Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-12-01
TULSA MAN HELPED TO.
MOVE OKLAHOMA SEAL
Swiping OF the Great Seal OF State In
1910 Accomplished in Dead OF
Night by Langley and Others.
TIED AROUND MANS WAIST
Governor Price Toted 1t, But Langley
Tied the Knot and Helped In Plot
10 Curry Out Hnskcll's Advice.

who carried the great seal OF the
state Of oklahoma from Guthrie and
who Kept il in his possession after II
reached oklahoma City?
Three or four different stories have
been told about the mysterious" dis
appcNranCe Of the seal from the sec
retary Of states office in Guthrie on
one Of those exciting DAYS In 1910
glen the citizens OF oklahoma. upon
reading their papers each morning
looked first to s7e n the capital was
located In the same city as on the day
before
Newspaper correspondents who
were In Guthrie or Oklahoma City
AT that time knew exactly where the
seal was reposing and all the par
tiCulars Of its remarkable escape"
from Guthrie, but since the public is
sometimes better satisfied to have the
word Of others to reinforce the state
ment Of "A man who was there, in
fact. the statement OF the man who
plotted the kidnapping of the great
seal, can be taken at its face value.
Fred G. Langley, now auditor In
the Tulsa county engineers office.
was i'm charge OF the lease division
Of the state school land department
during the period in which the state
was trlfncking in capitals. He is
one Of the very few men holding
state positions at that time who will
swear that he voted but once on the
question Of capital removal. At any
rate, those were exciting days and
in June, 1910, on the night OF the
election. Governor Haskell was in
Tulsa. on his way back to oklahoma
City from MuskoEee where he had
voted Here In Tulsa, the governor
found out that Oklahoma City had
won" the capital election. II is said
that he was not at all surprised.
From Tulsa. he telephoned Fred
Langley at Oklahoma City instruct
ing him to get the seal OF the state at
Guthrie and take it to Oklahoma
City.
Guthrie was being patrolled by
armed men, who had been commits
stoned by Mayor FarquRrson. to pre-
vent the removal OF the state records
20 Oklahoma City. Langley knew
that the removal OF the seal couldn't
be accomplished without trouble. He
secured high powered automobile
at Oklahoma City and accompanied
by W b. Anthony, Governor Has
kelrs secretary and Governor"
Price made a quick drive TO Guthrie.
Arriving there late In the evening.
they hunted up Earl Keyes, former
Tulsa newspaper man who had the
keys to the secretary OF states Of
flee and proceeded to the state house.
There KeyeS took the seal out OF the
vault and handed IL to Langley. In
the meantime Price had peeled off
his coat and Langley, who had pro-
vided himself with some stout cord,
ran II through a hole in the lever.
tied the cord about Prices waist and
suspended the seal from the back.
The seal was hidden beneath
Prices trousers. Anthony, Price and
Langley then walked out of the
building expecting trouble, but since
they carried nothing in their hands,
the guards permitted them to pass.
once in their automobile, the
driver was told to lose no time In
reaching oklahoma City. About five
minutes after their departure. a girl
who had been employed as clerk In
the secretary OF states office, told
the sheriff OF Logan county that the
seal OF the state had been stolen and
that the thieves" were on their way
TO Oklahoma City. The sheriff set
out In pursuit in his high powered
automobile, but Barney Oldfie ID
couldn't have overtaken that party Of
official bandits. They we're in Okla
home City, the seal was hidden away
IN Bill Anthony's desk and the Of
tlcial bandits had eaten their dinner
before the Logan county posse got
lair start. sFhe seal thereafter re-
NAMED in the custody of the men
close to Governor Haskell with Bill
anthony always in possession or the
password which led to II.
Again on December 81, 1910, Lang
ley Inquired in a government moving
plot The injunction which had
restrained the state officials from re-
moving the state records from
Guthrie 10 Oklahoma City was lifted
that day,
On the night OF December 81,
Langley, who was in Guthrie, re-
CeNed another telephone message
from Governor Haskell who was in
oklahoma CITY. December 81, 1910,
lei on a Saturday.
Fred, want you to have your
records down here in Oklahoma CITY
oy Monday morning" the governor
told Langley.
Governor, l don't see how 1t can
De DONE Langley replied.
by God, | want them here Mon
uSy morning." haskell came back.
BY God, they'll be there" Lang
"y shouted over the phone.
There wasn't box or crate to
De had In Guthrie. No one wanted
20 sell anything which wouIu aid in
any way in taking the capital TO OK
'HAom1 City. Finally Langley rustled
up some timber and rough crates
were made for the records of the
sChooi .and department.
IL developed that other depart
Ih'hts OF the state government had
.eceIFed the same Instructions and
"hen everything was packed no one
""d taken the trouble to secure any
it' rnt cars in which to haul the rec
T.uS 10 Oklahoma City. Finally
langley hunted out the agent for the
santa Fe railroad.
! want II freight cars, an engine
ga ca ooose to haul the records OF
80. ~ state OF Oklahoma to oklahoma
ny he told the agent.
III have them in half an hour"
1ne agent promised.