St. Paul recorder., 1962-03-23
Wisconsin Town
Aroused Because
Resident Weds Neqrc

]
circumstances, has become the
subject of official inquiry and
personal villification.
Though Frank A. Oskey, 49,
year-old trucker, denies he was
responsible for the death of his
wife, Mary, AZ, he has been sub
poenaed to appear before a coron-
er's jury which plans a full in
, vestigation of the case.
Meanwhile, the former Mrs. Ann
Scurry, a 34-year-old Negro Mil
waukean who is the new Mrs.
Oskey has refused to talk to re-
porters or permit herself to be
photographed.
Denied a marriage license when
they first applied for one on Jan.
Is, before Mrs. Oskey's death.
Oskey and Mrs. Scurry reapplied
and got a license on Feb. 16, and
were married Feb. IT, after OBJ
tanning a waiver of the five-day
waiting period.
The death of Mrs. Oskey on
Jan. %. was attributed to an
overdose of barbiturates, suppos-
edly self-administered.
The racial angle of the case has
been highlighted because, no Ne
gro is known to be a resident of
this city of 48,411 population. The
1860 federal census showed one
Negro male resident, but persons
living here claim not to know of
him.
Detective Sgt. Donald Paulie,
one of the police officers investi-
eating the death, said that as far
as he knew there are no Negroes
living in Appleton.
II want you to understand that
I, personally, am not prejudiced, d"
Paulie said But in this communi-
ty it could constitute a problem. /"
He said that Mrs. Scurry was
known to have been in Appleton
at least once since she married
Oskey in Milwaukee Feb. IT.
There is bound to be a prob
lem" the officer said. Il don't
think he'd bring her here to live"
Another Appleton official, who
did not want to be quoted, said
sarcaStically that there were some
people in Appleton who had want
ed to bring Negroes into the COM
munity and that those people
probably would consider Oskey
hero.
In an interview at her home,
Mrs. Catherine Oskey, 72, mother
of the trucker, with her two
other sons present, asked:
Why Frank had applied for a
license to marry a Milwaukee
woman seven days before Mary
died.
After Mary died, how Frank
could marry again so soon-less
than a month after Marys death.
Why Frank, white man, would
marry a Negro.
Mrs. Oskey said that no one in
the family knew about Franks
relationship with Mrs. Scurry until
about Feb. II or 19, when Franks
sister in Milwaukee called and
said she had seen a marriage lie
ense application for Frank and
Mrs. Scurry in the newspaper.
Mrs. Oskey would not give her
daughters name.
She added:
1--WE can never walk together as
family again, with darky right
in the middle" she said.
Franks younger brothre Alex
also of Appleton, said he felt that
an inquest had been called be-
cause Franks second wife, Mrs.
Ann Scurry, is a Negro.
Its because she's a darky, the
people strated to get up a petit
ton and then they (the authorit-
ies) told them that they couldn't
do that, so they started this order
trouble" Alex Oskey said.
Franks youngest brother, who
would not give his name spoke in
strong language about his broth
er's having married a Negro.
I'VE don't give a rip about this
brother-brother stuff" he said "If
you see a lump on his head, come
and look for me-"
II amt gonna say nothing"
Oskey said. IT got lawyers paid
to talk for me"
Oskeys attorney, Edward R.
Bollenbeck, Appleton, declined to
make statement on his clients
behalf.
Mrs. Scurry told a reporter: Il
have nothing to say" She would
not allow a photographer to take
her picture. You do and I'll sue
you" she said.
Dist. Atty. Nick F. Schaefer of
Outagamie county said that one
of the questions to be taken up
at the inquest would be why a
doctor did not see Mrs. Oskey.
Her husband told authorities that
he had thought that she took an
overdose of sleeping pills.
Outagamie county coroner Bern
ard Kemps said Oskey told him
that he had called a doctor and
that the doctor told him to get