This and That Newsletter

This week I received an interesting email and update on a lady we talked about in September 2003 by the name of Ethel Hindman, the wild woman of the Arbuckle Mountains, and the reason for the name Wild Woman Cave near Turner Falls. Ethel's niece lives in Montana and stumbled across what little info we had on Ethel Hindman and emailed me to share more information on Ethel and the rest of the story:

"In your story about Ethel Hindman, you said no one knew what happened to her. I know; I’m her niece. She lived well into her nineties and was very active for most of that time. Most of her adult life was lived in Pawhuska, OK, as Ethel Buck. She was widowed at a young age, but raised a son, Jack Buck, by herself. She also helped to raise four of her younger sisters.

Aunt Ethel did many other dare devil stunts. She dived off the top of Turner Falls and another falls near Ardmore. She dived off the wing of an airplane into the Ardmore reservoir—twice. A Hollywood producer asked her to come to California to do the stunt for the movies, but she refused. Another woman took her place (and name) and was killed in the dive. That caused a lot of confusion in Ardmore when Ethel visited there later on. People thought she’d risen from the dead.

Her brother produced rodeos, and she often rode broncs. At one rodeo, the story goes, the cowboys were complaining about the viciousness of a particular bull. Lee told them that the bull was so tame that even his sister could ride it. He then rigged the draw so that she’d get that bull, and he bet on her with the other cowboys. Ethel rode the bull, but broke her jaw and lost most of her front teeth in the process. She almost killed her brother when she found out what he’d done.

When she was seventy, she camped at Turner Falls with many of her nieces and nephews. She led us on a long hike to the old home place, worrying the whole time about whether she was tiring us out. That afternoon, we swam in the Blue Hole, downstream on Honey Creek from Turner Falls. While there, she did a number of trick dives from the diving board. Needless to say, everyone in the pool stopped what they were doing to watch her.

Aunt Ethel was a wonderful woman, and we all adored her. I have a newspaper article about her, written by Mac McGalliard, framed and hung on my office wall." -Belva Jones, Frenchtown, Montana

A Reader sent in an email this week to say he'd seen Bonnie and Clyde's bullet riddled car at a casino in Nevada. I did a search at http://images.google.com for the hotel and found a unbelievable history lesson when I clicked on the pic of Bonnie and Clyde's car. You will find his email and a link to the many many photos in the mailbag below.

Stories needed for Oklahoma Outlaw, Lawmen History Association - OKOLHA

One of the purposes of the Oklahoma Outlaw, Lawmen History Association is to provide a forum for originally researched stories by our members and others. Submissions can be about people, places or events, be they obscure or a fresh, new angle on more familiar subjects.

The preferred method of submitting a story for publication is via e-mail to the editor: [email protected]

Submissions must be accurate and be highly readable! The content must be referenced. This can be accomplished through endnotes, or by means of a bibliography, selected bibliography or short list of sources.

Ideally, the e-mail will contain an attachment with your story as a WORD document. It should be written in 11 or 12 point “Times Roman” or “New Times Roman” font.

If your submission is on paper, make sure it is cleanly typed so that the editor’s scanning program can “translate” the words into digital text. Submissions can also be on 3 inch floppy disc or CD. It should be mailed to:

New information in story content is highly encouraged. Likewise, new perspectives on familiar events are welcome, but please, DO NOT submit rehashed stories.

Mollie Stehno
1104 E. Wayne C-22
Shawnee, OK 74801

OKOLHA will pay $25 for 1500 to 2000 word stories upon publication.

November 16, 1917 The Daily Ardmoreite - RESUME STREET CAR SERVICE TOMORROW

The Ardmore Street Car Railway service will be resumed tomorrow morning. Cars will leave the barns at 6:15 and 6:45 and every thirty minutes thereafter until 10:15pm. Cars will leave downtown at 6:30 and 7:30am and every thirty minutes thereafter, the last car leaving at 11pm.

