The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-07-27
Last Hour Summons Issued
in Case of Judge Charged
Taking Bribe in Tommy
Atkins Decision
PERSONS PROMINENT
STATE SUBPOENAED
STATE INTIMATES TESTIMONY
OF WITNESSES WILL BE OF
STARTLING NATURE; 1T
Is DECLARED

P. freezing, attorney general Of Ok
lahoma, in active charge Of the pros.
ecution, the stage was set for opening
the preliminary hearing here today Of
Judge Lucien 3. Wright of Sapulpa,
charged with having accepted bribe
Of ten thousand dollars in connection
with decision rendered recently in
the famous Tommy" Atkins oil land
litigation.
Attorneys for both sides had an.
nouncei informally their intention Of
proceeding with the hearing and more
than sixty witnesses, among them
several persons of statewide promi.
nence, had been subpoenaed.
The charge against Judge Wright
was filed by Attorney General Free
ling. It alleges that the judge was to
have received a total of one hundred
thousand dollars for his decision
which was rendered on May 81 last
and gave oil leases valued at upward
Of $1,000. 900 to c. Q. Lytle and others
Of Sapulpa The decision was against
the Charles Page interests Of Sand
Springs, Oklahoma, and others acting
as attorneys for Sallie Atkins, part
Indian woman who claimed she was
the mother Of Tommy Atkins, to
whom the land on which the leases
were held was originally allotted.
Witnesses appearing before Attor-
ney General Freezing prior to the fiji
ing OF the charges, declared the Page
interests held the leases under Minnie
Atkins, who also claimed to be the
Smother ef Tommy Atkins. whose name
appears in the membership rolls Of
the Creek Indian tribe. The case pre-
yiously was decided in favor of the
Page interests and the decision af-
firrned several months ago by the dis.
xrict court OF appeals. Later II was
Ye-opened
Judge Wright, who was arrested on
July IL, has asserted that he is inno-
cent Of the charge, and d. c. Nc.
Dougal, his chief counsel, has issued
statements declaring that the judge is
victim OF q "frame-up." Following
his arrest Judge Wright went to Hot
Springs. Ark. from which place he
has only recently returned.
Conflicting information as to the
time for starting the hearing caused
some Of the witnesses and attorneys
TO delay their arrival until later In
the day. Mr. MeIlhinny said A. W.
Piltz justice Of the peace, before
whom the hearing is to be conducted.
said this morning that all principals
in the case would be ready TO appear
at o'clock.
Attorneys for the state lntimated
that testimony TO be given by part
of the approximately sixty witnesses
who will be used will be of startling
nature Judge Wright according TO
his counsel the law firm OF Mo
Dougal 4 Lytle, will reiterate his
plea OF not guilty made July 10, when
he was arrested and released on slo,'
900 bond
Eleventh hour summons for addi'
tional witnesses for both sides were
sent Oh, last night,
Although Attorney General Freezing
was to conduct the states case, he
UaO HoN dNiANfA ANAos
Freeing Arrives In Sapulpa
sapulpa Okla. July ?1.--Judge Ben
Thompson OF Sapulpa and D Hayden
Lincbaush OF Muskogec. former Unit
I'd States district attorney, Will assist
IN the defense. It was announced to-
day by Judge wTights counsel. II Is
expected that one OF them viii opch
the case fof the accused Judge.
Predictions were freely made by
counsel for the defense before the
trial opened that there would never
b. case" but that IL there was II
would take week to hear the ties.
timony the defense is prepared to
introduce.
Attorney General Freezing, who will
lead the prosecution, arrived before
neon.