Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-29
HISTORY OF HASKELL.
Some Particulars of His Varied caree

The New Yorkf World Of last FRI
day, gave in a dispatch from Guthrie,
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 while
located in San Antonio, Texas.
In defending himself against the at
tacks Of William r. Hearst 1t 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 Oklahoma he
was for time in Old Mexico, but that
he lived there under the name of
Brown Is not corroborated.
While in Texas he organized the
Commercial Telephone company at
San Antonio. The company later went
into the hands Of a receiver and was
sold to satisfy claims against it.
Coming to Oklahoma, Mr.. Haskell,
as he had been in Ohio, became prom
inent Immediately as a railroad pro-
moter. He was president Of the In
dianola Contracting company, which
built, besides various railroads, the
Turner hotel at Muskogee. the Indian
ola 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 re-
ceiver for the contracting company,
alleging that Haskell was drawing $5,-
900 a year as general manager. They
also have sued him here for $4,000 at
torneys' fees in representing him in
various suits at Ottawa, his former
home, for thirty years. Recently also
he was sued for a $1,235.25 board bill
for himself and family at the Turner
hotel. AS to this he declares in an in
terview that "a large part Of the hotel
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 unpaid 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 convention
was the result, with Haskell as the
guiding star. He practically dictated
the constitution drawn by the conven-
tion held in Muskogee in 1905. Later,
when congress gave Indian Territory
and Oklahoma joint statehood, Haskell
was sent to the constitutional con-
vention in Guthrie from the Muskogee
district.
The polling list obtained through the
election held in Indian Territory in the
Sequoyah constitution was used by
Haskell to obtain mailing list for his
newly launched paper, the Muskogee
New State Tribune, a personal organ.
Through this paper he was able to
build up a strong following in old In
dian Territory and when the consti-
tutional convention met in Guthrie
there were 333 Of his former associates
there as delegates. With these he was
able to control the convention. The
prominence he obtained made him gov
ernor after one Of the most bitter per-
sonal campaigns in the southwests
history. He is still under bond for
criminal libel resulting from articles
appearing in his Muskogee paper dur
ing the campaign.
Being able to place in the state con-
stitution and also on the statutes many
of Bryans ideas, Bryan made him a
confidant in national politics, which Ia
ter resulted in his selection as chair
man Of the platform committee at Den
yer, his declining from Bryan the man
agement Of the national campaign, and
later his appointment as national DEM
ocratic treasurer. He turned down the
vice presidential nomination as early
as last April.
AS Governor Haskell obtained a
writ Of prohibition from the state su-
preme court to prevent Attorney Gen.
eral Charles ]. West from prosecuting
the Prairie Oil and Gas company "a
Standard concern) for building addi-
tional pipe lines in Oklahoma without
first domesticating, as required by the
constitution. The company was oper-
ated with Mr. Haskell's consent when
West commenced his suits. The state
supreme court recently gave the gov
ernor supreme jurisdiction in initiating
suits in the name Of the state, thus
shearing the attorney general Of all
power.
1t is generally understood here that
Haskell went from Ohio to New York
with Cal Brice. This has never been
denied by him, although frequently
published. Charles f. N. Coles. who
was with Haskell in New York and in
railroad promoting deals, was brought
here early this year by Haskell and
made warden of the state penitentiary.
The former business connections be-
tween the two have never been re-
vealed
There is now pending in the Federal
court here a suit against Haskell
brought by Cornelius S. Loder. Of New
York city, to collect $42,235 balance