Arizona republican., 1917-08-04
|S
 CAUSE IF
 VIOLENCE
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 3.-Groups of men. numbering probably 400 in the aggregate, have armed themselves and were gathering in several places in south central Oklahoma tonight pre- pared to resist forcibly their selection as soldiers under the draft law Dis covery by officials late tonight of the | existence of a new band who are thought to have established a base | near Shawnee, a few miles south of | this city. has increased the anxiety of state officials as to the probability of confining the agitation within the five counties already affected
 At the direction of Governor Will Hams, who hesitates to use national guardsmen against the men, hundreds of armed civilians have concentrated in Seminole, Hughes, Pontotoc,. Okmul- gee and Pottawatomie counties and will make an effort at dawn tomorrow to | arrest the registers.
 According to late reports to Coy ernor Williams, one of the bands has located near Sasakwa, another is at Holdenville, another at Wewoka and the last heard from had gathered at Rock Crossing, on the South Canadian river.
 Aeitator We'll Armed Several arrests have been made of men charged with resisting the draft throughout the affected localities, and one, q socialist agitator, was arrested at Holdenville when it was discovered he was carrying a grip filled with am munitiOn. Sheriffs of the five counties have informed the governor that the situation is out of their control and state officials await with anxiety the outcome of the attempt by civilian posses to arrest the men tomorrow. The bands are composed for the most part Of negroes. Indians and farmers who are tenants on the lands held by the government in trust for Indians ] It has not been determined what in- | fluence is behind the movement | Bands of negroes, tenant farmers and Indians whose purpose is to de- | feat the selective draft law in Okla | homa, have terroriZed three counties in 1 the central part of the state, partly de- i stroyed two bridges, abandoned their l crops. severed wire communication and | planned raids on ranches and stores, according to reports received by Gov ernor Williams.
 Late today it was undecided whether to send national guardsmen to quell the | disturbance or to organize civilian companies, familiar with the country, which is rugged and choked with un- | derbruSh
 ! A representative from the governors ! office who has just returned from Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc coun- :, ties, where the various bands are op- erating, recommended the latter plan and suggested that the men should be | heavily armed and instructed to shoot to kill" Sheriffs and prosecuting at 1 torneys in each of the counties are l forming posses in an effort to forestall I a 1 In eral bodies, the strongest of which is known as the Working Class Union, with a membership of 300 This organ ization is said to be supplemented by l. w. w. leaders and smaller group known as the "Jones Family"
 Seminole County Center Seminole county seems to be the center of the disturbance. Trouble has been brewing since the passage of the draft law Many tenant farmers of the county have turned their stocks into growing fields, killing some of the cat tie for food. Holders of mortgages on both stocks and crops appealed to Sheriff Grail who with Deputy Sheriff Cross was fired on from ambush late yesterday while conducting an investi- gation. Deputy Cross suffered light wounds.
 | The railroad bridge crossing the SOuIn Gd1du uldn IlNeG between and Ada was damaged either by dyna- mite or fire early today and all wire communication into Francis cut off.
 Almost at the same time a Missouri
 Pacific trestle near Gore was dyna-
 mited, but not materially damaged
 Four suspects have been arrested.
 Twenty civilians with arms and am- munition, were sent to Holdenville and Wewoka tonight by Adjutant General
 Earp, following apepals from the sheriffs in these places. Guardsmen
 would be used only as last resort, the adiutant general said.
 Long distance messages from Hold
 enVille reported that about 1,200 riot
 CTS were assembled near Okmulgee.
 The adjutant general ordered Captain
 Donahue to take a dozen civilians and
 a hundred rifles and report at once to
 the sheriff at Okmulgee.
 Armed Force Starts Out . MUSKOGEE, Okla, Aug. 3.-One
 hundred armed men with large supplies
 of ammunition left Okmulgee on spe- l cial train tonight for the scene of the f anti darft riots in the southern part [ of the state. The call for men come from SaskaWa. ~sl The rioters desire, according to dis x patches from the scene of the trouble.
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