Double Killing At Madill Friday Night
September 24, 1911
Tom Rorie, liveryman, and Sam Reed, special deputy sheriff, shot to death
Madill, Oklahoma. – In a difference, which arose over a ticket to a concert given following a circus performance here last night, Sam F. Reed and Tom Rorie were both shot to death, while three other parties received minor wounds.
Reed, one of the dead men, was acting as a special deputy sheriff when he met his death. It is said that a man named Webb attempted to attend the circus without any ticket and when ordered to leave, refused. Reed, as an officer, was called by the circus people and asked to eject Webb. Words followed between Rorie and the officer, Rorie finally pulling his weapon and fired at Reed, the bullet passing and firing at Reed at close range, the latter being hit four times. Before falling, however, Reed pulled his weapon and fired at Rorie, the bullet passing through the heart. Both Reed and Rorie expired within a few minutes.
Three other parties, who were attending the show, were wounded by bullets from Rorie’s gun, but none are believed to be seriously hurt.
No other developments are expected as both of the parties to the shooting are dead.
Rorie was about 30 years of age and married he and his father have been in charge of a livery stable here for some time. Rorie got into trouble in the Creek Nation sometime ago and was charged with killing an Indian there.
Reed, the other victim of the tragedy, came here about a year ago from Guthrie, where he has two children. He was about 50 years of age and a carpenter by trade. He had been at work on the courthouse here for some time and was sworn in as a special deputy sheriff yesterday on account of a circus being in town. His remains will be taken to Guthrie for burial. -The Daily Ardmoreite September 24, 1911
Sam Reed’s grave in Guthrie, Oklahoma
Tom Rorie’s grave in Madill Oklahoma
I stopped in Wednesday to see my friend Steve Cook (Cook’s Pecans). Its located next to the old Boy’s Food Store on 199 East by the Casino. He has a pecan orchard at his place NE of Ardmore and this year was a good year. The variety is Schley pecans and they are delicious! While there I told how Mr O.K. Darden was one of the first county commissioners and he pushed hard for people to get into the pecan business if they wanted to make some real money.
While at Cooks Pecans Wednesday I snapped a picture of Steve’s machine cracking pecans. It prouces 90 pecans a minute. The cost this year is the same as last year. $8 per pound. Steve sells 2.5 pounds of pecans in a paper sack for $20. He also sells 5 lb sacks of pecans ($40). All pecans are cracked and blown (to remove the shells).
Steve Cook’s pecans are from his pecan orchard northeast of Ardmore and are the Schley variety pecans.
Might call Steve before going to his store to make sure he’s there. 580-504-4272
I started searching for people with unclaimed property in Oklahoma in the summer of 2020. So far I have been able to connect 100’s of people with their unclaimed money at the Oklahoma State Treasurers Office in OKC to the tune of over 2 Million Dollars. It has been a rewarding work to say the least. Many of you have helped me find people including my No 1 researcher, Linda Lathum, here in Lone Grove. Thanks everyone, we are making a difference in people’s lives.
Below are several people in southern Oklahoma who have unclaimed insurance money waiting for someone to claim at the State Treasurers Office in OKC. If you know any surviving relatives of the people listed below, let me know. 580-490-6823. Let’s make someone a very merry Christmas!
Thompson Family Trust 606 West 14th Street at Ada $20,054.08
Wilburn Hanson 1028 W Main at Ada $19,462.80
Leonard & Clara Thompson 608 W 14th at Ada $17,992.05
Harold & Dorothy Hammonds Box 116 at Duncan $16,846.04
Leonard Turgeon Estate at PO Box 116 at Durant $15,551.56
Betty Wells Box 254 at Atoka $15,000
Diane Miller 412 S 6th Avenue at Durant over $25,000
Jeremy M. Cross 17687 County Road D 3 LN in Ada, Oklahoma $39,953.58
Michael and Patricia Bond in Idabel, Oklahoma $26,735.76
Boudinot Family (Clarence) Trust 911 S Liberty in Okmulgee $37,820.33
Shaina Locklear rr 3 Box 1135 Stilwell, Oklahoma $25.000
Below is the link to the Oklahoma State Treasurers Office where you can do searches.
https://apps.ok.gov/unclaimed/
By the way, if you have kin, alive or deceased, who live in Oklahoma City or Tulsa, do a search for their name. There are literally 10s of thousands of people with unclaimed property totalling millions and millions of dollars in those 2 cities alone.
Below is a photo of J.R. Shaw’s Auto Supple and Reapair shop at #19 West Broadway in Ardmore.
The Mailbag
Q. “Did Chuck Norris ever live in Wilson?”
A. His grandmother lived in Wilson right off highway on the left. He went to school there when he was in the 6th grade. That would have been in 1952. His Grandmother lived on 1st St which is now 8th {about the 600-700 block}.
