The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-12-28
by JOHN GOEDBlE
(ln the State RegistS)

There stopped for a day in Guth-
! rie this week Leo Yates OF DalHr.
{ Texas whose father worked on the
New York Tribune with one w. L
( Thompson. who started one OF the
| newspapers in Guthrie The Daily
| News-lhe first day April %, 1859.
This recalls one OF the most ro-
mantle and erratic frec-lance news
! paper men that Oklahoma produced
! in those early days Columns could
bc written about him, "A full novel;
with cloth binding could hardly do
| justice to him. OF all the heteroge-
( neous. irresponsible character that
| driftei In the maelstrOm OF that
| lurid crowd that made the original
run into Oklahoma, he was the
/ greatest lie was drunken genius
with the pen. No man could write
like him. Besides n born talent. he
had had great experience AZ "A news
paperiuan He worked under Hor-
ace Grcely on the New York Trib-
unr When Whitelaw Reed sue
ce~ded 20 the edltorship. after the
death OF Greeley, he "ratted" the
office OF the old style writer's and
compositors, while Reed went to
England In order not 10 be held re-
sponsible for the changes.
Booze Forced Him Down.
But drink was his curse. New
York was not too large in those days
for this bibulous genius to raise la
bor riots and strikes among the
printers. He was conspicuous enough
to count as n power even In as large
city as New York And so the
newspapers schemcd TO get rid or
him. by Arrangements with Doctor
Munford. then the editor or the
Kansas city Times. he was trans
ferred 10 a good position on that
paper Then Doctor Monford. at
the opening OF Oklahoma got rid or
him by equipping small plant FOR
him to come to Guthrie and start
newspaper. He did He issued the
Daily News. which ran for some
four or five years. and IN IN" mean
time made "A lurid streak across the
state by roasting everybody with
in private and public life. And what
romantic "roasts' they were. Rabe-
lei. Boccaocio. the queen OF NeNair,
Reverend Stern flung no such nasty
pen. 1t fairly ooZcd yellow and car
mine and painted virgin and nymph-
omaniac, debauche and saint in col
ors that shriekeh to heaven.
He was the terror of the cheap
politician, the church hypocrite and
the plous fraud. The only ones he
spared were the lowly and the fall
en- lie had the natural sympathy
for such. He was one OF them. They
had trodden the winepress OF degen-
crate failure together.
But as with all such men, the day
OF reckoning came. There was IA
time when he had roasted all the
powerful, friend and foe, who made
success In business and had money
to help him. His plant was fore
closed and he walked turkey" out.
OF town He went 10 st Louis. aud
for q time ran a job printing Office.
Then he was heard OF having stabbed
an inmate OF confederate soldiers
home. In Missouri. where he was
guard. He ran away and next he
turned up In confederate home,
either In North or South Carolina.
Here he still is. unless dead.
But the early dayers Will never
forget w. L. Thompson. He had
everybody scared with long Colts
gun, for he pretended to be killer.
hut when one day n prominent pub
lie man wrenched IL from him and
attempted to Kill him with his own
gun IL wouldn't go off,. the bullets !
He was = swarthy man, with long. |
BACK hair down his nook which he !