Vol. Two
For The Years 1923 - 1929
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BIG ROUNDUP AT "101" RANCH SCHEDULED SOON August 14, 1923--Fayetteville Democrat, Fayetteville Arkansas-- Ponca City, Oklahoma-plans for the annual Roundup at the 101 Ranch near here are well underway. Roads leading to the Ranch, damaged by this spring rampage of the Salt Fork River, when Big Jess proved he could do rescue work regardless of his fighting ability, are being repaired. Crews are working daily under supervision of Col. Joe Miller, owner of the Ranch. Applications for reservations are pouring in from all parts of the United States and Canada for the feature celebration according to Miller. TWIN WATERMELONS WEIGH FORTY POUNDS December 8, 1923--Fayetteville Democrat, Fayetteville, Arkansas-- Ponca City, Oklahoma--one of the most unusual occurrences, according to agriculturists, is twin watermelons, but Col. Joe Miller of the 101 Ranch near here has a sample on display. The melon combination weighs about 40 lbs. The two melons are unusually long and perfectly shaped. They are connected by two thirds of their length. Col. Joe says that in the thousands of melons growing on the Ranch in the last 30 years, this is the first instance of a bi-watermelon. GOVERNMENT TO SUE MILLERS FOR RETURN OF INDIAN LANDS Attorney-General Stone Directs Filing of Six Actions in Equity in Oklahoma Case August 1, 1924— The Daily Constitution, Chillicothe, Missouri— Washington-August 1—Attorney General Stone has directed the filing of six suits in equity in the Miller Brothers case in Oklahoma to restore 41 tracts of land to Indian allottees which the government claims were obtained in an irregular manner. The case figured in the Daugherty investigation when Senator Wheeler of Montana sought to show that the Government had not vigorously prosecuted those involved in the procurement of the lands. The tracts also are involved in criminal charges of conspiracy to defraud the Untied States, which was lodged against George L. Miller, Joseph C. Miller, Zack T. Miller, John C. Newton, and Victor Norton. BIG 101 REAL WILD WEST AND GREAT FAR EAST TODAY October 27, 1925--the morning News review, Florence South Carolina-- Indians in their war bonnets; boys in chaps; Cossacks and men infringed buckskin; Arabs in burnooses and elephants in their corrugated and wrinkled hides are due in the city with the dawn, for Miller Brothers’ 101 Ranch Real Wild West and Great Far East, on its long steel trains, steam to steadily toward us for their exhibition and street parade today, at the show grounds on West Darlington St. Yes, it Circus Day--but it Circus Day with a new and novel note, for 101 Ranch, with a three Ring Circus submerged in its huge arenic program, brings the thrill and action of the old wild West to town and with it the pageantry, colorful horseman, and performers of the Far East, to say nothing of spectacles--huge, picture risk and dazzling--symbolical and realistic of the Orient and the American planes. There are 1400 people with the show, and its great rectangular big top, and seats in an opera chair grandstand and supplementary tears nearly 14,000 spectators. There are 300 Indians, including every famous Chief and warriors living with the big troop, as well as 300 Cowboys and cowgirls. The Far Eastern contingent, include horseman of all Oriental nations, as well as native dancers. The famous Slayman Ali "Blue Devils" Melton on Arabian stallions; the famous Tonkin Zouaves; Col. Joe Miller's 101 Ranch riders; a troupe of Mexican rurales; and Turkestand dear regular horse are among the more colorful of the mounted hosts. The Indians are of tribes with squaws and papooses, Apache and Yaquis riding alongside Sioux and Cheyenne, Blackfeet and Crow. The 101 Ranch shows opening spectacle, with 1,100 people taking part, is sensational and beautiful, teeming with action and stirring tableaux. There are many spectacles and much impressive pageantry, with two large electric plants affording the lighting effects, hereto for confined to the Zeigfeld Follies and Music Box Review stages. The street parade, a riot of color and picturesque in the extreme, is the largest in the world. There are six bands, two calliopes, tableaux wagons, floats, and clown cars and over a mile of horseman of all lands as well as elephants, camels and Buffalo. BIG 101 RANCH WHILE WEST TO PLAY THIS TERRITORY August 27, 1925--The Waukesha Daily Freeman-- Miller Brothers 101 Ranch A real While West and Great Far East, the largest show of its kind in the world comes to Milwaukee, Sunday night August 30 and Monday, August 31 and it will present in the principal streets before noon that day, what is positively the largest and most picturesque in this or any other land. Miller Brothers, owners of the famous 101 Ranch Marland, Oklahoma, which contains nearly 150,000 acres, have $1,000,000 a year, each to spend. This year the seven-figure income of the ranch's president Col. J. C. Miller has gone into the show's performances, parades and features. The ranch, as a company, paid for the trains, the canvas, the wagons, the tons of equipment. The steel cars, alone cost $300,000. These figures are not