He was in my dad’s 5th grade class. -Julie Jackson
He went to Wilson 1/2 of a semester where his grandmother lived. Chuck lived in Ryan. -David Shores
Chuck had a grandmother in Wilson (Agnes Scarberry} and he lived with her and his mom when he went to school in Wilson (elementary). He came every year to visit his grandmother until she passed. The first museum was Hyder’s Videos, they closed, and Chuck picked up his things and left some of it with the historical museum on Main street.-Beth Tucker
Ryan isn’t south of Wilson. Its in Jefferson County not Carter county.
Below is from my Vol 4 Issue 187
November 25, 2000 newsletter:
The sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona, Joe Arpaio has always been a trailblazer. He is one of those sheriffs you either love him, or hate him. But the Sheriff has went and done the unheard of….. placed video cams in his jail and streaming out live pictures over the Internet. It lets the world view the prisoners as they are booked in, or in holding cells, etc. He has four webcams focused on four different areas of the jail. Webcams…… fast becoming a part of everyone’s future, everywhere.
Talking about law enforcement, I was stopped last week on the highway east of town in front of the Vo-Tech center (Southern Oklahoma Technology Center). Of course the Ardmore Police officer who stopped me, knew me, and asked what I was doing. I said I was probably going to fast. Yes, I was driving a wee bit over the speed limit in that school zone, and I should be stopped. When I remember back at all the children I picked up in the ambulance after being hit by speeders in school zones, I think there should be zero tolerance. I can shut my eyes after 20 years and still see those broken little bodies. I vividly remember one beautiful little 7 year old girl being struck by a speeding car 5 miles east of Ardmore at Dripping Springs. She was leaving the school bus, and the driver of the car (he was a life insurance salesman) didn’t even slow down. Estimated speed: 70MPH. She was knocked a long ways and landed on the grassy area on the south side of highway. When I picked her up, she was like a little rag doll, it seemed like every bone in her body was broken. So I for one, am glad those officers are out there stopping speeders in school zones. And the officer may have only gave me a verbal warning, it was still a wakeup call…. DO NOT SPEED IN SCHOOL ZONES.
“Hi Butch! I have been sharing the newsletters with my mother and the persimmon one caught her attention just like I knew it would. She sends you this message….”When I was a child back in the 1930s, I remember my dad going hunting in the fall and bringing home the first of many ducks. The older folks were looking forward to the big pan of duck and dressing….I did too, but I always waited for the duck’s breast to be picked clean and then daddy would ‘read’ it for me and tell us all what kind of winter we could look forward to. I was so impressed, but as hard as I tried, I never learned to forecast weather by looking at the breast of a duck! Daddy always thought that I could, but I could always learn more by lying out in the back yard in the summertime, watching the red ants race back and forth underneath my camper cot. If they hurried… a bad winter. If they were leisurely…a mild inter. (By the way, Butch…this summer they hurried!!!). -Betty Warner, Davis, OK
I am totally impressed with Gary Simmons’ new website concerning the Ardmore Air Base. The information you present here is very revealing to me because I was away from Ardmore when much of the History of the Base was progressing. I left Ardmore to 1940 and to school in Chicago for two years. Later I enlisted in the Air Corps on Sept.13, 1942 and served until mid Feb. 1946. I never really returned to Ardmore, as a citizen, until 1950. I did manage to take a couple of 8 mm movies of the C-130 on the day it was flown into the Ardmore Airbase – it was a very impressive occasion. Thanks for your excellent presentation – you should be commended for the in-depth research you so graciously chose to share with so many others. I should tell you that I have added your site to my “favorites”.” -Ernest Martin
https://home.brightok.net/~gsimmons/
“In 1920 to at least 1930 the Gypsy Oil Company had an oil company camp which I believe was located north and a little east of Healdton, OK. The camp consisted of several residences, and office building, a warehouse and a bunk house. A lone Star Gas Company camp was located on the road from the Gypsy Camp out to the highway which I believe was blacktop. I am interested in finding the location of the Gypsy Camp on a map which I obtained from the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce. This map divides the county into sections by EW County Roads and NS County Roads. I would greatly appreciate it if you could refer me to someone who might help me establish this location. I will be glad to reimburse them for their time and trouble. Please advise. Your consideration in this matter is appreciated.” -R. E. Sterling
Note: The best I can tell it was near Dundee, Oklahoma (also called McMan) 3.5 miles west of Healdton.
I hope everyone is having a safe and happy Thanksgiving week. As we are thankful for the turkey and dressing and all the trimmings we eat, we also need to send up prayers for those less fortunate. So many are hurting this time of the year with barely food to eat.
The Daily Ardmoreite
Sunday, December 28, 1919
Ardmore, Oklahoma
BUCK GARRETT HOST TO COUNTY SHUT-INS ON CHRISTMAS DAY
At the county jail, following his usual custom, Sheriff Buck Garrett was host to the prisoners on Christmas Day. And the sheriff lived up to his policy of not doing things by halves and put on a highly appreciated “spread”.
There was turkey and cranberry sauce and pies and all the “fixings” attendant at a Christmas feast. Besides all the good things at the dinner table, the “shut-ins” received candies, fruits, nuts, tobacco, etc., all of which helped materially to lighten the burden of feeling that they were denied the freedom of the average American citizen.
See everyone next Thursday!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, OK
580-490-6823
