The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-12-07
NEGRO BooTLEGoER, CONVICT.
ed OF ILLICIT HANDLING OF
LIQUORS, EMPLOYS ATTORNEY
DECLARES REPUTATION INJURED
The Negro's Attorney Has Been a
Noted Prosecutor Of Liquor Law
Breakers m the State-Deferdant
is We'll Known.


u prohibition oklahoma actually
Uilcd suit In the courts against
the state president of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union. alleg
ing that ne has been libclcd. Is one
OF the most interesting matters now
being discussed in the state. The
fact, too. that the ncgr.s attorney
Is man who has won fame through.
out the state as a prosecutor of the
liquor laws, even before statehood,
makes the case all the more inter
cstins
Mrs Cora u Hammett OF Okla
lahoma city is the state president
of the white ribboncrs,' and it was
her activity In the enforcement Of
the prohibition laws that has result
ed In her being named defendant
In the present case. \ woman OF
culture, capable, aggressive, persist
cnt, she won her present position
as W. c. r T.. president by active
work in temperance circles, she
has behind her an organization of
10000 women in ;his state
It was while attending the recent
convention of the W. c. r. L. m
saltwater that Mrs. Hammett was
served with papers In the ease.
. Originally $4,000 damages for libel
were demanded, but more recently
an amended bill was filed increasing
the amount demanded to $1,000. The
notice of the suit was served on
Mrs Ilammett at the door of the
First Christian church In saltwater
| where the meetings were being held.
Immediately she employed Attorney
/ ". H. Wilcox of that city 10 repre-
sent her in the courts.
Some months prior to his filing
/ the suit against Mrs. llammett In
/ September. Ralph Brown, a Cushing
negro. was convicted in the Payne
county court On the charge of Illicit
handling of liquors. Late in October
Brown was again convicted i'm the
county court at Gushing on sim
/ liar charge and sentenced to serve
ninety days in jail and to pay a
fine of $500 lie appealed the first
case and will take similar action
in the second. In fact, during the
week Browns attorney filed habeas
corpus proceedings In the state
criminal court of appeals here,
The attorney for Brown is Free.
man f. Miller of saltwater. known
as "Okahoma's p.Ct laureate" and
also as the man Who closed the
saloons in Saltwater prior to state.
hood His wife. Mrs Estella Miller
prominent in temperance circles, at
the request of her husband, went
on Browns appeal bond, following
the ncgro's first conviction. Mrs
Miller was a member of the local
". G, r T. at saltwater and her
husband has been known always as
one of that organization most ar
dent friends in the state.
The fact that Mrs. Miller had sign
ed the ncgro's bond became known
IN some manner to Mrs Cora D.
lIammctt. state W G. +. T.. presi
dent and in letter to her Mrs
/ llawmctt used the words that caus
cd Brown to bring the libel suit
tn. lr.tor it is said, chided Mrs
Miller for being on the bond of a
negro bo.tleggcr, who. Mrs. Ham.
NETT said, had been convicted by a
jury Of six men, The letter evident
ly was shown To Attorney Miller by
his wife, ana the suit for libel fol
lowed
Brown, it is alleged in the petition
filed I'm the Payne county district
court at saltwater. felt deeply ag
grIcyod and injured by the contents
of the letter, and alleges the Ian.
guage used by Mrs. Hammett is
lih,lous ana great injury to his
reputation and business where he
is known lie therefore demand
damages for $4,000. later increased
go $1,000 Mrs Hammett was leaving
the church to so 10 a meeting at the
state Agricultural and Mechanical
college, located near saltwater
when she was served with the pa.
pers by Sheriff Fox.
Great indignation was expressed
by ID. \ Holmes and other temper
ance leaders of Saltwater over
the libel suit Il was maintained that