The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-08-10
Mortimer Willing to Change OF Venue
For Accused Governor He points
Out In Statement; Charges
Reviewed.
GOVERNOR IS GIVEN
LIBERTY UNDER BOND
Arrest Occurs at Executive Mansion
After Hours OF Waiting On Part
OF Sheriff and Squad OF His
Deputies.
by United Press.

BY United Press.
Springfield. ILL.,. Aug. Estates At
torney Mortimer today offered Gov
ernor Lon Small. arrested yesterday
by Sheriff Mester on three warrants
charging embezzelment and the Jug
Cling OF state funds. change OF
venue.
In his statement the states attor.
ney reviewed each step Of the case
with q renewal OF the charges that
Governor Small. when state treas.
urer. embezzeled 100000 OF the
states funds and offered to agree
with the governors counsel for a
change of venue to some other
county.
Governor Small resisted arrest for
several weeks on the plea OF eve
cutive immunity and protested TO the
last that he was innocent. lrNer his
return 70 the capitol here, deputy
sheriffs besieged the statehouse
but II was not until the sheriff
personally took a hand and pressed
the case that the governor was
finally placed under arrest yester-
day.
Through Attorney General GILES.
pie, his counsel. Small made Wig.
orous effort to get the sheriff to
accept bond of $4,000 and not
take the governor into custody, but
the sheriff stood pat and effected
the arrest. taking the governor to
the states attorneys office where he
posted a bond of $4,000 and was re-
leased pending his hearing.
When the sheriff went to the capt.
tol to perform his duty as directed
by Judge Smith of the county court
Governor Small. attended by several
advisors, was in his office and re-
fused to come out at the sheriffs re-
quest The sheriff then placed depu-
ties around the building to block
egres of the governor and sat down
in the lobby to smoke until the chief
officer OF the commonwealth should
decide to emerge.
He announced that he had the ad.
vantage of the besieged man because
he had taken precautions to eat his
luncheon before he invested the cap
iiol and laughingly remarked that he
had little else except the arrest o.
the governor to occupy his time.
The governor finally sent out word
u couple of hours after the luncheon
hour, that the sheriff .might come
into his office and serve the war.
rants, but the officer declined say.
ing he was in no hurry and would
prefer to make the arrest outside to
avoid any technical charge of inter-
rupting executive business.
This attitude of the sheriff was in
pursuance of the attitude adopted
from the time the indictments were
returned July 20.
Crowds gathered around the state
house in the afternoon and there was
a holiday appearance within the
structure as flashlight bombs explod
ell and the high rotunda filled with
smoke. But the governor kept at
work in his office. sending out two
lists of appointments during the
siege.
As the shadows of Lincoln monu
ment in the capitol yard grew long
under the declining sun the chief
executive finally sent out word that
he would surrender to the county Of
ficer at the executive mansion at 5
O'Clock If it could be arranged to
give bond at oonce. The capitulation
was acceptsH by oMester who with
drew under the truce with his troop
Of deputies.