The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-09
PASTOR TELLS
! OF ACTIVITIES
IN OIL Town
Evangelist Bean Writes Of
Some Lively Times in an
Oklahoma City.

some Lively lines IN an
Oklahoma City. al
The following unique, both In con-
struction, subject and in the fact that
the scenes narrated occurred in q
prohibition state, is from the Titus
Vile Herald.
The Rev. ]. NJ. Critchlow, who is
spending the winter at Lake Alfred,
Fla. has sent the Herald letter, re-
garding conditions at the oil town of
Writ, Okla, which will be OF interest
to readers Of this paper.
The writer OF the letter is the Rev.
Albert Bean, former Forest county
man, who went to the Healdton oil
field two years ago. Mr.. Critchlow
and his son, Walter S. Critchlow, built
MIR. Bean a little meeting house and
since that time the minister has been
working at Writ. r
Mob of Cut-tllroats.
Mr.. Critchlow says: ~ can per-
sonally bear witness that the Cushing
and Healdton oil fields have aggre-
gated the worst mob OF cut-throats,
bootleggers and gamblers ever saw
or read of-all of which makes me
thank God for Florida and Crawford
county,"
Mr.. Beans letter which is an unique
epistle, nevertheless fully substan-
tiates Mr.. Critchlow's opinion OF the
county around Writ. His letter fol-
lows:
Writ. Okla. Feb. IS, 1916.
To THE Rev. ]. NJ. Critchlow and
family, greetings:
MY dear brother in the Lord-This
leaves me in usual health and rich in
the things that make for my peace. /
have been abundant in labors since
coming here this time, especially
since the fire. You know the people
use their religion like life perservers,
only where there is a storm or fire
on. They pass the preacher up as a
parasite commonly, but IL they want
to get married. or be buried, or are
afflicted with bad wife, or are in
need. they hurrah for the old preach
er. See? So ! have been dumping
ground for all kinds OF trouble since
the fire. to hunt the poor and hungry
and see to all wants, and they are
plenty enough. Well, God gives me
grace for 1t all. Amen.
Oklahoma Hell.
Now, am going to give you pic
ture show, taking in the doing of per-
haps twenty days, and IL you smell
birthstone while you read 1t, then pity
me right here in the hell OF Oklahoma.
Picture No. IL found a dead man
in the church, died from tremens, and
was put in the church window. No.
Another man died the same morn
ing from two weeks drunk. No. g.
A man with wooden leg beat his
wife nearly to death, and had to be
run away in an auto to save a necktie
party No. A joint raided with
two men and one woman in It, and
afterward the house was burned, and
the woman burned In It. No. 5-A
one armed man ordered to throw up
his hands and as he only lifted one
hand, he was shot. No. GA gambler
swept the table and ran with the
money, but was overtaken, and beaten
until he was so paralyzed that he died.
l tried to pray for him, but no hope.
No. 1.-TWO hold-ups went into a point
and tried to holdup the game, but 1t
ended in two deaths, and another SER
iously wounded. No. S-Two men held
UP on the road and shot. No. o.
A man insisted on living with widow
woman. and his son thought not, and
the boy shot the renegade. No. 10
A man claiming he was married found
another man In his room and shot him.
No. ia drunken man began shoot
ing down the street. He shot down
at woman's feet. Some one asked
him why he did 1t. He said Just to
see her jump. Well. he met his Wat
erloo soon after. I went to see and
pray with him, but his hide was so
perforated with .3S caliber bullets
that don't think he would hold re-
ligion IL he had it. Well, have given
you an eleven reel show. and will
call recess now. The above all hap
pened within seven miles of Writ. and
much of 1t / saw. Oh. yes, today
there was a supposed suicide. went
to see him and pray with him, but
could not get him awake long enough.
He died at noon, and a man is ARRESTED
for his death.
House on Fire.
Now since / have led YOU UP grad
ually with the preliminary acts. will
open up and give an up to date show
Of another type. No. Friday morn
ing, January IA. People running past
my tent. Looking out l saw Rogers
house next to Crystal office on fire.
Everything lost. No. Saturday
morning at a. M. heard shooting,
calling and screaming. ran to my
tent door to see the end OF the town
next to the church, all on fire, and
the screaming was that OF a girl %
years old burning in it. oh. would
that might get away from the piteous
cry, but no, 1t is here yet. About
twelve Of the best houses in town
burned, and left the wicked part. The
poor girl was brought to the church
and tried to help her to God, but It
was too late. No. 3-Meanhwile there
were men fighting in the streets and
poking revolvers into each others ribs,