Murders

The Caddo Star

Tuesday, February 1, 1876

Crimes Calendar

Ed. Star- Will you allow me through the columns of your paper, to draw the attention of the editor of the Vindicator to the following statement of facts:

I do so for the following reasons- Not long since he made the statement that lawlessness does not exist to any great extent in this country, not more than in many of the border States and Territories and as a general thing all is peace, order, and security.

Now I propose to make a statement of the number of murders (to say nothing of minor crimes) which have come to my knowledge commencing no further back than March 1^st, 1873, and then the public can judge for itself of the conditions of society in this part of Oklahoma. I only include points within thirty miles of Caddo. Some of the persons were found in out-of-the-way places and partly decomposed so they could not be recognized.

1^st. A white man killed in Caddo in the Spring of 1873, by the James brothers. They were arrested, gave bail, and fled the country.

2^nd. A white man murdered near Bouton’s ranch in May 1873. No arrest or effort to find the murderer.

3^rd. An old Indian preacher murdered in the timber near Caney station 1873- no arrest or investigation.

4^th. The partially decomposed body of a white man found on Caddo creek. No investigation.

5^th Spivy, murdered by a horse thief, since hung, making five murders near Caddo, Ind. Ter. from March 1873 to December of the same year.

Murdered in 1874

1^st. A negro murdered one half mile north of Caddo by another negro. Murderer sent to Penitentiary for two years and six months.

2^nd. A woman, mixed blood, Indian and negro, murdered one half mile south of Caddo by a negro woman. Murderess sent to Penitentiary to two years and six months.

3^rd. An Indian murdered and placed on the railroad track near Caney Station. No arrest.

4^th. Jack Lafferty, a white man, and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, murdered. Investigated.

5^th. John McGee and son, Indian, murdered. No investigation.

6^th. Indian boy on Blue, murdered found near Nail’s Ford. No investigation.

7^th. Levi Sidney, Cherokee Indian, murdered at a dance. Investigated, but could fix the crime on no one.

8^th. Colbert, Sheriff of Panola co., an Indian, murdered 4^th of July and could not fix the crime on any one on investigation.

9^th. M. Johnson, Indian desperado, murdered near Tishomingo. No investigation.

Pretty good work for one year inside of a circuit of thirty miles.

1875

1^st. An Indian woman accused of being “a witch” murdered by an Indian boy near Blue. Arrested and escaped.

2^nd. Four Indians murdered near Atoka by Indians. No arrests and no investigation.

3^rd. Three negro desperadoes and outlaws. Lynched by unknown parties for stealing and killing cattle.

4^th. Two white men from Missouri, murdered and thrown into a drift to hide the crime. No investigation.

5^th. White man killed by another white man at Dr. Stark’s. Investigation pending.

6^th White boy killed near Carriage Point by a white man and an Indian. No investigation.

7^th. Remains of a white man found between Fort Washita and Tishomingo. No investigation.

8^th. A white man and child killed by four Texas desperadoes and officers know where they are but have not the nerve to arrest them.

9^th. King, the murderer of Mr. Spivy hung. In all 32 murders. Puck-A-Che-Tuck

Besides the cases above named we know of five other murders inside of a circuit of thirty miles within the last year.

Now add opt the above sickening list the innumerable minor crimes which harass, vex, and disrupt society for which there is no law, no punishment on the one side, and no safety or salvation on the other, and then talk about exaggeration.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Tom Garner]

Culpepper "Cub" Colbert, Deputy Sheriff

Panola County Sheriff's Office

Panola County was in the Chickasaw Nation of Indian Territory, an area that encompassed portions of the current Bryan and Marshall counties west of Durant. Deputy Colbert was assigned to keep the peace at a dance that went into the early morning hours of Saturday, December 14, 1878. About 4 A.M. Deputy Colbert took a gun away from a drunk man named Ben Kemp. Kemp hit the deputy in the head with a cane and Colbert shot him in the side, inflicting a flesh wound. As Deputy Colbert was leaving one of Kemp’s sons shot the deputy in the left side with a shotgun, nearly severing his left arm and killing him almost instantly.

Source: http://www.oklemem.com/