The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-09-09
BLACK FRIDAY ATFORT SMITH,
ARKANSAS.
Six Desperadoes Launched From
the Same Gallows.

9AO A0cA4c 0a1OW6.
A dispatch from Little Rock, by
courier from Fort Smith to Altus, for
ty miles distant, the nearest telegraph
station, states that the hanging of six
men ut that place to-day, passed off
quietly, The condemned men were
brought out at half past nine O'Clock,
and assembled the scaffoid at ten. All
showed nerve and refused to make any
confession.
Moore said he was a game man and
would die game. Fooy said he was as
anxieus to go ss the spectators were
see him go. Wilmington said nothing.
Evans also said nothing. Campbell
and Mankiller said they were innocent.
The SIX men were sentenced at the last
term of the Federal court. There were
eight men sentenced at the time; one
was killed aiterward, while attempt.
to escape, and the sentence of the 9TH
err was committed to Imprisonment for
lie. The names of the men who were
hung were Jas. II. Moore (white,) Dan
ie Ii. Evans (white,) Samuel w. Fooy,
Quarter Cherokee,) Smoker Mankiller
tull-blood Cherokee,) Edward Camp
bell (colored,) and John Wilmington
(white.)
The gallows was erected inside the
walls of the old fort. The platform
was fourteen by fifteen feet. Smoker
Mankiller, the full-blood, was but
eighteen years old. He had a wife and
child. On the first of September, 1874.
he murdered white man named VIM.
Short. He stoutly asserted his limo
cence. In written statement he
charged witnesses against him with
perjury. He had very black hair, was
stout built, low forehead, and stared
his fate in the face with the usual in
difference of the Indian.
James II. Moore was twenty-seyen
years old, tall and fine looking, bold
and daring. lie was native OF John
ston county, Missouri, but removed TO
Texas when child, where he grew up
on the frontier as a murderer, high
he boosted that he had killed eight
white men, and Indians and negroes
too numerous to mention. He claimed
TO be the best shot in the west. lie
had wife and one child living in Tex
as. As desperate and outlaw he was
the best representative of the lot.
Sam. w. Fooy was quarter-blood
Cherokee, native Of Fort Smith,
twenty eight years old, well educated,
married, and had three children. His
family reside near Weber's Falls. In
July, 1872, he murdered young man
named John Z. Neff, near Tahlequah,
for three hundred dollars. He con-
fessed the crime.
Daniel H. Evans was a handsome
young man of twenty-one, native of
Tennessee. He had respectable con-
nections i'll Missouri, Tennessee and
Texas. He murdered man named
Seabolt, III November last, near Culau-
10, Greek Nation. lie admitted that
he associated with outlaws, and III
connection with two others robbed q
wealthy man in the Greek Nation of
$4,000: $4,000 of this, he says, is
buried i'll Basque county, Texas. He
says he stuck pine stick in the vic
TINS flesh and set it on fire to compel
him TO tell where his money was.
When he was sentenced he sniilingly
rose and thanked .she court for the
courtesy shown him.
Wilmington was q native of Taylor
county, thirty years old, and has wife
and three children. He murdered q |
man named Jno. j. Turner, in Februa-
~ last, i'll the Chicasaw Nation. The
son of Turner appeared about the
time of the murder and captured him.
He died penitent and resigned.
Campbell the colored boy, was aged |
twenty, and native of the Choctaw |
Nation. He, in connection with two |
others, killed Lawson Ross and Maria
Mckinney, on the 18th of February,
1875. Some trouble arose between the |
parties at prayer meeting, when the |
three went to the house OF Ross and the |
woman and shot them.
All six of these parties were launched |
into eternity at the same time. Mar
shall Pagan and his deputies superin-
tended the execution. The gallows |
was erected close up in front of an old |
building. just over the trap was a
strong rope-beam, framed on posts and
firmly braced. The six men were
placed in line, standing side by side.