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Approx. 4,000-words          
By B.C. Franklin.

THE TULSA RACE RIOT AND THREE OF ITS VICTIMS.

It was in the month of October, 1917 and the leaves were browning on the trees and the grass had taken on a golden hint.  A mighty crowd had gathered from all over McIntosh and adjoining counties and had congregated in the little town park, near the depot, at Eufaula, Oklahoma.

The man in charge of the meeting -- a white gentleman -- arose on the speaker's stand and said:

"Fellow-citizens:  I feel happy to have the privilege of introducing to you the speaker of the hour.  Many, if not all, of you know him.  He practiced his profession here in our little city for several years and had the esteem and respect of both the bench and the bar.  He has become so very greatly interested in the prosecution of the war against the German Government until he has actually, for the time being, forsaken his own personal business and, at his own expense, is traveling all over this State and speaking in our campaign for the sale of the present liberty bonds.  He is also urging the young men of his race to enlist in the service of our common country.  I take great pleasure, therefore, in presenting Attorney B.C. Franklin."  (Great applause).

I spoke in part as follows:  "Master of Ceremonies, and fellow citizens:  We are met together here for a three-fold purpose, namely to impress upon you the importance of buying as many of these Fourth Liberty Bonds as possible, to urge upon you -- young men -- the imperative necessity of immediate enlistment and to bid farewell to those splendid young men here who are soon to entrain.

"We who are too old to enlist, or who are exempted from enlisting for any other cause, should remember that it is both our moral and financial duty to see to it that these young men and others like them shall not want for anything while "over there" fighting our battles.

"Young men, you are here in answer to your country's call to duty.  Yours is an honorable heritage; yours is a remarkable reputation to uphold and defend.  You have come from the loins of a race that has never produced a traitor, nor a coward when summoned in the defense of this nation and its flag.  It is gratifying to note the spirit of comradeship already in evidence here and to see the smiles with which your faces are wreathed.  A few days ago, I attended a similar meeting, the difference being that the other gathering was composed of all white people, except myself.  At that other gathering, the