The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-07-02
Sam Cook Outlines Formation of
Gambling Trust; Two Houses
i. Operate and Split Profits
He Says.
S .YS AGREED TO PAY
SIMPSON $3.50 MONTH
L. Larson Tells Giving Amounts
to Prosecutor Emanuel Reed
Says He Paid Simpson
$50 Month.

The Oscar Simpson case progress
ed rapidly this morning. the session
being devoted to the taking Of tes-
timony of several of the self-con.
fessed members of the "combina-
tion" that operated here during the
time Oscar Simpson was county at
torney. az
Leonard L; -, on the stand, tes.
tilted in substance that he made
an agreement with Simpson that the
gambling combination would pay
Simpson $3.50 per month and that
the county attorney was not to III
stitute proceedings against them un
der the felony statute. The witness
further stated that he did pay Simp-
son the amount specified delivering
the currency to the county prosecu-
tor in the latters office. This prac-
tice was continued, the witness stat.
ed, from about June, 1917 to Febru-
ary, 1918.
others Testify.
Thad Turner, one of tho combina-
ton, stated on the stand that he
had not paid Simpson any monGy
but had given Larson money to give
to Simpson
Harry Block stated that he was
not a member of the combination
but had been employed by those in
terested to keep their books.
Emanuel Reed, notorious negro
charactr of Chickasha, on the stand
stated in substance that he had
made an agreement with Simpson
whereby Reed was to pay the county
attorney $50 per month for protec-
tion in the sale of liquor. The wit
ness stated that he had paid Simp-
son $50 each month from the time
the agreement was made until June,
when two cases were filed against
him for selling whiskey.
Reed said that he went to Simp-
son and asked him what he meant
by filing these cases and that the
prosecutor replied that he had to
have something to make his race
for reelection on and that he would
dismiss the cases after the time for
the filing of any possible opposition
Reed went on to say in substance
that he sold out his place in June
and wanted to go to Wichita, Kan.
and was told by Simpson that if he
was going to leave the town, he
would have to pay the prosecutor
$3.50 before the cases would be dis
missed, and that between the 10th
and 18th Of June, he did pay Simp
son $3.50, with the agreement that
the cases be dismissed after the pri
mary.
Yesterday afternoons session oi
the Simpson case opened with the pc
titioners placing on the stand sey
eral members of the Council of De
fense, Civic League and Grady Coun
ty Bar association, relative to the
agreement signed between Oscar
Simpson and the organizations. TIL
witnesses used in the afternoon were
f. NJ. Frey, c. Schlotterteck, A. L
Herr, F. NJ Bailey, Ager Melton
Adrian Melton, ]. D. Carmichael am
G. II, Evans.
The gist Of this te-tlm9ny, was tha
Simpson, Though his attorneys aske.
that a meeting Of the organization
mentioned be called, and at tha
meeting a proposition was submitte
that if the criminal prosecutor, fo'
lowing the Indictment by the gram
jury be dropped, he would resign hi
position as county attorney, Withdraw
from the ticket as a candidate to sue
ceed himself, leave the state and nov
er practice law in Oklahoma again.
Sam Cook on Stand.
Sam Cook was then callel to tn
stand and told his story of certli
games and proceedings that, he sta
ed, had been going on in Chickash
for years.
He told of entering into an agree