The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-05-01
CLAIMS FATHER WAS
VICTIM OF PERSECUTION
Says There Were Only 10
Men In Mob Instead Of
200 as Reported

Special q Daily Leader.
Canadian, Tex, May l.--Joe West
ased 25, SON OF Jesse West, the yictlnl
Of the m0b at Ada, OKLA, IN an lnter'
view with q newspaper representative
at Canadian said
Ny father and Bobbtt we're paftlc'
ulag friends, some 10 or ~ years ago,
and 50 continued until the oaeasion 0g
the killing of my brother, near Ada,
BY q negro on Che day OF his burial
my fatler Thought Nv Bohblti had
participated IN The theft Of some OF his
cattle ang afterwards accused him ot
the crma This B0bbtt resented and
afterwards champloued the negro who
had killed my brother,
Fsud l.ahsed for Years
The resulting feud lasted for years
during which my father was eontlnu'
ally persecuted by Mr. B0bbltl and his
gang lfe tBohbittl attempted 10 rake
up proof tina, q negro mysterloualy
shot had met hia death at the hands
Of Jesse West
Joe Alien was a lifelong friend Of
Jesse West and they both lived IN and
around Ada. where West ran "The
Cosnera Saloon IN The early days The
quarrela with B0bbltl resulted IN the
exodus Of both West and Allen front
the Seminole nation, and they then
took up their residence in Hemphlll
county, Texas.
Bobhlst Got the saloon.
After their departure Bobhitt &c.
uuired the Corners saloon and engaged
In business where my father had been.
His place waa lhe rendezvous OF mo-
t0rlous hand Of Killers. among whom
was Hook" Miller. who had lost one
hand aud most dlgets Of the seeond.
but his rempinlng nngers were active
With a gun During the year IN which
nOhhitt ran The saloon four men were
murdered IN and around The Corners
by the EohhlIt oIlque, namely; John
Coleman owner oi THE Corners +
Frank Alien. a cousin Of Joe Allen. Ed
llendrickr and Albert Stephenson, g
negro. An escaped conviction for these
killings
During the past several years Bob
bltts gang has twice tried iO KIN Jesse
West ami Joe Allen Once In Hemp
bin county they sent two men to dd
The work but they were suspected and
soon left the country again, IN Ada
shortly before statehood The gang
caught my father and Allen IN the
town making q deed 10 some property
Guns were levelled upon Allen and
West and they were only saved hg the
intervention Of she impartial federal
officers.
VIII Not Return TO Ada.
II Is rot my intention 20 so back
to Ada. us { know The gang tbat mur+
dored my father would give short shift
20 me know nothing about The KILL
ing Ol 8abhiti and my fathers con
uecllOn taerewigh, but fell 70 nee anx'
thing IN the press reports upon which
10 hlse any clear oulnIon. except that
think tho law should have been al
lowed 70 iake rs course There were
emily iifsaen men in the mob instead d
900 as reported. believe. the on
GERS stood Ii with the deal as ihey
have never set reported the anair .0
Governor Haskell
now I've and did al the time my
father was lynched, only q short dis
tance from Ada I intend te sell all
1f my property there as soon as can
and come to Texas and assist ms
widowed mother any way can, be.
lleye know the men who lynched ms
father and should the opportunity be
offered me, shall never cease trying
to bring them to Justice, hat expect
always t. allow the law to take rs
course IA the punishment ol these mon