Oklahoma’s most brazen political heist happened at 3 a.m. with dirty laundry

Governor Haskell’s Midnight Heist of Oklahoma’s State Seal

Oklahoma’s state capital wasn’t just moved—it was stolen in the dead of night. After voters chose Oklahoma City over Guthrie in 1910, Governor Charles Haskell took bold action. He first jailed the Logan County Sheriff who tried to stop the move.

Then at midnight, he called his secretary with clear orders: grab the state seal from the courthouse. Using a fake story about picking up laundry, three men snuck into the building at 3 a.m. and smuggled out the seal wrapped in clothes.

By morning, Oklahoma City was officially the new capital.

The historic Guthrie District still stands today, where you can walk the same courthouse halls where this dramatic political heist unfolded.

Two Cities Battled For Oklahoma’s Political Heart

Oklahoma City and Guthrie fought over becoming the state capital after Oklahoma joined the union in 1907.

The Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce pushed to move the capital from Guthrie, which was only meant to be temporary. Governor Charles Haskell openly hated Guthrie, calling it “a nest of Republican vipers.”

This created legal problems since the 1906 Enabling Act said Guthrie would stay capital until at least 1913. The fight got nasty and costly, with Shawnee also trying to become capital.

Haskell Changed The Rules With A Stroke Of His Pen

The special election was first set for Tuesday, June 14, 1910. But Governor Haskell took control.

He simply crossed out the original date on the official papers and wrote in Saturday, June 11 instead. This move likely broke state law since officials had already approved the petition.

Critics pointed out that the governor couldn’t legally change an election date by himself. This date switch later became a key issue in legal fights about moving the capital.

Voters Picked Oklahoma City By A Landslide

The June 11, 1910 election wasn’t close at all. Oklahoma City won big with 96,261 votes while Guthrie got just 31,301.

Shawnee came in last with about 7,000 votes. The outcome made sense since Oklahoma City had 64,000 people, much more than Guthrie.

Governor Haskell got the results unusually fast through his advisor Tate Brady, who rushed the numbers to him that same night.

The Sheriff Tried To Block The Capital Move

Logan County Sheriff J. W. Mahoney fought back. He put armed guards at the Guthrie courthouse to stop anyone from taking the state seal or official records. The seal mattered because it made government papers official.

Mahoney believed he was protecting Guthrie’s rightful place as capital. Governor Haskell saw the sheriff’s actions as illegal meddling with state business.

This created a tense standoff between local and state officials.

Armed Troops Put The Sheriff Behind Bars

Governor Haskell took strong action on June 10-11. He sent state militia to arrest Sheriff Mahoney, who they quickly disarmed and threw in jail.

With the main obstacle gone, the path opened to grab the state seal from Guthrie. This show of force proved Haskell would do whatever it took to move the capital.

Many Oklahomans were shocked by the governor’s actions.

A Late-Night Phone Call Set The Plan In Motion

Around midnight, Governor Haskell called his private secretary W. B. Anthony from the Brady Hotel in Tulsa. His orders were simple: “Get hold of Bill Cross, Secretary of State, go up to the Logan County Court House, get the seal of state and bring it to Oklahoma City.

Haskell told Anthony to meet him at the Lee-Huckins Hotel by 7:30 a. m. The secret mission began, with Anthony ready to carry out the risky plan.

Dirty Laundry Became The Perfect Cover Story

Anthony drove from Oklahoma City to Guthrie with two friends, Earl Keyes and Paul Nesbitt. They got to the Logan County Courthouse around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Night watchman Dooley Williamson stopped them at the door, asking why they were there so late. Anthony quickly made up a story about getting the governor’s laundry from his office.

The watchman believed them and let them in, not knowing what they really planned.

The Great Seal Vanished In A Bundle Of Clothes

Once inside the governor’s courthouse office, the men started their plan. They wrapped the state seal and recording book in Anthony’s clothes, making them look like laundry.

Keyes opened the iron safe, took out the official seal, and typed a receipt that Anthony signed. The team left with their prize, and nobody else knew what happened.

They had stolen the seal of Oklahoma.

A Wild Midnight Drive With A Flat Tire

Anthony and his team raced back to Oklahoma City in what newspapers later called a “wild 30-mile automobile ride. ” They hit a problem when they got a flat tire near Seward on the rough, dirt roads.

They quickly changed it and kept going. By dawn on Sunday, June 12, 1910, they finished their mission.

The next day, The New York Times ran headlines saying “OKLAHOMA SEAL SEIZED,” making the nighttime theft national news.

A Hotel Room Became Oklahoma’s New Capitol

At midnight on June 12, Governor Haskell signed papers declaring Oklahoma City the new state capital.

He wrote the official statement on hotel paper from the Lee-Huckins Hotel, turning it over to make it look more official.

Secretary of State Bill Cross pressed the stolen state seal onto the document, making the transfer legal in their view. Haskell then hung a hand-written sign on his hotel door that simply said “Governor’s Office.

The Courts Couldn’t Put The Genie Back In The Bottle

The Oklahoma Supreme Court later questioned whether the governor had the authority to move the capital through such sneaky methods. They even voided the 1910 election due to technical problems with how it was conducted.

However, the court also ruled that the 1906 Enabling Act clause about Guthrie wasn’t permanently binding. The state legislature then passed a bill officially making Oklahoma City the permanent capital.

Despite all the controversy, the capital stayed put in Oklahoma City.

Visiting Guthrie Historic District, Oklahoma

You can explore the courthouse at 301 E. Harrison Avenue where Governor Haskell’s dramatic seal theft began.

This four-story brick building from 1907 is still a working courthouse Tuesday through Friday. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum at 406 E.

Oklahoma Avenue opens Tuesday through Saturday 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

The Carnegie Library section houses where the 1903 statehood ceremony happened before Haskell’s controversial midnight move to Oklahoma City.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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