By 1970, Albert McDonald was out of prison and running with Tom “Lester” Pugh, a sociopath who robbed and murdered his way through several southern states. The two men showed up at Cleo’s farm out in the countryside between Tulsa and Sapulpa in August. They want to borrow some of her dynamite she used for blowing up tree stumps. Although hesitant, Cleo gave them some. However, Cleo was concerned enough to report this incident to her law enforcement friend, Jack McKenzie, but he ran out of time to stop the plot Pugh had set into motion.
Pugh had made arrangements with a candidate running in the up-coming election for a district court bench seat to go easy on him if Pugh helped him win the election. The already-seated judge, District Court Judge Fred Nelson, was tough on criminals and not easily bribed.
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The game of cat-and-mouse ended when the mouse, Cleo, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a multi-million dollar moonshine operation that soaked the Tulsa area with more than 2,000 gallons per month. She was convicted, but later, the conviction was overturned. Cleo had such a good relationship with law enforcement that her cell was never locked, giving her free reign throughout the jail. It was rumored she was even allowed to go home at night as long as she returned before sunrise the next day.
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AuthorAndrea Chase ArchivesChapters |