The cars from the barns to Electric Park, Country Club, and Bloomfield Academy will eave at 7:15, 7:45 and 11:45am.

November 16, 1917 The Daily Ardmoreite - KRESS STORE OPENING TODAY

The informal opening of Kress' store, 119-121 West Main street, this afternoon bore all the evidence of a social affair. Blooming plants on the counters and shelves added to the attractiveness of the spacious display rooms. Barnard's orchestra gave a musical program as the guests passed up and down the aisles inspecting the array of choice goods, both useful and ornamental. Boxes of chocolate bonbons were given as favors.

November 24, 1917 The Daily Ardmoreite - ARDMOREITE IS MOVING TO ITS NEW BUILDING

Today, tomorrow and for a few days next week the office of the Daily Ardmoreite will be in transit, the work of moving the equipment from the ground floor of the Elks building (North Washington and West Broadway) to the new building for The Ardmoreite at the corner of East Broadway and North Mill Street, just one block east of the old location, being under way.

The subscribers are asked to be patient during this transition as the paper may be late. During the past fortnight the paper has often been late. Next week the work of installing the large 24 Hoe perfecting press will begin.

December 5, 1917 The Daily Ardmoreite - POSSUM HUNT

An old fashioned possum hunt was participated in last night by employees of the Hamilton Shoe Company, their wives and sweethearts. The part assembled at the William Prater home on West Main street, where with a pack hounds the chase began, continuing for three miles.

Possums soon took refuge in persimmon trees and were captured. When this sport was concluded a bonfire was built and a real camp fire supper prepared and enjoyed. The hunters were Mr and Mrs Prater, Mr and MRs Estes, Mr and Mrs Bullock, Mr and Mrs Cathey, Misses Everett Tucker, Giddens, Messrs, Lanford, Hamiton, Sprekelmeyer, P. Watkins, and J. Watkins.

The past few days we've got several inches of rain, so maybe the drought is over, for a while. Most of the farm ponds are full, or nearly full.

Used my Briggs and Stratton Gasohol Tester for the first time this week.............

Q. What is Oklahoma's record high temp?
A. Oklahoma's record high temperature is 120 degrees, observed six times, the last of which occurred at the Tipton Mesonet site on June 27, 1994.

Q. What did Oklahoma's largest earthquake register on the Richter Scale?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)

Oklahoma law Enforcement Memorial, Inc.
PO Box 10776
Oklahoma City, OK 73140-1776
www.oklemem.com

For Immediate Release

Oklahoma’s Fallen Officers to be Honored

On Friday morning May 8th Oklahomans will take time out to honor the service and sacrifices of their law enforcement officers. The Forty-first Annual Oklahoma Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Service will be conducted at 10 A.M. at the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial located on the west grounds of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Headquarters, 3600 N. M. L. King Avenue in Oklahoma City. Key note speaker will be Lt. Governor Jari Askins. Six fallen officers’ names will be dedicated during the service. The new additions to the state’s memorial are:

Deputy U. S. Marshal Herbert M. Goddard shot and killed August 13, 1900, near Goodwater in McCurtain County;

Madill City Marshal J. T. Pratt shot and killed November 6, 1910;

Bristow Deputy Constable G. Ralph Ellis shot and killed November 7, 1915;

Altus Police Officer John H. Hill shot and killed September 7, 1934;

Kiefer Police Sergeant Leslie E. Wilmott died in a traffic accident May 29, 2008;

Oklahoma City Police Sergeant Robert C. Douglas died September 28, 2008, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident July 26, 2003.These six officer’s names as well as those of eight other officers who died in the line of duty during the last five years will be read during the “Roll Call of Heroes” portion of the memorial service. As the officer’s names are read members of their families or a representative escorted by an officer will place a rose on the memorial wreath. With the addition of the six new names there are 646 officer’s names engraved on the memorial. For more information see the memorial’s web site at http://www.oklemem.com

For more information contact Memorial Chairman, Dennis Lippe, by pager at (405) 530-1969.

