Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1927-07-29 | Page 2 | Writers Play Author Hoax

WRITERS PLAY AUTHOR HOAX Young Bobbed Bob bed Haired Women V Wrote V rote Cow Cow- Cowboy Cowboy Cowboy boy Ballads OKLAHOMA CITY July 29 One One William Arthur Flowers an aged aced cowpuncher appeared on the liter liter- literary literary literary ary horizon In Oklahoma some me six months ago His ballads of the plains were praised for their virility and strength Critics and editors declared that only one who had hd lived as this old man could write ballads like Ilke Kin Kinzie Kinzie the tho Ballad zie the Cattle Queen or last words of Cherokee Bill whose were Boys Doys you have done me wrong Then at the height of discussion William Arthur Flowers ers unmasked himself and turned out to be two modern bobbed haired bobbed haired young joung women writers The perpetrators of the hoax were Mrs Maurine Halliburton McGee and Mrs Frances both of Ok Ok- Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma lahoma City The Tho old man of the plains was conceived d after a meeting of the Ok- Ok Oklahoma lahoma Authors' Authors league at which they had lad heard a number of plains bal bal- ballads lads They wrote the ballads at attributed at- at attributed attributed to Flowers by alternating on the verses The ballads were based on historical events c In Zoe Tilghmans Oklahoma history The writers sent their work to B BA A A. A Botkin Batkin professor of English at the University of Oklahoma and poetry critic for the authors' authors league He took work to the Flowers Flowers' January meeting of the league The members received ed the old man mans s' s tons Lions with enthusiasm Two ballads were printed in Oklahoma magazines and nd more were requested Mrs McGee and Mrs Billingsley kept their identity hidden by corres corres- corresponding correspondIng corresponding through general delivery dell and pretending Flowers was too ill III to attend league meetings or meet the members