The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-02-06
charges come
after Second
BOOZE SEARCH
Druggist Claims He Ha1
Paid Chief For Protection
Since 1917-Will Answer
in Time Says Hignight.
INJUNCTION CASE
SET OVER AGAIN
Police and County Officers
Find Lots of Liquor in House
Claim Key Paid Rent.

Charges that Chief of Police Hie.
night had received payment for
protection since 19l7"; u second
arrest OF Gus A. Key. proprietor
OF the Diamond "a" drug store
by police officers and another
posiponement of the Injunction
case against the drug store in
question. are the outstanding fea.-
lures OF the Keys case which
broke into prominence when ef.
iorts were sought TO have the
drug store closed by city and
county authorities Saturday.
The charges made against Chief
Iiignight came in the form of
circular issued by Key himself.
II wish Ia let the public know
in general how 1 stand and why
l make this statement. I have paid
w. R. Hignight for protection,
since 1917 and l was asked TO fur.
iiish this statement by one Of the
commissioners for the city and they
all told me they wanted TO deal
square with me and ] come clean
with them and explained every.
thing in detail" he declared.
In answer to the charges, Chief
Hignight declared that il WINS
merely personal grudge and that
he would talk when the time came.
Injunction Case postponed
In district court this morning, hear.
ing on petition asking Injunction
closing the Diamond A drug store Of
which Key is proprietor, which is be-
ing sought by the city of Ardmore
through the state ex rel James IT.
Mathers, county attorney. was post.
poned until Saturday, it was an.
nounced
1t is understood that the city asked
posiponement SO that some material
witnesses could be summoned. g.
Key. with his attorney, was in the
court room, when the case was called
before Judge Thomas W. Champion.
In n verbal statement, Key denied the
allegations made in the petition, and
took offense at the wording Of same.
saying that it cast reflections upon
the patrons of this drug store
Distributed Circulars
Tho printed circulars bearing the
signature of Gus Key was distributed
on the streets BY small boys Sunday.
That part dealing with alleged raids
on his drug store, IL as follows:
"On Wednesday. February 1st 1872,
my store was raided by four city and
five county deputy officers without
their finding of any violation OF the
law. again on Saturday. February 4th.
another raid was made with no eyl.
dence against my place. Following
the raid Immediately. they ordered my
place closed and attempted TO place
an injunction thereon. but same fail
ed to stick on account oc insufliciesit
evidence and lack of law 10 warrant
the Injunction. ! have always tried to
do my part by every man, woman and
child and paid my bit at everything
| took part in"
Police Raid Place
When Chief Of Police Hignight and
Officer "Bill' Moorehead raided a va.
cant house in the northeast section
Of town ,thirty-one gallons of corn
liquor and five gallons Of jamaica
ginger, a number Of empty kegs and
bottles and filling apparatuses were
confiscated and turned over TO Depu.
ty Sheriffs Wright and Cowles.
Several hours later Gus Key. drug.
glst. and Carey Smithers, young man
who Is employed by Key at the Dia.
mond A drug store were arrested or
charges of unlawful possession and
confined in the county Jail nearly all
afternoon, until bond could be ar.
ranged
According TO Chief Hignight The
house is owned by j. II .Smithers.
said to be a relative Of the young
man who was arrested. That the place
had not been occupied In some time
was evidenced by the appearance. OF.
ficcrs said that liquor and other arti.
cles had not been in the place for
very long, and II was their belief that
such property was owned by Keys,
who they say rents the house from
Smithers.
Key, In the presence OF County At.
torney James II. Mathers and several
others at the court house this morn.
ing, denied ownership OF the liquor:
denied knowing anything about IL;
denied knowing about the house, who
Il was owned by or who was supposed
to be renting 1t.
Young Smithcrs. according TO Key.
has been living at the Key home for
more than a year and his conduct has
been beyond reproach and has never
done anything that would cause his
arrest
According to officer Moorehead. who
lead the way TO the house. a report
was made to police OF shooting In that
section Of the city late Saturday night
Going 10 the scene. he found car
tracks and followed them 20 the va
cant house. Two doors OF the house
were locked, but he made entrance
by using skeleton key.
In the attic OF the house. the n
quor and paraphernaiia was dlscovered
Moorhead returned TO town and called
chief Hignight who accompanied him
to the scene. any whv later turo>od
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