The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-19
Innocent Youth
Under Influence
Became a Bandit

Special to The world.
TAHLEQUAH,-ACCOrding 20 cit
liens OF the Park Hill neighbOrhood
the man killed near Bighcart re-
Gently and referred 10 in press dis
patches as Henry Moigs, was the son
OF one OF tho oldest and most re-
spected citizens OF this section. Tho
mans name, however, was Silas
MeiEs and IL seems 10 be an almost
general impression IN and about
Park lin that the troublous career
which ended in the 'Osage hills few
days ago was the result of Meigs
having been made the goat" when
tried in the United States court
years ago whom he was mere boy,
II was while the old Park Hin mis-
sion was yet I'm operation as also
was a mission called the Elm Spring
school, near tho present hamlet of
yelling. Tho teachers In the schools
had their quarters in rooms near by
ana some finger rings and small
sums Of money were taken while the
teachers were absent az church scrv-
Ices at night. IL developed that the
MeigS boy, a young and simple
minded fellow who suffered from
mental defect from his childhood,
had entered the houses and secured
the jewelry and money, not OF his
own free will, but because an older
person had located the treasures and
| induced Meigs TO become his .ol
in effocting the robbcrics. The case
was brought up I'm the United states
court and Mcigs was sentenced 10
serve a term I'm the roformatory at
BoonVille, Mo, or until Of legal age.
| The person responsible for his dCrC-
LECTION and trouble was never mo-
Tested and that fact caused the youth
to feel that he had been imposcd
upon and he planned to leave the re-
formatory, which he did, arriving at
| home some months after having
been committed 10 the suporintcud-
cnt Of the institution. Ho was taken
back TO BoonVlle, but escaped again
within short time and again re-
turned home. This time he was not
sought by the authorities and spent
several years in farming and me-
chanical work and was married
while quito young. Unfortunately
for the young man he would at times
engage in card playing with the
Park Hin bunch" and as result
got into very serious trouble.
ON a night several years ago when
the assistant postmaster OF Park
Hill and others were returning from
card playing in tho woods northeast
of Park Hin, they were held up
near the site OF the old Cherokee
female seminary and the money
carried by the assistant postmaster
taken. In the dim and uncertain
light of Pickering lantern carried
by the sports" the men engineer
ing the hOldup were said to have
been revealed as Meigs and n man
named Nave. Meigs denied that he
was implicated and stated that ne
was I'm the vicinity OF his home at
the hour OF tho robbery. Ho, how
ever, had been an object of suspi-
cion ever since he had served a por-
tion of his term in the reformatory,
ana now he was hcralded as a most
bold and determined outlaw and
| bad man. lie was convicted and
sentenced TO serve IA years in tho
state penitcntlary longer term
than that usually accorded TO bank
! robbers. The other man got off
with 12 years and is yet in prison,
| but Mcigs. because of good behavior,
got n parole and returned home
within two years, but soon found
that he was, as before. a pronounced
| object Of suspicion After some
months he was i'm Tahlequah ono
AIAbAA anu WIS lllNuNtu ny u tUdnte
acquaintance to go with him TO Ar
kansas for some whisky. 1t soon de-
| veloped that the automobile did not
| belong to the man extending the in
vitation to go to the neighboring
| state, but that II was the property
| OF another. Officers arrested the
| two mon and upon being tried Mcigs
| received a fivc-ycar sentence while
| the other man got off with one
year. Feeling that he had been
| 'railroadod" TO tho penitentiary
/ again and with II years staring him
/ in the face Melgs was taken back
| to McAlester, and is said to have
| Confided to a friend that in the
event he decided TO make his escape
he would die before he would sub
init to arrest and return to the
| pcnitentiary.
During last summer intelligence
/ was received that Meigs had made
/ his getaway from the penitcntiary.
but he never returned TO his home
| neigh hborhood and no one had any
| knowledge as TO his whereabouts
| until a message arrived Saturday
| night to the effect that he had been
! killed while resisting arrest.