exaggerated, for, 101 Ranch Real Wild West is out for glory--on the road to give America a chance to see once more, on a great scale our country's greatest romance reenacted--the winning of the empire of the West. Miller Brothers have added the Great Far East so that gorgeous pageantry, elephants, camels, reckless riders of the entire world and exotic spectacles might make doubly sure the show's appeal as a thrilling beautiful and dazzling entertainment. A three Ring Circus was bought out right and merged with the performance. Of course, Col. Miller and his Brothers, Zack and George, wished the huge troop to be a success and they know this cannot be unless it draws tremendous crowds, so a staggering array of features have been added--world's champion Cowboys and cowgirls; Russian crack Cossack contingents; Mexican Rurales; South American vaqueros; Chinese soldier bandits; Manchu your regular course; Hindu and Burmese troops, crack Zouaves from French Indochina; Arabian tribesmen a horse and Slayman Ali's "Blue Devils,;" DeMott's Turkestan bareback troupes--in the face, in a startling novelty offering that Miller Brothers agents, scouring the world last year, deemed worthy of importation for such a show. Among the historical features is Ezra Meeker, the only living person who crossed the Dregon Trail as an adult and who, at the age of 95, crossed the continent again in an airplane. This romantic figure, the living link between the old West and the new, will drive an oxen team from his covered wagon in the prairie and in the opening spectacle of the performances. The big show requires 15 acres of canvas. The rectangular big top contains 240,000 square feet and its opera chair grandstand with its auxiliary tiers, seats 14,000 people. There are 300 Indians, 300 riders, 600 horses, elephants, camels, Buffalo, oxen, Longhorns, burros, ponies and Eskimo dog teams with the show. There are 1400 people in all. Every famous Chief and warrior now living will be seen in the arena and in the street parade. |
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THREE BOTHERS, OPERATING 110,000 ACRE "EMPIRE" IN OKLAHOMA, DO THINGS ON BIG SCALE WITH A MOST SURPRISING NONCHALANCE May 25, 1927--Appleton Post-Crescent--Appleton, Wisconsin-- Marland, Oklahoma-- Three American kings live on and in entire within and Empire here in north-central Oklahoma--and Empire that stretches east, West, North and South over the limitless Oklahoma Prairies as far as the eye can see. The three kings are Joseph, Zack and George Miller. Their empire is, the famous 101 Ranch-- 110,000 acres of the best man on the continent. From their home--the " White House," as they call it--they can see nothing that they do not own. Clear to the horizon and beyond rolls their domain, the largest diversified farm and Ranch in the United States. It is so large that a city of one million people could be placed within its borders with room to spare. And it is one farm that is not expected to ask for relief from Washington. On A large Scale With such a vast domain to rule over it is quite natural that the Miller Brothers should do things on a big scale. They do. A city men, visiting the Ranch, is quite apt to have his breath taken away at the scope of their operations and the calm matter-of-fact way they go about them. For instance, then they decide on a Tuesday to start drilling a couple of new oil wells on Wednesday. This may not sound like much unless you happen to know that the average cost of sinking a well is about $100,000. If it goes very deep it may run up to $200,000. But the Miller's don't handle over figures. They make up their minds and go ahead. Old-timers hereabouts, who can remember the "good old days" when cattle were driven up from Texas along the old Chisholm trail through Oklahoma and into Kansas for the Eastern market, are more or less flabbergasted over the traditional shattering cattle movement that has just been engineered by the Miller Brothers. A Record Breaking Herd The old-timers remember that 1500 "head" made a sizable herd of steers. It's pretty hard for them to reconcile they us with the fact that the Miller's have just shipped 35,000 from Florida--bought them all with the nonchalance of a man flipping a dying with another to see who pays for the drinks--gone about shipping them as though a movement of 700 freight cars, with all its attendant worries and ramifications, were in everyday job. But it was just another little deal for the Miller's. Someone got the White House on the telephone one night and ask for Zack, who was in charge of livestock. The Zack was told there were 31,500 head of cattle and Florida that could be bought at a good price. The price sounded right. The Zack told his two brothers. It took them just two minutes to decide to buy. Zack left immediately for Florida to engage the freight cars and get the herd started West. George got busy and sent out scores of letters to bankers and others who might be interested in buying cattle. Then he went to Memphis, Tennessee to meet the shipment, dispose of those cattle that had been sold and route the remainder down to the Ranch. "A small profit on each head and a quick turnover," Joe Miller's