Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-12-31
DISTRICT Court IL 1890

District court got down to business
Monday and commenced work on tho
criminal docket. The frs; case tried
was that of pcrcival Smith. charged
with murder in the first degree. 1t
was a clear case and but little effort
was made by the defense. Tho jury
was only out few minutes and re-
turned verdict of murder in the first
degree as charged and fixed the pen
atty at fine Of $25 and costs.
Five other murder cases were
heard Monday, resulting in four con-
vicitons with fines ranging from $3.50
to $500 and one acquittal.
Tuesday morning the case Of Samuel
Simkins was heard. The prisoner
was charged with having had a por-
ton of cigarette in his possession.
The jury brought in verdict of guilty
but on account of previous good con-
duct he was given light sentence,
the cnormity Of the offense being con-
sidcrcd- twenty-five years in the PEN
tiary AT hard labor.
Jonathan Edwards plead guilty to
having been absent from church with
out permission of the church commits
sion and was given five years and Il
fine of $1,000.
Thomas WinslOw and Bessie Alden
were tried for having taken a walk
together Sunday afternoon and were
each given two years in the peniten-
tiary. at hard labor.
Frank Bullard, who it will be re-
membered was caught by detectives
in the act of smoking a pipe in his
cellar, plead guilty and threw himself
Nn the mercy Of the court. After read
ang him a lecture the judge let him
off with life sentence in the peni-
tentiary.
Several other cases Of Sunday VIC.
lations were continued until next
term Of court and the case Of the
State Of Oklahoma W. William Sla-
fers was taken up. This case is still
',n trial. Skaters is charged with
having permitted an apple in his pos
session to have become partially de-
tayed. thereby generating alcohol. An
analyst, of the apple in question
showed traces Of alcohol. The Prose
cutting Attorney in opening the case
arraigncd the unhappy prisoner in
Scathing terms and demanded the
death penalty. There is considerable
sympathy for Skaters aS he has IA wife
with whom he has been living for
nearly two years and such unusual
conjug;,l love il rarely met with.
Now that everybody Who is en-
ployine help Is talking about reducing
wage, why in thunder don't someone
start an agitation for II reduction of
the wages Of sin?
The return of King Constance and
his Hun queen to Greece and the re-
ccption accorded him is about on pa,
with the return of Clara Smith t'
Ardmorc and the cnthuSia Sic wei
come accorded her.
The make editor has not been ir
favor of nflcting very heavy punish
ultut VA t1illitii, Ipi iIit i'tN''
that Hamon probably deserved kill
ing, but she tn, h,ratcns now to writ,
a book, therefore the $. q. must re
wise his original opinion and he il
in favor of having sentence passe'
before she can carry out her d",iEi
and commit the new crime sh" mcdi
tates.
The United States DepartmcI O
Agriculture is authority for the state
ment that Florida has no native nut
except the c0coanut. Florida is to b
Congratulated if this be true, whic
is extremely doubtful. Oklahom
has plenty and will have several dii
ferent varieties on exhibition at til
State Capitol after the first Tuesda
following the first Monday in ncS
month.