Volume 14 , Issue 18

Tidbits of May 1896 Langston City Herald

I love reading old newspapers to find out what life was about back in the "Old Days." According to The Langston City Herald, 16 May 1896, which was published from 1891 through 1902, we found a few interesting little tidbits worth sharing and reading. Have you ever heard that the best time to plant alfalfa, as proved by Payne county, was on May 1?

Did you know that the sheet crop of 1895 in Oklahoma Territory was 2,593,000. Here is another interesting tidbit concerning a Woods County, O.T., "A man in Woods county says his taxes amounted to $2.69. If the equalization board had not raised the rate this would have been 80 cents less. He says he doesn't kick on the 80 cents but on the principle of the thing."

Did you hear about the Oklahoma woman back in 1896 that killed her father-in-law because he sucked eggs? Was that suppose to be a positively sure cure for sucking eggs? What about the "shaggy rumor" that Bill Doolin allowed himself to be captured for part of the reward? And what became of the reward?

Here is one concerning Noble county, "The Noble county land office has rendered a decision in the Nulty-Wyatt-Wylde-Kalb-Fisher-Kalb-Mahoney-Krake-Clark contest cue in favor of Wyatt for the south eighty and Wylde for the north eighty and one eighty across the section line. This is a valuable tract of land in Kay county."

If you ever break into an occupied place and the owner comes back, protect your nose. According to this 1896 story out of Noble county, "A citizen of Noble county went east on a visit and took his family with him. While he was gone an unsophisticated intruder came along and broke into the house and established himself therein. He then proceeded to plant a garden and appropriate everything in sight. When the owner came home a quarrel ensued and the intruder struck his adversary with a hoe and cut his nose off."

In 1896 it seems that the chief among western outlaws, Bill Doolin, was indicted Friday evening, 1896, for the murder of three men. Deputy United States Marshals Lafe Shadley, Richard Shead and Thomas Poston. The murders occurred at Ingalls in September last (1895). There are about three dozen charges, ranging from bank and train robbing to murders, hanging over the outlaw."

It was in a district court of Noble county that Lillian Taylor of Hamilton, Ohio, had been awarded $500 alimony against her husband, Robert N. Taylor, formerly of Canton, Ohio. Taylor was suing for divorce. He was a young lawyer and the son of the well known Ohio jurist. Taylor filed his suit and went back to Canton on a visit. While he was away his wife filed her answer to the suit and Tuesday night was given alimony.

It seems in 1896 that the Osage Indians and Grey Horse in the Osage reservation, were greatly excited over the killing of one of their number by a white man named McLaughlin, near Blackburn, and were holding a war dance and threatened vengeance on the whites unless McLaughlin was punished. McLaughlin escaped after the fight in which the Indian received his fatal injury, but the Indians say they will capture him if allowed to deal with him under their laws.

Sheriff DeFord of Oklahoma county, left Tuesday morning for the Kansas penitentiary with Ace Coleman, convicted of perjury; Walter Owens, colored assault; Clem Rogers, colored, burglary; Chas. Kennedy, forgery, and James Scott, highway robbery. The last named committed the crime the Friday night of May 1896, and was arrested Sunday, indicted and pleaded guilty on Monday and taken to the pen on Tuesday.

BAck in 1896 there was an arrival at the Kansas penitentiary from Oklahoma a boy age 14 years and a man 65 years. They were father and son. The boy stole goods and the old man received them.

The only man who had made any money out of building railroads in Oklahoma Territory in 1896 was the secretary of the territory who granted railroads. The Rock Island railroad kept western Oklahoma buy trying to find out what its "New time" was about every two weeks.

Last but not least, "Horses are so cheap in Woods county that John Corbett was recently arrested there and tried for insanity for stealing one."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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