January 24, 1971

Jack Melton of the Van Sanford Apartments, an employee of the city sanitation department, suffered a painful deep cut on his upper left leg about 9 p.m. Friday when struck by a car traveling west on East Broadway in front of Pat’s Café, city police reported.

Police said that Melton was walking across the street and walked in front of an eastbound car driven by Mrs. Ernest M. Edwards of Route 3, Seminole. Melton told police that the driver stopped and asked him if he was hurt and he told her “No.”

He walked back into Pat’s café, and a waitress there asked him why his leg was bleeding. Police and an ambulance were called. He gave police a description of the car and it was stopped near Evans on Milt Phillips. Mrs. Edwards told police she stopped and asked Melton if he was hurt, and when he said, “No,” she drove on. Investigation is still incomplete.

Melton was admitted to Seminole Municipal hospital, and his condition was reported as “good” Saturday afternoon.

“We were very well pleased with the first week’s turnout of property owners in the greater Seminole area in visiting the temporary assessor’s office we have set up in the Public Works Office on the first floor of the Municipal Building,” said Assessor Paul Mathews at the close of business Friday afternoon.

Mathews said that during the past week, 1,141 individuals filed homestead exemptions and assessed their property at the office. “The good weather and the desire of many individuals to get this chore out of the way and take advantage of the convenience offered by this temporary office all contributed to the fine response,” Mathews added.

The final week of the twoweek stay of the assessor’s team of deputies here will start Monday morning at 9 and will wind up at the close of business next Friday afternoon.

No one was injured in a two-vehicle hit-and-run accident on Highway 99 1.8 miles north of Seminole about 6:45 p.m. Friday, the highway patrol reported.

Trooper Steve Jantz of Wewoka said a truck driven by an unidentified driver and traveling north on Highway 99 was passing on a hill and hit the front of a southbound car driven by Nina Gail Ellis, 23, of Prague. The car was spun around by the impact, causing an estimated $400. The truck didn’t stop.

An area alert was given the highway patrol by Trooper Jantz to find the offending truck, but late Saturday it still hadn’t been located.

City firemen were called to 1200 North Jefferson shortly before noon Saturday to douse a fire in a car owned by Jonas Burgess. The resulting blaze from a flooded carburetor caused heavy damage to the motor, firemen said.

Two Seminole county cars, stolen this past week from the residences of the owners, were found later in the week burned on county roads by the highway patrol.

A 1965 Ford owned by Gwen Jackson of 112.5 South Broadway, Konawa, and stolen last Tuesday, was found burned and stripped on a county road six miles north and two west of Konawa early Thursday morning.

Trooper Sam Laffoon of Seminole said the car appeared to have been soaked with gasoline before being set afire.

Thursday afternoon another 1965 Ford belonging to Cy Smith of Route 1, Wewoka, was found burned on a county road two miles south and two miles west of Wewoka late Thursday afternoon.

Laffoon said the car had been stolen either Wednesday night or in the early morning hours Thursday. Smith had not reported the theft to the police or sheriff’s office at Wewoka, a check of records there shows.