The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-10-07
HISTORY OF HASKELL.
Some Particulars Of His Varfei
Career.

The New York World of last Fri
day. gave in a dispatch from Guthris,
Okla, the following account Of the
career Of Mr.. Haskell:
Charles N. Haskell came to Musko-
gee. then in Indian Territory. in 1901.
from Fayetteville. Ark, and about
the same time was at least for a while
located In San Antonio, Texas. =
1t defending himself against the
attacks Of William r. Hearst it is ad-
mitted by Haskell that he was living
in New York city when the alleged
Standard Oil bribe was offered in Ohio,
early In 1898. Between the time he
left New York and located in Okla
homa he was for time in Old Mex
leo. but that he lived there under
the name Of Brown is not corroborat-
ed.
While in Texas he organized the
Commercial Telephone company at
San Antonio. The company later
went into the hands Of receiver and
was sold to satisfy claims against it.
| Coming to Oklahoma, Mr.. Has
kell, as he had been in Ohio, became
prominent Immediately as a railroad
promoter. He was president of the
Indianola Contracting company,
which built. besides various railroads,
the Turner hotel at Muskogee, the In
dianola office building, three other
business blocks and a $4,000 opera
house.
'Recently Attorneys Bailey & Bailey,
OF Ottawa, Ohio. began proceedings
in Muskogee for the appointment Of a
receiver for the contracting company,
alleging that Haskell was drawing $5,-
600 year as general manager. They
also have sued him here for $1,000
attorneys fees in representing him in
various suits at Ottawa, his former
home, for thirty years. Recently also
he was sued for $1,235.25 board bill
for himself and family at the Turner
hotel. AS to this he declares in An
interview that "a large part Of the ho-
tel stock Is owned by our family" and
that the board was applied on the
rent Last Saturday the city Of
Muskogee took over the hotel for un-
paid taxes.
| On coming to Oklahoma, Haskell
Joined in the movement to organize
single statehood for Indian Territory.
Through Chief Pleasant Porter, now
deceased. OF the Creek Indians, Has
kell interested the chiefs of the other
Indian tribes In this movement. and
the Sequoyah constitutional conven-
ton was the result. with Haskell as
the guiding star. He practically die
tated the constitution drawn by the
convention held in Muskogee In 190k.
Later, when congress gave Indian Ter.
ritory and Oklahoma joint statehood,
Haskell was sent to the constitutional
convention In Guthrie from the Mus.
kogee district.
The, polling list obtained through
the election held In Indian Territory
in the SeQuoyah constitution was
| used by Haskell to obtain q mailing
list for his newly launched paper. the
Muskogee New State Tribune, a per-
sonal organ. Through this paper he
was able to build up q strong follow
Ing In old Indian Territory. and when
the constitutional convention met IN
Guthrie there were 33S Of his former
associates there as delegates. With
! these he was able to control the con-
vention. The prominence he obtained
made him governor after one Of the
most bitter personal campaigns in the
southwest's history. He 10 still under
bond for criminal libel resulting from
articles appearing In his Muskogee
paper during the campaign.
Being able to place In the State
constitution and also OH the statutes
many Of Bryan's ideas. Bryan made
him a confdant in national politics,
which later resulted In his selection
as chairman OF the platform commit
tee at Denver, his declining from
Bryan the management Of the nation
al campaign. and later his appoint
ment as national Democratic treas
urer. He turned down the vice pres
| idential nomination as early as last
April.
AS Governor Haskell obtained
writ OF prohibition from the State su-
preme court to prevent Attorney
General Charles J. West from prose-
| cutting the Prairie Oil AMI Gas COM
pany Ga Standard concern, for builI-
ing additional pipe lines II OK, home