A little more on the Cathouse Murders trial and another little known gem in Oklahoma. Congratulations to the OU Women’s Softball Team on their 3rd National Title!
Welcome back. According to Assistant D.A. Merydith Easter the estimated cost of the “Cathouse Murders” trial that is currently underway in Oklahoma City has not been tallied up but with a couple of dozen witnesses left to testify and at least three more weeks of proceedings I’ll let you add it up. One of the state’s witnesses this past week was a man who calls the federal prison in Terre Haute, IN home. This man, who will remain unnamed for his own safety, testified that Danny Phillips, who if you haven’t heard is one of the defendants, told him about the murders in a jailhouse conversation. A snitch as other inmates call them, he also told the judge and the jury that he would be a dead man if he was not moved to another prison.
Listening to all the details that go into this type of witness protection program, and after asking Assistant D.A. Easter a few questions, I learned that these programs are quite secretive and add significantly to the costs of a trial. Secret witnesses, the South Side Locals and the names of other gangs I’d never heard of along with tales of killings, robberies and intimidation, I’m hearing it all which makes me even more eager to thank every cop I see and I hope you will as well. I’ll keep you up to date with any tidbits from the courtroom that catch my interest.
In case you haven’t heard there was a huge crowd numberings in the thousands at the state capitol this week, I was there and it wasn’t for basketball this time. I’ve written about the Remington Park horse racing track in the past as well as the Oklahoma City Zoo which is next door. Adjoining these properties is a museum which I just had the opportunity to visit and that is the National Softball Hall of Fame. There is a regulation ball field with a huge seating area outside of the museum but friends it wasn’t near big enough last weekend. The college softball World Series wrapped up here. With the overflow crowd sitting in the farthest section of the outfield, you can imagine that it was almost impossible to find a parking spot anywhere close. I can tell you from personal experience that the sounds of the game and the enthusiastic roar of the crowd could be heard for miles. The playoffs are having a big financial impact on the OKC area as well. I found that motel rooms were scarce and the restaurants were packed.
The exhibits at the museum trace the development of the game and offer profiles of the 366 current members, both male and female. Originally founded in Newark, NJ in 1957, the museum moved to OKC in 1966 and the current building was completed in 1973. Since then there have been 2 major renovations and expansions to accommodate their growing exhibitions. With the racetrack and the zoo nearby this is quite a complex and a lot of fun to visit. There’s nothing like a ball game and the National Softball Hall of Fame is certainly worth a trip.
On the local front, the OK Mozart is gearing up to fill all the hotels in Bartlesville this week as hundreds of music lovers visit our city. With dozens of free shows and good weather predicted this is a good time to sample everything our community has to offer including Woolaroc, the Price Tower (where I hear the Peanuts show is great) as well as the Phillips66 Museum, the Dewey Hotel and the Tom Mix Museum. I could go on and on about how much there is to do right here or just a short drive away so enjoy and have a great summer.
Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road…..