The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-08
STRENUOUS POLITICS
How One Oklahoma Republican Lead.
er Got His start.

Guthrie. Okla Aug. Ed Perry OF
Coalgatc, named as vice chairman OF
the republican state committee. with
absolute control Of Indian Territory
patronage. already has political rec
ord In Indian Territory as resource
ful politician. who is not particular
about the means which he uses. Just
so he gains his end Perry is cspcci.
ally remembered in Indian Territory
IN connection with the time when he
hluncd republican convention at
Atoka into compliance with his wishes
by liberal use Of dynamite. T.. s
Russell of the Shawnee Herald. for.
mcrly Of McAlester and we'll acuuaint.
ed with the political history OF I'm.
dian Territory. tells this story of how
/ it happencu
Some three or four years ago Perry
was lighting bitterly tc uuhorsc the
federal crowd Of republicans In con.
/ troll Of the central district of Indian
/ Territory. At every caucus or con.
vention he appeared in the rob. of AN
( insurgent. Finally he became hor.
net with a stingcr ever ready to p.ne.
/ trat" the garments of the CLOSE com.
munion crowd gathered ABOUT Federal
Judge Clayton. \ war ni cNtcrmiua.
: tion WAS declared against Perry and
| he Was never allowed To raise hi,
voice IN peaceful appeal At repub.
/ lican gathering.
One day there was "A district con.
ycntion called at Atuka. Perry meas.
urod his strength and found IL lack.
ing Chartcring IL special train. he
| loaded up several hundred husky
miners from the Coalgate and I.ehigh
pits and started toward Atoka. Just
for the fun of IL he had box OF
dynamite sticks placed IN the baggage
, car As the train rolled into the
Atoka yards, an hour or two late
Perry rushed into the baggage car
! and ordered some of tn. dynamite
exploded alongside the track, Just as
reminder that he was coming. nv
mistake n husky miner pcked up the
entire box and hurled II from the
train
As II struck side track the ex-
plosion was terrific. Had AN army
magazine been touched OF IL could
hardly have played more havoc A
twenty-foot piece of railroad rail was
sent hurting through the air and I'm.
ally penetrated frame dwelling a
hundred yards away. Chimneys top
Piled and fell from buildings for blocks
around Window lights crashed to the
ground and all Atoka rushed into the
streets, anticipating a horrible railway
wreck.
Several blocks from the railway
bridge Judge Clayton was sitting on
the bench, presiding AZ the trial of 4
criminal case. The breaking glass,
the tottering and the excitement came
near knocking the veteran politician
and jurist from his chair A commo.
tion ensued and an adjournment was
hastily ordered.
Then Perry and his gang began
their march To the convention hall
Yelling like maddencd Indians, they
took undisputed possession OF the
streets, and then III turn occupied
the best seats In the convention.
Although the meeting was decided.
ly an anti-Perry gathering, the rumur
was out that each OF the insurgents
carried stick OF dynamite, aud
when the vote was taken for chairman
Perry candidate was declared elect.
ed As the convention proceeded a
fight broke out In which knives, clubs
and revolvers were drawn. Some of
the Perry followers attempted to mob
a speaker, but Perry jumped to the
rostrum and waved his men back.
Once again they rushed toward the
party whose remarks had ruffled their
ieeIihss. Ieffy yelled ana waved To
his troopers to retreat, but they heard
him not.
Just as the foremost man reached |
the footlights, Perry grabbed IA chair.
swung il over his head and let II fall
with a resounding thud on the head
of his follower. Another man jumped
into the tracks OF the fallen leader
had his head cut open b. Perry. ~
nally the mob saw that their idol was
determined to have his way, and
quiet was restored, But Perry con
trolled that convention, and made a
breach IN the Clayton circle that
could never he repaired.