
his $20000 home on the tax rolls
at $3500 — it’s there check on it
if you wish name on request
And why does another mem-
ber who brags about what a tax-
payer he is show several thou-
orn said decision to sponsor
races similar to last year’s j Band dollars a year to charity in
it was reached at a meeting order to cut down his income
irday I tax pays his employes from $1
e said that not less than four to $150 a day and most of the
s a day will be on the fair time it is for 10 hours work —
tram starting at 2:30 o’clock he is also here in this county
afternoon Space does not permit me to
1th the new grandstand com- list others just as bad— Why not
BEST MV:
3 PLAGES
WHILE FOURTH
WAS DAMAGED
Flames which for a time
threatened possible destruction
of Ada’s colored residential area
were finally brought under con-
trol shortly before 6 o’clock Sat-
urday afternoon after three
structures had been destroyed
and a fourth damaged
A two-story frame rooming
house a small grocery store and
a residence were burned to the
ground A small building oc-
cupied by a cafe was damaged
The fire of undetermined ori-
LEE DAGGS TO
SERVE COUNTY
AS TREASURER
TREASURER’S OFFICE IS LOCKED
AND PLACED UNDER GUARD UNTIL
STATE EXAMINATION COMPLETED
Pontotoc county’s board of county commissioners went
into session Saturday and took three steps designed to clear
up the situation in the county treasurer’s office
The acts of the commission were as follows:
1 They drew up an accusation against County Treasurer
Tommie F Ford charging him with maladministration in
office (Later Ford was suspended from office by District
Judge Tal Crawford)
2 They named Lee Daggs well-known Ada property
owner and former treasurer to serve as county treasurer during
Ford 8 unexpired term
3 They ordered the treasurer’s office locked and placed
under guard until the records can be checked by representatives
from the state examiner and inspector’s office
Daggs made the required $10Q000 bond immediately
and will be ready to take over work of the treasurer’s office as
soon as examiners from the state department have completed
their work
The commissioner's accusation
against the county treasurer in- state of Oklahoma as hereinaf-
volved three counts each they ter set forth in the several counts
alleged tending to constitute cf this accusation
(See Page 3 — Number Five)
ERANGE3DSE
BALLOT SET
VOTE TUESDAY
ON LOCAL GAS
maladministration in office
Charges Embezzlement
The accusation involved an al-
leged embezzlement of $1000 in
county funds for which criminal
charges had already been drawn
against Ford and an overdraft
in school district and township
sinking funds resulting from a
$77000 investment earlier in the
week
Suspension of Ford from the
treasurer’s office was swift and
wthout sensaton Judge Crawford
read the accusation and immedi-
ately ordered the suspension
Trial on permanent ouster prob-
ably will be held at a later date
The action against Ford follow-
ed filing of embezzlement charg-
es Friday against the treasurer
and Joe H Smalley Oklahoma
City bond salesman and former
Pottawatomie county legislator
Count One
No 1 That the said Tommy
F Ford is now and was at all
times hereinafter alleged the
duly elected qualified and acting
county treasurer of Pontotoc
county State of Oklahoma
No 2 That under the statutes
of Oklahoma the county treas-
urer by virtue of his office was
and is charged and entrusted
with the collection receipts safe
keeping transfer and disburse-
ments of all public money belong-
ing to the said county of Ponto-
toc State of Oklahoma and to
divers persons firms and corpor-
ations to the Board of County
Commissioners unknown and all
other funds property bonds se-
curities assets and effects of
any kind received controlled and
held by him by virtue of the said
office of county treasurer for
£ Pag 12— Number Seven)
(Continued On Page Twelve)
They were charged with violat- j safekeeping transfer and dis-
ing a statute which prohibits pay-
ment of more than par value and
accrued interest for municipal
bonds
Denies Guilt
Ford pleaded not guilty on ar-
Once more the citizens of Ada raignment in county court Fri-
will go to the polls Tuesday day afternoon and was released
this time for the purpose of de- under $2500 bond
termining whether a new fran- The full text of the accusation
chise shall be granted to the against Ford as drawn by the
Southwest Natural Gas company county commissioners:
The gas company is asking for Comes now the Board of Coun-
a new 20-year franchise to serve y Commissioners of Pontotoc
the residents of Ada with natural county state of Oklahoma in
gas and it is to determine refular session by authority in-
whether such franchise shall be vested in said Board of County 1 to the Board of Countv Commis-
granted that Tuesday’s election Commissioners by the statutes of sioners unknown and which nub-
was called the State of Oklahoma do pre- j lie nionev property bonds secti-
Although the present franchise sent charge accuse the paid ! rities assets and other effects
will continue for the next eight Tommy F Ford with wilful mal- : were received and held b v him for
months adoption of the new administration in office as duly th said county of Pontotoc
- I -elected qualified and acting coun- -
(See Page 12— Number Six) ty treasurer of Pontotoc county (See Page 3— Number Two)
bursement and that the said
Tommy F Ford as such county
treasurer and acting charged and
entrusted as aforesaid on or
about the 22nd day of Auerust
1P38 receive have and hold in
his possession and under his con-
trol by virtue of the said
office for the purposes aforesaid
certain public funds and other
funds pronertv bonds securi-
ties assets and effects bv him
received and collected as such
countv treasurer for taxes and
for other purposes and from vari-
ous sources provided bv law and
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Rothwell, J. C. The Ada Morning Times (Ada, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 218, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 28, 1938, newspaper, August 28, 1938; Ada, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1794333/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.