Sherriff McCullough

SHERIFF McCULLOUGH

Written by: Barry P. Foley
Copyright © 24 Aug 2021

Howdy boys, my name is Bill McCullough, I was born in Indiana
In 1910, I became the sheriff in the Oil Town of Tulsa
I remember the day, they brought Dick Rowland to my jail
It was all about a lot of nothing, from the story Sarah Page would tell

Then the newspaper ran a headline, Negro to be lynched tonight
A mob gathered at the courthouse, liquored up and ready to fight
I took Dick Rowland up to the top floor, and shut that Elevator down
Gave my deputies orders, to shoot any man fool enough to stand his ground

By sundown the mob grew bigger, so I ventured on outside
Talk some sense into the good folks of Tulsa, but I got, hooted down
Then 3 Klansmen came inside, demanding I give Dick Rowland up
I told them y’all can “go to hell, I’m still the Sheriff here in Tulsa”

A group of War Vets with concerns about one of their own
I assured them of his safety and they should all go back home
Then someone challenged O.B. Mann, about the pistol on his hip
Scuffle broke out, guns were fired, that’s when the match was lit

Spoken:
Then all hell broke loose, the war between black and white
You could hear gunfire throughout the city, late into the night
Dick Rowland no longer mattered, as the mob marched to Greenwood
Killing execution style and looting, burning everything they could

Less than 24 hours, the mob had burnt Greenwood to the ground
Dead bodies laying on the street everywhere you would looked around
Dick Rowland was only an excuse, the riot had already being planned
Burning Greenwood was mean to illustrate the power of the Klan

Howdy boys, my name is Bill McCullough, I was born in Indiana
“In 1910, I became the sheriff in the Oil Town of Tulsa

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