said. "That's the way we do it. It doesn't tie our money up. The deal should be completed in three or four weeks." Three brothers never lived two were more to similar in appearance and character than the Miller Brothers. Joe, the oldest--he's nearing 60--is the farmer. He also travels with and heads up the Wild West show that is another of the many activities of the Miller's. Mammoth Fruit Orchards Joe is, and looks like, a man of the soil. His face is whether-beaten, hardened and tanned by the wind and sun. His hobby is fruit trees. He has 50,000 walnut trees, 12,000 capital trees, 50,000 grapevines and other fruits in proportion. He has one experimental plat were 350 varieties of fruit are being grown. He conducts grafting operations on a scale almost comparable to that of the late Luther Burbank. The Zack, the portly, is the typical plainsman--Bluff, hearty. The normal number of steers for him to look after as head of the livestock department is about 15,000. Fifteen thousand to Duroc hogs are raised every year: there are 200 brood mares, hundreds of saddle and draft horses, a large herd of Buffalo, thousands of chickens. They have their own slaughterhouse and packing plant, they tan their own leather --or did before the tannery burned down-- they even raised the cotton that makes the tenting for their Wild West show. George, the youngest, is the "citified" brother. He is always immaculate, always "on the go," always on hand at big sporting events, no matter where they are held. George his duties include supervising oil operations. They have oil leases nearly every where in the state. It would be almost impossible for any new fields to come in without including some of their holdings. As it is, they are getting a production of about 10,000 barrels a day now. They have their own refinery and make their own gasoline and sell it to passing motorist at their own filling station. Joe Miller has been made a White Chief and the tribe of Ponca Indians. Recently he and his 20-year-old bride, after the church wedding, were remarried according to the Ponca tribal rites to make everything okay with their red skin brethren. Quite a few of the gradual cowboys of the 101 Ranch of won big reputations in the movies as wild West he rose a -- Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Art Acord and others. You may get the idea out of all this that the Miller's have some place. They have. VILLAGE MAYOR IS STRONG FOR STUNTS July 5, 1929--The Chronicle-Telegram--Elyria, Ohio-- Marland, Oklahoma-- Will A. Brooks, whose life trail has followed the road of adventure, finds his greatest job in organizing stunts that will keep Marlands 1000 residents interested in their hometown. He quit managing Miller Brothers 101 Ranch a year ago to enter local politics. Marland picked him for Mayor and the ex-ranchman immediately began to entertain as well is direct the village. Boys in Marland don't get into mischief as a result of Brooks first program. He planted 35 acres of vacant lots of cotton and tomatoes. The boy's farm the land and get the proceeds. Next, he kept neighboring farmers from trading in larger communities by starting Saturday afternoon horseshoe tournaments. He helped organize a negro choir that is known throughout the Southwest. For the women, he has arranged a rolling pin throwing contest, to be held this summer. Contestants will be judged solely on accuracy--and the target will be a man. The Mayor's job now is to find someone willing to be the target. For Brooks, his Mayor's job is culmination of an adventurous life. He helped to make motion pictures in Los Angeles many years before there was a Hollywood. For years he traveled with the 101 Ranch Road show, later managing the huge tract near here. Prior to that, he had been a soldier, ranched in Mexico and South America and roamed the Klondike for two years. |
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GO TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR TESTIMONY IN NEGRO ASSAULT CASE Defense Attorneys Seek Depositions, State Sends Man Along. September 23, 1929 Appleton Post-Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin) -- A. Sigman, attorney for Arthur Wilson, Durham, South Carolina, Negro, charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, will leave Tuesday morning for Wilson, North Carolina, where he will secure depositions from four witnesses whom, he claims, have testimony vital to the defense. Stanley A. Staidl, district attorney, also will go to North Carolina to cross examine the witnesses. The four men from whom depositions are to be secured our Colonel Zachary T. Miller, Ed Vaughn, Dr. Hamilton and Sam Surgess all of them are connected with Miller's 101 Ranch and Wild West show. The defendant in this proceeding, formerly employed by this organization, was discharged in Appleton early last May on the afternoon of the day on which he was arrested and charged with assaulting John Kersten and his fifteen-year-old daughter. The show was playing in Appleton that day, Kersten was knocked down and an attempt was made to attack his daughter as they were returning to their home from the show ground. Attorney Sigman received an order from Municipal