A different kind of police chase
As readers of the newspaper know, rarely does a week go by that there isn’t a police chase reported.
This story was published in The Oklahoman, June 22, 1914.
“LIQUOR TRANSPORTER RACES WITH POLICE”
“Charley Clift, liquor transporter, matched a race Saturday night between his fine driving horse and the police auto. He lost the race, a barrel of beer and $51.
The race began near Walnut Grove when Detective Charles Farris and Police Chauffeur Dale Smith, in the auto, saw Clift appear from beneath the Frisco railroad trestle on East Reno avenue. Clift saw the officers about the same time they saw him and turned from the road across a plowed field near Riverside Park.
Lashing his horse into a gallop, Clift began the race with a lead of a block. Opening the engine throttle wide Smith turned his car and bounced after the fleeing “booze hauler.” Farris stood up in the flying car and yelled warnings at Clift to stop while 300 negro spectators cheered and screamed.
For ten minutes clouds of dust arose and enveloped the eastern end of California and Grand avenues. From the whirling sand came yells and the chugging of the auto. Some of the most exciting parts of the race were missed by the hundreds of shouting negroes because the dust was to thick to see through.
Back to the starting line Clift dashed and gave up. His horse was winded and the auto had crept up to rear wheels of his buggy.
“Alright Charley let’s go to the station now, commanded Farris as the race ended. Clift gave up his barrel of beer and $51 bond to the desk seargeant and passed on.”
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