114 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat Thursday, December 22, 1910
RADIUM IN OUR CITY
The people of Checotah may in a few weeks witness the marvels of radium, the revelations of which have so amazed the world. Radium it will be remembered is the newly found substance that, given constant heat and light and continuously throws off tiny articles of itself yet without any apparent diminution of weight or strength.
Its rays will penetrate a foot of steel or go through two feet of hard wood.
Its cost is at the rate of over $5 million per pound and is hardly obtainable even at that fabulous price, so extremely scarce is the present supply.
SERIOUS AFFRAY
At the farm of Joe Shields southwest of this city Saturday evening, a shooting affray was pulled off which may result in the death of W.M Baker, a son of Sam Baker, residing southwest of this city.
The stories concerning the affair are so conflicting and widely at variance that The Democrat is unable to give anything thoroughly reliable.
••••• 100 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat
Thursday, October 30, 1924
Infant Mortality in Oklahoma
Four thousand eight hundred and sixty eight babies died in Oklahoma unnecessarily last year according to the statement of Miss Golda B. Slief, state district nurse from the Bureau of Maternity and Infancy of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Of this number 1,348 were born dead, 820 died because they were born prematurely and the remainder from other causes.
Enteritis took the greatest toll. In the older states infant mortality has been reduced one half through such work as better feeding and better care of babies.
••••• 90 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat
Thursday, October 25, 1934
Jobless Graduates Get Erosion Work
Washington, October 24 – A program to put a thousand unemployed college graduates to work immediately and train them for technical positions in the government’s soil conservation plan was announced Wednesday by the federal soil erosion service.
During the six or eight months the jobs will last, the young men will receive a complete course of training to make them eligible for sub professional and sub technical jobs when openings occur.
The program will be expanded so that 2,000 persons will get jobs by June.
CHARLES FLOYD, SLAYER OF ERV KELLEY, KILLED Infamous Outlaw Mowed Down by Federal Guns In Ohio “Pretty Boy” Floyd, the phantom outlaw of the Cookson Hills, whose guns blazed a crimson trail of death across the nation over a span of five years, is dead.
The desperado, listed as public enemy No. 1, was mortally wounded late Monday afternoon on an isolated farm seven miles north of East Liverpool, Ohio, by agents of the federal department of justice.
Floyd is vividly recalled to Checotahans who remember the slaying of Erv Kelley, former McIntosh County sheriff, who had Floyd trapped at a Bixby farm house in 1932. Kelley was deserted by his men, causing a mix-up in signals. The great peace officer was mowed down by pistol fire as he approached the bandit car, which he thought carried members of his own raiding party.
Only an hour before Floyd’s death he appeared at a farm home and asked for food. Upon being fed he paid for the meal and offered an additional sum if he was carried into Youngstown, Ohio.
Out in the yard of the Conkle home he met Stewart Dyke, a brother of Mrs. Conkle who had just returned from field work. He made arrangements with Dyke to take him to a nearby village. Just as the car started moving away four federal agents and four officers from East Liverpool, who had been tipped off about Floyd’s presence at the farm, appeared on the scene.
Pretty Boy became frantic. He leaped from the car and started to hide under the barn. Then, changing his mind he dashed for a car to make his getaway.
Sensing that the federals had him trapped he made a mad run toward a wooded ridge and was mowed down with 14 shots in his back.
••••• 80 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat
Thursday, May 25, 1944
Recreation Court To Be Completed Soon Plans for a city playground were completed last week by Mrs. Charles R. Freeman and Mrs. L.K. Sharpe, local USO committee woman.
The site chosen for the project is the concrete plaza next to the post office. Work has already begun to clear and beautify the area.
Shuffleboard and ping pong equipment will be provided in the near future to furnish entertainment for Checotah citizens as well as visiting service men from nearby army and navy posts.
HOME ON FURLOUGH
Home on an embarkation furlough comes Afton Mitchell, U.S. Navy Seabee, who has only recently returned from many months service in the rain and snow of the Aleutian outposts, where Mitchell headed a crew that built concrete emplacements for giant shore guns.
Cpl. Wilson visits
Cpl. Joe Wilson is visiting his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Lyle Wilson on a furlough between moves from Camp Wolters, Texas to a Maryland army post, where he will receive advanced infantry training.
••••• 75 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat Thursday, October 27, 1949
State to Construct Highway 9 Bridge
The state highway department is going to spend approximately $47,000 to provide State Highway 9 with a modern bridge across Shell Creek, 16 miles west of Eufaula.
The bridge will be three-span concrete girder affair 135 feet in length, 26 feet wide and with 18inch sidewalks.
STATE REFUSES TO USE PATROL IN LIQUOR RAIDS
The Oklahoma Safety Council announced this week it is against using highway patrolmen in the state’s stepped-up war on bootleggers. The council said the patrol has a full-time job in keeping highways safe by enforcing traffic laws.
••••• 25 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat
Thursday, November 7, 1974
Democrats Sweep County – Boren New Governor
McIntosh County, like much of the nation, gave Democrats a victory in Tuesdays election.
The new Governor-elect, David Boren, was the largest vote getter in state offices with a total of 3,601 votes in the county to Republican Jim Inhofe’s 1,203.
Boren also carried the state big by a 63 percent to 37 percent margin.
18 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat Thursday, March 16, 2006
Utility bandit strikes again
Elderly Checotah citizens are urged by police to sop opening the door for the man who’s swindled money from a least three people in as many weeks.
Posing as a utility worker (complete with hardhat and tape measure, according to one victim) the thief struck again last week, robbing 88-year-old Checotah resident Ola Rinehart around 10 p.m. at her home.
Web design class building for the future Braving the technology frontier, a select group of Checotah High School students are putting the right side of their brains to work.
Twenty-two sophomores, juniors and seniors are members of Mrs. Delina Bible’s Web Design class, offered at the school for the first time this year.
Each of the students took a pre-requisite course to enroll in this class.
••••• 10 YEARS AGO McIntosh County Democrat
Thursday, November 14, 2014
Body Found
The body of Jennifer Kitchens, 36, was found at her residence on Texanna Road Thursday afternoon.
A spokesman for the McIntosh County Sheriff ’s Office said the cause of death has not been determined.
Boy Scouts lend hand at Battlefield
BSA Troop 642 of Checotah and Troop 449 of Eufaula held a joint campout at the Honey Springs campground during last week’s battle re-enactment.
The Scouts cleaned the Battlefield of litter and did other chores requested by the volunteer staff.