Judge Theodore Berg, in whose court Wilson will be tried, to go to North Carolina after the depositions. Wilson is being held at the county jail under $3000 bond. TRIAL OF NEGRO ON ASSAULT CHARGES IS SET FOR TOMORROW Expect Defense Will Try To Establish Alibi For Colored Man October 2, 1929--Appleton Post-Crescent—(Appleton, Wisconsin) Trial of Arthur Wilson, 21, colored, Durham, South Carolina, will start at nine o'clock Thursday morning in the upper branch of municipal court before Judge Theodore Berg. Wilson faces two charges, assault with intent to rape and assault with intent to do great bodily harm. The Negro was arrested last May following an attack on John Kersten, 1513 W. Franklin St., and an attempted attack on his 15-year-old daughter. The attack took place as Mr. Kersten and his daughter were on their way home from the 101 Wild West Show which was playing the on the Badger Ave. show a lot. The attack took place in a dark field only a short distance from the Kersten home. Kersten's assailant struck him, apparently with a large stone and broke his jaw. The man then grabbed the girl and threw her to the ground but she thought him off and fled home, screaming to her mother who called the police. A roundup of employees of the 101 show followed and Kersten was arrested when he was found in a box car. (I think this is a misprint but the article is typed as it appeared in the newspaper) It was learned that he had been released from his job that afternoon. The girl said he was the man who attempted to attack her, but her father was not positive in his identification. NEGRO PLEADS INNOCENCE
The Negro was arraigned and held under $3000 bond despite his protestations of innocence. At his preliminary examination he had no attorney and conducted the cross examination of witnesses himself. Following the preliminary hearing A. Sigman, local attorney, was appointed by the court to defend Wilson. Sigman immediately applied for Wilson's release on a writ of habeas corpus, charging the municipal court had disregarded the law postponing the trial more than 10 days without Wilson's consent. Judge Edgar V. Warner in circuit court granted the writ but Wilson was rearrested by the police as soon as he left the courtroom.
He again was arraigned and following a preliminary examination was bound over for trial October 3. Mr. Sigman automatically lost his appointment as Wilson's attorney when the writ of habeas corpus was granted, but he was reappointed by Judge Berg as defense attorney.
Mr. Sigman last week applied to the court for permission to go to Wilson, North Carolina to get depositions from four members of the staff of the 101 Ranch, whose testimony, he claimed, was vital to the defense. The motion was granted and both Mr. Sigman and District Attorney Stanley A. Staidl went south. Mr. Sigman examined the witnesses and Mr. Staidl conducted his cross examination at the same time.
It is believed that Mr. Sigman is building his defense about an effort to establish an alibi which will show Wilson was not at the scene of the attack.
NEGRO OF ASSAULT TRIAL OPENS IN MUNICIPAL COURT Trouble Getting Jurors Because Many Had Formed Opinions in Case October 3, 1929--Appleton Post-Crescent--(Appleton, Wisconsin) Trial of Arthur Wilson, 21, Negro, of Durham,, South Carolina, on charges of assault with intent to rape and assault with intent to do great bodily harm, opened in the upper branch of municipal court before Judge Theodore Berg Thursday morning. Considerable trouble was experienced in drawing a jury because so many of the jurors claimed they had already formed opinions. Wilson, it is charged, struck John Kersten, 1513 West Franklin St., knocked him down and then seized his 15-year-old daughter and attempted to attack her. Kersten's jaw was broken and he was in the hospital for several weeks after the attack. The Negro, who came to Appleton with the 101 Ranch Wild West shows, was discharged that afternoon. He was arrested that night, shortly after the attack, near the depot. He claimed he was waiting for a train for Chicago. Kersten's daughter said Wilson was the man who made the attempted attack, but Kersten was not sure of the identification. Wilson has steadfastly maintained his innocence since his arrest. He has been held at the county jail under $3000 bond. Mr. A. Sigman appointed by the court to defend Wilson, said in his opening statement to the jury Thursday morning that he contended to establish an alibi for Wilson which would prove he was not at the scene of the attack at the time it took place. Other Depositions Both the girl and her father have set nine o'clock as the time the attack took place and Mr. Sigman said he would attempt to prove that Wilson was about 2 mi. away from the scene of the attack then. The attack took place in the field a short distance from their home. Stanley A. Staidl, District Attorney, is prosecuting. Four depositions, secured from four members of the staff of the wild west show at Wilson, North Carolina, last week will be introduced by Sigman in his efforts to prove his client's innocence. Mr. Sigman and Mr. Staidl went to North Carolina where the four witnesses were cross examined. Members of the jury hearing the case are: Julius Radtke, 203 N. Appleton St.; J. A. Koehler, 228 North Oneida St.; John Kuchenbecker, 1753 North Oneida St.; Joseph Garvey, 327 W. 8th St.; Ada M. Knight, 420 E. Maple St. St.; Henry Kranzusch, 1314 North Durkee; William Steinacker, 303 N. Bennett St.; Peter Wolf, 824 South Kernan Ave.; John Layendecker, Jr., 508 North Garfield St.; Edgar Milhaupt, 710 East Franklin St. Kersten's daughter was the first witness called by the state Thursday morning and it was expected that Kersten himself would go on the stand Thursday afternoon. Whether Wilson would take the stand in his own behalf is not known. The case is expected to go to the jury Friday. |
