Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-16
Alfalfa Bill Murray
Dies in oklahoma at IS

/ OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct. is
William H. (Alfalfa Bid
Murray. Oklahoma's ninth Gov
Iernor who campaigned unsuc-
Icessfully for the 1882 Demo-
cratic presidential nomination,
died here yesterday.
/ The 86-year-old cigar chewing
pioneer was one Of the trainers
lof Oklahoma's constitution and
first achieved a major political
loffice in 1914 when he was elect
led to the United States House
Iof Representatives.
He died in a coma after a five
day battle against double pneu-
monia and the after effects Of q
stroke. He had been blind and
deaf for more than a year.
At his bedside at Mr.. Murray's
death were two Of his three sons,
former Oklahoma Gov. Johnston
Murray and Burbank Murray Of
Milwaukee.
Relatives said his body would
lille in State today in the Capitol
here, and at a funeral home in
Tishomingo, Okla, tomorrow,
Burial will be at Tishomingo, Mr..
Murray's home most Of his life,
tomorrow afternoon.
William Henry Murray was as
picturesque as the nickname by
which he was nationally known
Alfalfa Bill"
/ His enemies had another nick.
name for m--"Cocklebur
Bill" Sometimes he was re-
'Iferred to as 1.-THE Sage Of
i Tishomingo."
| He raised the first alfalfa in
1.-the Cherokee Nation and when
he made a speech on alfalfa
plants at a farm meeting in
Muskogee he was given the
nickname that stuck to him.
He was rather proud of it.
He was born on a farm near
Collinsville, Grayson County.
Tex, during a storm. November
81, 1869. His whole life was des-
tined to be stormy.
Struggling through poverty, he
attended school spasmodically
in a log house, later studying
nights, ran away from home and
eventually worked his way
Through college.
Restless Activities.
In his early, restless years. he
was at various times a cow
lpuncher, woodchopper, farmer,
bookseller, cotton picker, news
lpaperman, teacher, lawyer and
unsuccessful promoter of a plan
| to plant an American agrarian
colony in South America.
He had a flair for colorful
phrases. When he became Gov
ernor of Oklahoma in 1881, he
referred to the executive masion
as his ranch"
When he conducted his CAM
lpaign for the Democratic nomi-
nation for President at the 1882
Chicago convention that named
Franklin D. Roosevelt, his slogan
was Bread. Butter, Bacon and
Beans" He had the votes of
the Oklahoma delegation but
was showed under by Mr.. Roose-
welt.
His term as Governor was
lpunctuated by the tramp of
military boots as he frequently
called out the National Guard
to enforce his orders.
He summoned the troops to
open toll bridges on Red River
to the public. and to shut down
Oklahoma City oil field wells
until the crude price was in
creased.
Fire Bells Campaign
When the Legislature scuttled
his program in mid term, he att
tempted to go over its head by
initiating six measures. They
were defeated after he had
stumped the State in a fire
bells" campaign, so called be-
cause he had told the Legislature
he would ring the fire bells and
go to the people If 1t refused to
pass his measures.
After four stormy years he
yielded the governorship to tie
late E. w. Marland-under Okla
homa's constitution he could not
succeed himself-and retired to
a one-mule farm on Yashau
Greek. near Broken Bow.
But he was not long in retire.
ment. He emerged in 1886 as
Organizer Of an association for
economy and tax equality, an
nouncing the movement through
lfun-page advertisements in
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