Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-03-03
TOmmS Atkins Actually
Was, Say Witnesses
CONTINUED From Page One.)

Continued From Page One.)
the evidence Of h. c. Hanford, attor-
ney of Seattle, representing Minnie
| Atkins, all tending to show collusion
| between Buel and the government.
| Hanford testified that Montgomery
represented Buel and a detective to
| be associated with the government at
the time all of them were In confer
once in Seattle.
Planned Assault.
Attorney Hanford also testified to
the effect that Sadie James, one night
when Buel, Montgomery, he, Sadie
James and others were leaving Min
ME Atkins home near Seattle, at
| tempted to sneak behind him, evil
| IDENTIFY for the purpose of assaulting
! him. lie declared he was walking
behind and keeping Sadie under watch
| and that when she dropped in behind
! him he grabbed her by the neck,
swore a little bit at her and used her
rather roughly
That the first to cry thief" and
"croOk" are having those words
| brought home to them was further
substantiated by George Crilly, a liv-
| eryman of Leavenworth, Kan, Crilly
testified he had lived in LeaVenworth
continuously since 1877, having run a
barn there at all times since. He
knew Indian Minnie" well, he said,
that having been the name Minnie At
kins went by in Leayenworth then.
1t was generally known in Leaven-
worth about 1884 or 1885 that Minnie
Atkins had a child at the home Of
Granny" Letcher, who ran a negro
resort Just across the street from Grill
lys barn.
Crilly had heard it said Minnie was
about to give birth TO a child, and that
later he saw this child in her arms
almost every day. Minnie diSap-
peared from LeavenwOrth in year or
two, but her child, known as Tommy
Atkins, was in LeaVenworth until he
was Z years old. lie remembered dis
tnctly having seen the youngster pick
up pipe and puff smoke vigorously.
Murphy Tells of Tommy"
T.. c. Murphy also knew about the
birth of Tommy Atkins and said he
had often seen the child in the care Of
its mother. 1t was perhaps from 4 TO
Z months old when he last saw it to
know who it was. Murphy has lived
in Leavenworth for AZ years. he said,
most of which time he was either a
patrolman or chief of'police or deputy
United States marshal. He said the
child was born at Granny" Letcher's
place, having corroborated the prevl-
Gus testimony of Crilly in all respects
about its birth and parentage. Each
of them said that Tommy Atkins was
an Indian boy or Indian and negro
mixed.
Frank B. Long, former Indian agent
at Nowdta and a formed newspaper
man, now secretary Of the Gem OIL
company, owners of the Tommy At
kips Iaagp detailed information n
how the lease was procured from Min
ME Atkins
From records introduced, he cited
that Sadie James was in the employ
ment Of the Gem but few weeks;
that this was long after Page and
JOsey had procured their lease and
that she was discharged when she
declared she could find any kind of
a Tommy Atkins they wished, either
dead or alive, II they could put up
enough money back of her effort.
Long said that Sadie declared to him
that she could make" any kind Of
a person they desired, and that she
was discharged when she made that
statement.
Page on Stand.
Charles Page also occupied the
witness stand during a part of the
forenoon. and he. Frank Long and
Minnie Atkins attorney directly con-
troverted the evidence given by Sadie
James, the Tulsa negress formerly
connected with the Bucket of Blood"
dive once tried for murder, and who
is the governments witness in chief.
outside OF the direct evidence Of
Crilly and Murphy that they were ac-
quainted with Minnie Atkins and her
child Tommy, and that the boy lived
and played about the streets of
Leavenworth, chief interest and
length Of testimony came with the
questioning of Long and Hanford
Long testified substantially that as
secretary of the Gem Oil company he
became interested in the Tommy At
kins land about the first of 1914. He
was informed the middle of last sum-
mer by an Indian named Rogers that
GAL TWO TOMMY "A u = II
Betty Mann knew Tommy's mother
lived or could locate her. 1t was
agreed that Betty should be paid for
locating Minnie Atkins and Betty dis
appeared \ few days later Betty
Mann wired Long that she had found
Minnie at Seattle at Fort Lawton.
Long went to the fort and saw Minnie
and two army officers
Agree on Price.
He told them who he was and what
he wanted. He was told that Minnie
Atkins had been bothered a day or
so by a negro woman by the name
of Sadie James. After having talked
to the Indian woman for short
time, Long said he felt satisfied she |
was the real Minnie Atkins and the |
mother Of Tommy. He told her, he |
said. that she was now heir to some |
valuable property in Oklahoma and |
that she should consult with someone |
relative TO II.
+. G.. Hanford. now Minnie Atkins |
attorney, was former army man. a |
West Point graduate. He was well |
L. L. ~