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NEGRO TAKES STAND IN HIS OWN BEHALF IN ASSAULT CASE Denies He Attacked The Father And Tried To Assault His Daughter October 4 1929--Appleton Post -Crescent----(Appleton, Wisconsin) Arthur Wilson, 21, colored, of Durham, South Carolina, on trial in the upper branch of municipal court on charges of assault with intent to rape and assault with intent to harm, took the witness stand Friday morning in his own behalf. The Negro is charged with striking John Kersten, 1513 West Franklin St., with a large stone and breaking his jaw and then attempting to attack his 15-year-old daughter. The attack on the Kersten's took place in a vacant lot near their home last July as they were returning from the Badger Ave. show grounds where the 101 Ranch and Wild West show was playing. The little Kersten girl, on the witness stand for the prosecution Thursday, identified Wilson is the man who attacked her. The father however, was not positive that Wilson was the man. Kersten's jaw was broken by the blow when he was knocked to the ground. Wilson was arrested about 9:30 the evening of the attack near the depot. He claimed he was waiting for a train for Chicago as he had quit his job that afternoon. He was held by the police, however, after the Kersten girl identified him. Wilson's trial started Thursday morning before Judge Theodore Berg. All of Thursday was given over to hearing the state's case. Under questioning of his attorney, A. Sigman, appointed by the court to defend him, Wilson told his story of his actions on the night of the attack. State witnesses have shown the attack occurred about nine o'clock and Wilson claims he was in the vicinity of the depot, nearly 2 mi. from the scene of the attack, from about 7: 30 until he was picked up by the police. Wilson has admitted being an ex-convict, having served a term in a reformatory in Detroit. The defense, it is said, expects to introduce testimony which will substantiate Wilson’s story. Cross examination of Wilson started shortly before noon. Stanley A. Staidl, District Attorney is prosecuting the case. A large crowd of spectators has jammed the courthouse since the trial opened Thursday. The case is expected to go to the jury late Friday afternoon. LINCOLN' S DEFENSE STRATEGY USED IN CASE AGAINST NEGRO Colored Man Acquitted By Jury When Defense Shows A Witness’ Story Untrue October 5, 1929--Appleton Post-Crescent--(Appleton, Wisconsin) Reviving strategy credited to Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Sigman, attorney appointed to defend Arthur Wilson, 21, colored, of Durham, South Carolina, against charges as assault with intent to rape and assault with intent to do great bodily harm, succeeded in winning of acquittal from a jury and municipal court yesterday. The 15-year-old daughter of John Kersten, 1513 West Franklin St., who positively identified Wilson as the man who struck her father, breaking his jaw and then attempting to attack her, claimed she made the identification by the light of a full moon. In building up his defense Mr. Sigman introduced a calendar showing that on July 16, the night of the attack, the moon was just three days beyond the first quarter, which occurred on July 13. Full moon in the month of July did not occur until July 22, the defense proved. Miss Kersten's identification of Wilson was the strongest point in the state's case against him and she was the state's principal witness. Her father testified that Wilson resembled the man who attacked him, but he couldn't be positive of the identification. The attack on Mr. Kersten and his daughter occurred when she and her father were on their way home from the Badger Ave. show lot where the 101 Ranch and Wild West show was playing. Police arrested Wilson at the depot about 9: 30 after they learned that he had quit the show that afternoon. Wilson protested his innocence, claiming he had been waiting at the depot for a train to take him to Chicago. He said he was in a saloon near the depot at nine o'clock, the hour which Miss Kersten and her father set as the time they were attacked. Corroborating evidence shows that a Negro had been in a saloon at the time Wilson claimed he was there but witnesses could not identify him positively as the man they had seen. The case opened in the upper branch of municipal court before Judge Berg on Thursday morning. The jury retired at six o'clock Friday afternoon, went to supper and returned with a verdict at 7: 45. |
Compiled and Submitted by Mollie Stehno