The Mena weekly star., 1922-02-16

Oklahoma City, Feb. 11.-White shrouded figures, two thousand strong. passed thru the streets here tonight. They followed the flaming cross, emblem of the ''iryisible em- pire," and marched in silent compan- ies of one hundred men each. There was no hostile demonstration. Be- tween 50,000 and 60,000 people crowd ed the streets to view the parade.
 Okmulgee, Ok, Feb. 11.-In a net work of tangled banking finances, said to involve the highest officials in the state as well as prominent local men, Okmulgee tonight is seeking justice.
 Moreover, Okmulgee is going to have justice if there is any way to ob- tain it. The faith of thousands is shaken in the courts and the question on the lips of almost everybody here tonight is Will the guilty be pun ished or wifi high influence prevail?
 The temper of this community is better told in a telegram sent tonight to Judge H. R. Christopher who. Thursday, dismissed a grand jury which was about to vote indictments.
 Invited Not to Return. Judge Christopher was told point blank that any attempt on his part "to reconvene the grand jury or to call another at this time would be unwise."
 Tfia message was in answer to one sent by the judge earlier in the day to James Hepburn, county attorney, of fernig to return to Okmulgee and re- convene the grand jury he so suddenly dismissed. Judge Christopher is in Covie, Ok, hundred miles away. Until heard from today his where abouts had been unknown since Thursday, when he suddenly disap- peared. The report is he fled fearing for his personal safety because of the demonstration of the Ku Klux Klan Thursday night.
 Bitterness Shown at Meeting.
 The undenied sentiment is that the presence of Judge Christopher here is not desired.
 Tell him not to come back was the way A. F.. Graham, attorney, ex- pressed his views at a meeting of bar members at the court house today.
 My money is in the bank and he's helping them get away with it." was the statement of another. Other law yers, however, while condemning the jurist, said that no such warning as MT. Graham suggested, should be sent. The idea, it was agreed, should be given the judge, but couched in differ ent language.
 Members of the bar found that, as legal proposition, the discharged grand jury could be reimpaneled, but l added that there were too many chances of technicalities being raised and that any indictments that would be voted might be invalidated. The probability of reimpaneling the old grand jury was given the most severe blow by Gordon Clark, foreman of the jury. Clarks appeared at the meeting of the lawyers. County Attorney Hepburn introduced Clark.
 Foreman Wouldn't Serve Now.
 "I wouldn't call him Judge Chris topher," said Clark, with feeling "You men are charitable to apply that title. If he is permitted to come back would refuse to serve. I'd 20 to jail first, and i might add that I believe that is the opinion of other members of the jury"
 Whether Judge Christopher will att tempt to return after receiving the message is an unanswered question.
 A new grand jury will be summoned Monday by Judge Mark l.. Bozarth of the district court County Attorney Hepburn made the statement tonight that no attempt would be made bs his office to place evidence of the failure of the Bank of Commerce before the grand jury before February 27
 On Eve of Indictments.
 The dismissed grand jury had about concluded hearing evidence and had ordered indictments drawn when Judge Christopher suddenly discharg- cd the Investigating body Thursday. Judge Christopher explained his sud- den action by saying that the jury had been drawn illegally Dismissal of the jury provoked demonstration of the Ku Klux Klan, who, in a parade, called on public officials "to do their duty"
 Hepburn said tonight that all of the evidence in his possession concerning the bank failures would be placed be- fore the new jury.
 There IS not to be any let-down by the county attorneys office,' said Mir. Hepburn. Everything that 1 have, regardless of whom it affects, will be given the jury"
 High Officials Involved.
 Ie name or dOFeFupr J, A. h. Robertson and other high state affi- cials frequently are mentioned in the many discussions heard on every hand
 Twenty indictments had been pre- pared by the county attorney for the grand jury to vote on as result of evidence relatives to the Bank of Commerce failure. The names of Governor Robertson and Fred G. Dem his had been mentioned. The county attorney is authority for the state ment that there would have been in dictments of high state officials ad the jury been permitted to complete its work.
 Many of the indictments would hove accused officials receiving deposits for an insolvent bank, conspiracy and