The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-07-19
DEFENSE CALLS
GUSTAFSON F Or
HIS TESTIMONY
Chief GustafsOn Claims He
Spent Most of His Time
With the Detectives
During the Riots
CLAIMS ON ALERT
DURING THE RIOTS
SAYS PERSUADED NEGROES AND
WHITES TO DISPERSE WITHOUT
SERIOUS TROUBLE DURING
EARLY EVENING

Tulsa, Okla, July l9.--John A. Gus.
tafson, chief Of police, on trial for mis-
removal from office from which he is
new suspended, took the stand in mis-
own defense today, He is charged with
failure to prevent the race riot and
with part in a police conspiracy to
permit automobiles to be stolen TO pro.
cure insurance and rewards. Three
other counts against him have been
dropped. One charging extortion by tho
use of his own detective agency for
services the police should have ren.
dered was ruled out by the court
early in the trial, and the other two
charging failure to abate vice and stop
liquor selling were dropped yesterday
when the state announced it would
offer no evidence on them.
The chief testified he was constant
ly on the alert during the riot doing
what he could to stop the outbreak.
He said ne had received warnings as
early as 3 o'clock in the afternoon
that there might be an attempt to
lynch Dick Rowland, a negro held for
alleged assault on a white girl, from
police commissioner ]. NJ. Adkison.
In describing his conduct on the
night of the riot, Chief Gustafson
said he spent most of the time between
7:30 and the time Of the outbreak driv-
ing about with Chief of Detectives
Do rA t4ak 81.
The time of the occurrence was un-
fortunate, he said, because it was at
the end Of the month when the officers
were changing shifts. He said there
were few men at the station at any
one time and they did what they
could to dsarm negroes.
After two trips to the courthouse,
the chief said he came back to the sta
ton and about 8 o'clock received re-
ports that the negroes were arming
in the negro district. On his first trip
TO the courthouse at 1880 the chief
said he saw a small crowd and 1t seem.
ed to be made up OF spectators. At 5
o'clock on the second visit, he said
the crowd was larger but he saw no
guns, heard no talk of a mob, or any
disturbance and noticed many women
and children there. With the conclu-
sion Of its evidence against the chiel
on an automobile theft conspiracy
count the state announced late yester.
day that II would not present evidence
bearing on the charges of failure tc
abate vice and prevent liquor selling
brought against the police. A charge o,
extortion through his private detective
agency was ruled out earlier in the
trial The states case is now confined
to alleged failure to prevent the race
riot and the automobile count on which
II has rested.
Commissioner of Police j. NJ. Adki-
son was the first witness yesterday FOR
the defense. He said that Chief Gus
tafson was busy on the night Of the
riot dispatching his men to quell the
outbreak. He said the crowd Of whites
that gathered at the court house was
assembled out OF curiosity and was not
filed. The trouble occurred, the com.
missioner said, when the armed ne
groes invaded the downtown district
He stoutly defended the acts and con-
duct of the chief throughout his tes
timony.
on hearing OF the negroes arming
the chief said ne and captain George
II. Blaine drove to the court house
for the third visit about 9 o'clock
Finding large tNowd Of whites ant
some armed negroes the chief said
he and Blaine disarmed one Negro
gave the gun to sheriff Mccullough
and discussed the situation, finally de
Gliding "it would be suicide to start
fight on account Of the great number
Of women and children present.
II was decided that "the only thing
possible was to persuade the GROVE
to leave peaceably." the chief added.
Continuing the chief said:
For the next few seconds, PLEADED
with the whites and negroes alike tC
leave and prevent trouble. l assured
the whites that the town would be pro
tected and told the negroes that Row
land would not be lynehed. The aher
M was doing the same thing. | cav
no guns among the white people a
that time. induced number o.
negroes on the sidewalks to leave.