I know something of the Frank Coshow case. They caught him in possession of a stolen car and had him in jail here; they made him a proposition that if he would turn State's evidence and tell who was connected with the theft they would give him a light sentence; my sister in law was interested in him and she got me to go and talk to him and try to get him to do that. The first time I talked to him he was pretty independent about it, and said there was no danger of him going to the penitentiary, that the Chief of police wouldn't let him, that he knew too much, and they couldn't afford to send him there. There were two fellows connected with it, named Adams and Barker, I located these two fellows, one at Sand Springs, and one at the Brown Hotel; I reported it to the police; they were not arrested. I was working for the police department at the time. I raided a crap game in the basement under the Palace Clothing Store, and caught a bunch of negroes and got $10.50; one of the negroes worked there, and he begged to be allowed to stay there that night and he would put me next to seventeen other places; I reported to Bay Ward, and they wouldnt' let me go down there with them. When I reported to the chief he said I had done right, we would rather have seventeen than two; I told him I had the money for evidence and asked what to do with it; he said turn it over to the desk sergeant, and I did, and he gave me a receipt for it; the boys have never been prosecuted and have never gotten their money back. They told me their cases have never been called, and I have never been called as a witness. I left the police force four weeks ago, and at that time there were seven joints right on the main streets; one near the Jacobs Hotel in the 300 block on Fast First; the Oliver Drug Store on East First, they sell Jake and whiskey there; I never raided the place because patrolmen were not allowed to do that. There are three drug stores on West First in the first block right near the alley from the police station; it is one block from the police station. 1
Statement of W. M. Wilson, Vice Conditions for Tulsa Race Riot Investigation. Specifically, car theft, illegal liquor, gambling, fraud and embezzlement.
Statement of W. M. Wilson, Box 25, Record Group 1-2, State of Oklahoma vs. John A. Gustafson, Chief of Police Tulsa (Tulsa Race Riot Investigation Vice Condition); Civil Case No. 1062, Attorney General, Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma City, OK
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Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. For further information regarding the rights to this collection, please visit www.crossroads.odl.state.ok.us/cdm4/rights.php
I know something of the Frank Coshow case. They caught him in possession of a stolen car and had him in jail here; they made him a proposition that if he would turn State's evidence and tell who was connected with the theft they would give him a light sentence; my sister in law was interested in him and she got me to go and talk to him and try to get him to do that. The first time I talked to him he was pretty independent about it, and said there was no danger of him going to the penitentiary, that the Chief of police wouldn't let him, that he knew too much, and they couldn't afford to send him there. There were two fellows connected with it, named Adams and Barker, I located these two fellows, one at Sand Springs, and one at the Brown Hotel; I reported it to the police; they were not arrested. I was working for the police department at the time. I raided a crap game in the basement under the Palace Clothing Store, and caught a bunch of negroes and got $10.50; one of the negroes worked there, and he begged to be allowed to stay there that night and he would put me next to seventeen other places; I reported to Bay Ward, and they wouldnt' let me go down there with them. When I reported to the chief he said I had done right, we would rather have seventeen than two; I told him I had the money for evidence and asked what to do with it; he said turn it over to the desk sergeant, and I did, and he gave me a receipt for it; the boys have never been prosecuted and have never gotten their money back. They told me their cases have never been called, and I have never been called as a witness. I left the police force four weeks ago, and at that time there were seven joints right on the main streets; one near the Jacobs Hotel in the 300 block on Fast First; the Oliver Drug Store on East First, they sell Jake and whiskey there; I never raided the place because patrolmen were not allowed to do that. There are three drug stores on West First in the first block right near the alley from the police station; it is one block from the police station. 1
Oklahoma State Archives Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. For further information regarding the rights to this collection, please visit www.crossroads.odl.state.ok.us/cdm4/rights.php
Identifier
001_Statement W. M. Wilson, Attorney General Civil Case No. 1062; Page 1
