The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-04-01
Legislature is Acting
on Investigations Mat
terS Before Quitting

Continued from Page One)
er grade. was $50 and that the com.
mittee had made a mountain out OF
it,"
Touching on that part of the report
which charged the state lost 1000
thrugh failure Of coal companies 10
complete their contracts with the board.
Dabnoy said numerous letters had been
scnt ont To the companies holding con-
tracts for q conference with the board
and representatives of railroads to see
what was wrong. The result. ace riding
TO pabney, was that the coal compan-
les charged they could not got the coal
mined ani that the railroad men said
they could not carry the coal if it
were mined, because of lack of trans
portation. With such situation the
floor leader declared. the board went
into the open market to purchase coal,
since several state institutions at the
time were in need of fuel. He declared
that a number of private companies
also had been forced to go into the open
market to purchase fuel.
In conclusion Dabney charged that
the evidence Of the committee carried
no weight, and there was mo actual
proof Of neglect of duty" on the part of
members of the board. He characterized
the board members as "old time Okla.
homanS who always held the confidence
OF their communities
Porter Newman democrat member of
the committee argued for adoption of
the report. He declared il wasn't the
purpose of the report TO condemn any
individual person or to take any spe-
cific transaction as a basis on which
10 bring charges. but that It was the
purpose 10 show the people of the
state how business was conducted by
the board of affairs and what losses
were resulting.
He referred 10 the coffee transaction
asserting that any one who would try
tc defend it pulled the rawest deal
he ever heard of in civilized country"
He charged that in acquisitions mailed
out only one brand Of coffee on which
contracts were to be made, was included.
He said II thus made it impossible for
any other company to submit bids.
Oklahoma City, April promptly
at 1880 the house took up the various
reports OF the Investigations committee
on special call. On motion of Porter
Newman, member Of the committee, the
house voted to take up first the report
dealing with the investigation Of the
executive and judicial departments, rel
ative TO the pardon granted to w. l..
(BilD Creekmore.
The report alleges that Senator r.
l.. Davidson in the capacity of acting
governor last summer, pardoned
bootlegger and notorious vioator of
the prohibition statutes"
Following adoption of the Newman
motion the clerk began reading the
charges.
The house adopted the report Of the
investigation committee relating to the
Creekmore pardon. Thereafter Porter
Newman moved that the report on the
board of affairs be adopted without
reading and debate started on the mo-
tion.
Creekmore, whose return to the pen
itentiary is ordered by the report adopt
ed by the house. was known as king
of the Bootleggers," and King of the
Big Six"
He was the alleged leader of a band
accused OF extensive operations in vio.
lation of the federal and state dry
laws. After being convicted on four
indictments charging infraction of the
United States prohibition laws govern
Ing territory occupied by Indians he was
sentenced to- two years in the federal
penitentiary at Leavenworth on Feb
ruary 27, 1919. He was released in Sep.
tember, 1919. Sentence was passed by
the late Ralph Campbell of Tulsa.
After returning to Oklahoma he was
convicted in the district court Of Ok.
lahoma county on u charge of violating
the prohibition law and sentenced to
the penitentiary from which he was
pardoned by X. l.. Davidson while act
ing Governor in the absence of Cover
nor Robertson and Lieut.. Governor NJ.
h. Trapp, The pardon was granted July
g. 1920.