The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-11-01


familiar figure on the short circuits
that had been established In old Okla
homa Territory and the Texas Pan.
handle country. prior to statehood |
days and he was the favOrite fro |
Quently when the books were being |
made UP Just before the race started /
lie was one Of II string Of steppers
that belonged to william J. CreekmOre. !
the man who Is now accredited with !
becoming the King Of boOtleggers mil
llonaire and pOiitical power IN thls
prohibition state within the few years
inaugurhted with prohItlon IN one Of
lls main features
Creekmore, II Is said, has hOasted
that the federal government has eI-
pended $4,000 In the past In vain ~
forts to secure his conviction, but he
was recently convicted, nevertheless,
and sentenced 10 serve II year aud II
day at hard labor In the United States
penltentiary at Fl LeHvenworth and
10 pay Il fine Of $500 The conviction
was secured In the federal court nt Nc.
Aester On charges " contempt con.
nected with alleged jury fixing. lie
has given bond appealed the case and
hopes to have the judgment reversed
IN the United states circuit court Of
appeals.
Creckmore has been making Joplin,
Mo, his Headquarters for several
years past, In order, II IL said. 10 Opcr-
ate the better In prohibition Oklahoma.
lie has been q well known figure In
nll eastern oklahoma towns long
time and II has been said that he was
cab driver In Muskoetp eight or ten
years ago, where his "Keb, sir" was
frequently heard. Later he changed 10
Sapulpa and Tulsn as bartender dur
ing the first years that followed the
union Of oklahoma and Indian ter
titOrles as one state. There have been
very few people I'm recent years IN
Tulsa Sapulpa, MuskOgee, Cushing,
Ollton, BGrtlesyllle, Nowata and other
towns within the oil district Of the
state that have not known "Blll'
Creekmore ~ familiar figure on
their streets
Fifty years old. maybe 49, Creek
more Is Of stout build, weighing close
10 2M pounds Kindly at heart, will
Ing always 10 Grant favor befriend
Ing many when In need, still Creek
more's personal appearance would
a cause cartoonists to select him as a
- l,. ha L. nj
legged TO have followed for 50 long In
this state that NJ defylng the laws
~ city. county, state and government
In order 10 pr0long the sale of intOXl
eating liquors In the oil district all
other forces combined have failed to
cope with his shrewdncss, cunning
ability and the remarkable political
machine that he has created Not any
NJ the most notorious pOlitical ma
chimes Of the nation could have given
the CreekmOre aggregation any point
crs during the past few years, aud they
might have fallen In comparison.
In this connection, II is learned from
man formerly In the business, tho
whisky which is sold in the oil field
district costs on nm average Of $50 a
case, exclusive Of drayage The man
who sells Il makes profit ~ about
Sl5, or he gets s85 for the case that
cost him $40 out of his profits he
must pay his draynge, rents, help and
other expenses. II is said. too that
he must then split the net profit fifty.
fifty, with the power that protects him
In his business
Is Working II Both Ways
The great fortue of "Bill" Greek
more, II Il charged, has been secured
from the great traffic In liquors. The
system, which IL said to be worked, Is
sort Of interlocklng directorate AZ.
fair. The men at It's head In add.
tiOn 10 controlling the traffic within
his supposed Jurisdiction, IL said also
10 represent certain wholesale whisky
and beer houses, and the men who are
protected IN the traffic must not han.
die any other brands. Every man EN-
ployed. clear along the line, IL under.
stood 10 be cog In the great ma.
chine. The head Of the system IL said
TO make q princely copmission ON the
whisky and beer sales, and then 10
addition TO share equally In the profits
that are made by the retailer. All men
employed are paid good salaries, suf
flcient, II is said, TO make Il an In
dncement for them to stick and be
loyal.
II has only been recently that the
long road seems TO have reached
turning, at last. IL began with the
conviction II Creekmore In the federal
court at McAlester, about n month ago,
and there are many people who believe
that this wns also the commencement
Of the end Of Creekmore's regime His
conviction wns followed, early this
month, with the assembling Of grand
Ilry at Sapulpa TO probe liquor mat
ters In particular. A 4 result county
officers have been indicted and aus
pended, many officials OF the oil field
towns have been "laid off" and a gen.
eral shaking up has been lnaugurated
The open bar rooms and the nam
moth gambling halls that have marked
the oil field district for several years
have attracted tho attention OF the on.
lire nation Visitors have come from
MI corners Of the world TO see them.
They have swarmed with men, night
and day. They were the result OF the
system, and whether the end has come
remains yet 10 bc determined Federal
Officers are said TO he acting under In.
structions from Washington, while the
attorney general OF the state Ia taking
an active hand IN the prosecutions.
The oil field district, with Its pay
roll always amounting TO many thou,
sands Of dollars daily, with It's army
ot men who have had only the bar
rooms and the gambling halls TO en-.
tprtain them and with ite husinesu In