Singer, Songwriter Les Gilliam Celebrates 10 Years as Oklahoma Balladeer

Singer, songwriter Les Gilliam is celebrating 10 years as the official Oklahoma Balladeer, and the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame is throwing him a party to celebrate. The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame will celebrate Gilliam’s success and contribution to Oklahoma music with a Dancin’ in the District party May 9 at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited and tickets are only $5 for an evening with Gilliam and his Silver Lake Band. Dancin’ in the District will be held at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Depot, located in the heart of the Museum District in Muskogee at 401 S. 3rd Street. Call 918-687-0800 for reservations to Dancin’ in the District.

Centennial of “Four Men Hanging” Noted in Ada, Oklahoma
By Chuck Parsons
            Every western buff is familiar with James Brown “Jim” Miller, the most deadly hired assassin of the Old West. In his last moments of life he claimed, or confessed, to having killed fifty-one men. That may have been true, or maybe it was no more than a final, boastful statement. He and three other associates were forcibly taken from the Ada, Oklahoma jail during the early morning hours of April 19, 1909, taken to an old livery stable and strung up by the neck until dead. The mob which did the deed was convinced they would escape justice by the tricks, or talent, of a sharp lawyer. They were determined Miller would pay the price for the murder of their friend, A.A. Bobbitt. Miller and his three friends who were associated with the deed – two who put up the money, Jesse West and Joe Allen, and one who “fingered” the victim, B.B. Burrell, -- paid the price with their lives. It was “Lynch Law” justice. Illegal, but quick and effective
            The four men hanging were photographed by professional photographer Noah B. Stall. His picture has been reproduced in many forms, black and white photographs; colored versions; engraving on stone; even a wooden mockup. Some day perhaps there will be a ballet about it, to go along with Aaron Copeland’s ballet, Billy the Kid, based on the life of the outlaw Billy the Kid. That image is among the most famous photographs dealing with the history of the Old West.
            A century later, on April 19, 2009, the hanging was commemorated in Ada by members of the Oklahoma Outlaws, Lawmen History Association (http://www.okolha.net) , organized by OKOLHA President Herman Kirkwood. The program began with an opening prayer by a local pastor. Then Bill C. James, member of the OKOLHA Board of Directors, gave thanks to all those individuals who had assisted with organizing the program, and especially to those who had assisted him in getting the site of the hanging marked for future generations. The large black China marble marker was erected in 1997, only a few feet from where the original livery stable stood in 1909.
            Chuck Parsons followed with remarks about his research into the life and career and especially the final days of J.B. Miller, the events leading up to the assassination of his last victim, and how the mob worked to gain access to the prisoners, and how they lynched them.
            Miller was not only a “killer for hire” although that is what made him notorious. He was involved in a few other killings which were of a personal nature, the result of arguments, such as his personal feud with Reeves County Sheriff G.A. “Bud” Frazer, and the killing of his own brother-in-law some years before. Miller apparently considered killing men as a business, much as robbing a bank or train as did the James and Younger Gangs. Miller may have been involved in the murder of famed lawman Pat Garrett, the slayer of Billy the Kid, although this remains controversial even to this day.
            During the previous day many interested parties attended the book signing in Ada. Several descendants of the men lynched were present, and enjoyed visiting with others who held the same connecting link to their past – their antecedents were related to the four men in the famous photograph. Following the Sunday morning program, which attracted over a hundred people, some visited several cemeteries in the area where the graves of early day lawmen or outlaws are buried.
            OKOLHA is a national organization organized in 2003 for people who have a deep interest in the history of Oklahoma and preserving that history. The organization publishes a Journal which appears four times annually. Membership is available to all with dues $25.00 annually. For further information consult the website or contact President Herman Kirkwood at [email protected]; or Treasurer Larry Walls at [email protected], or Chuck Parsons at [email protected]

We struggle with the complexities and avoid the simplicities. -Norman Vincent Peale