The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-27
SIX DOOMED MURDERERS.
SOLEMN sPBCTdCLE IN AN AR
KANSAS COURT ROOM
-Four indians, Ono Negro, and Ono White
Man sentenced 20 Death for Cold Hooded
Murders- : he -toIiditx Of tho Pri-anrr-.

Man sentenced TO Death for Cold Hooded
Murders he Stoiiditv OF tho Prisoners
FORT SMITH, Ark, Feb. 21.-IIast Satur-
day morning six murdercrs, as brutal and as
hardened were ever seen in court room,
were sentenced In this city Nv judge
Parker 81 the United States District Court The
crimes for which they are to suffer were all COM
mitted In the Indian Territory. and some of
them were simply ntrocious. The first pris-
oner brought for sentence from the cells was
Aaron Wilson. full-blooded negro, Of medium
height. but OF herouiean build and strength. lie
| seemed rather intelligent; 1t Is said he read
we'll lie served i've years in the United States
| army, and was discharged only about year ago.
| Lust September an old man named Harris. some
| sixty years OF age, travelling from Nebraska
| TO Texas with his little son. Frank. He had a
good wagon and team. and a oonsIdc cradle guam
tity of provisions, arms, and other valuables.
| lie h ID nearly reached the wichita agency in
the Indian Territory, and there he enoampod
for the nignt. Wilson came upon the old man
aud his son In their sleep, and shot the old man.
| The boy, awakinc pteously begged for mercy;
| too, with his fathers rife, aud. to make 1t
| douDly sure, he then shot him again with pis-
| toll The murderer drove uf with the team and
goods to the reservation 81 the wichita In
| di ms, where he showed hts spOils and boasted
| to the red men OF his achievement Even the
Indians were appalled, by the Atrocious murder.
and would not accept the brides he offered them
| from tNe booty when he had carried on. IhcY
gave information OF the crime To the military at
Fort SUI, Hnd wilson was arrested. lie had pre-
virusly toll the Indians where the murder had
been committed, and there tho bodies Of bis
victims were found.
TRACKED ny A Doc,
Further evidence against him was n dog which
had belonged to the liarrises. and had followed
him and the toafn upOn hi. driving away from
the scene Of the tragedy. This animal was re-
co2n zed. though the team and the properly
could not be identified. The Judge, IN SEN
fencing him, addressed him IN most earn 81 and
affecting terms soemnly adjuriDg BIN TO re-
prnt nee In the brief time allowed him before
Tie day Of his ex cutlon, and rehcarsing feeling
| " and wildly the story 81 bis crime, Bu. the
murderer stood imnOy4ole, aud showed neither
! bY sound nor by gesture the slightest enot on.
When asked whether he had anything To say
why sentence should not tie Pronounced upon
the crime charged against him. and that he had
been unable to procure the Attendance vi wit
nesscs upon whom he relied 10 establish his III
nocence. Wilson was taken back To the prison
| by strong force Of Deputy Murshals, II being
Known lhat ne mao expressed ueteImlnatlon
not to TIE hanged. but rather to run the risk OF
icing snot In tr Ing to escape.
Three tull-bloodcd Choctaws. SIR ngly guard
ed, marched into the court room next, In single
file. They were n shabby set, two OF them uu-
| derzed, the third large and bury and all OF
them OF dirty dark color. with faces utterly
devoid OF intelligence. The first to receive SEN
tence was 1shan Sc w, about twcntv-nve years
old The Interpreter WIS Major John Page
who is al,o n fuli-blOoded Choctaw, but az DIFF
fcrent from the prisoner - MONDAY from mid
night, berg gentleman of due appcarance,
lie IL wei known IN this community and highly
respected. Ishan's offence wa, one of witch he
was Jointly guilty with Gibson lshtanubkee, who
was the next TO be sentenced. About four years
ago In toe territory Il the Chick1saw Nation
there lived an Old CEociaw doctor, ara
with him a colored woman who served as
HIS COOK. ono evening lshan and lsh-
lauubnee called at has hut AMI fsked leave
to l'dga thtre until The next day. Tn the
night one OF them srht the old Indian doctors
head ot.n WIN An sc, Willie ne Other be tho
woman 20 dca h with AN 81 gun barr ] That had
been used u keep the door of the cabin shut.
MrRDERkD rhnocGn wANroSNEss.
Inc only motive for Us I.y !ltus murder was
mnu- vaiunlles. These cons sicd OF "A few articles
Of uid clothing. rs for the Old wuman sue had
absolutely no eartuly wealth. she seems to have
been killed out ~ pure wantouness. or pc maps
t. leave no witness OF the crime. But It vas
only for her murder thatthc Offenders have been
tried and sentenc q. When both the us sassin
ma MS victim are Indians. and the crime Is per
petrated In Indian territory, It Is not within the
jurisdiction If a United 81 aies court. such was
tue case here so lar Is concerned the lnlian
ductor ana his murderers but the aged negro
womaa made thcm subIsct To United states .au-
th0ity; ytAerH ice they might have csc ped alto
eetner. Inc day after the mud r the hodies
were discovered Dy ne. how OF tne old hiedi-
on their trial hy skiilfui counsel, of whom enc,
| CD Campbell Lehore, Is hiMseli a Choctaw.
without apparent emnti n.
Oroheus .icGhee was tue last OF tho Choctaws
TO nc sen cnced. lie was one u three brothers
who lived on the Rod river in the Chociaw Ter
ritoD, ana long ovre most dneuvilble reputa-
lihi. WIN lntill llFth NpHei homer, "A nTutncT-
in-law, who was no whit behind them In bad
repute. Near them lived two brothers, named
Alexnl der, white men, who frequen;ly n-sis Ell
the officers 81 the law IA discnafeine their duty
by the McGhees. The latter nourshed det re-
sentiment for this Interference, and IN April lust
grained IL by numbering and robbing one Of the
AleXan-ers about a mile and a half from his
house. Homer was killed in the effort % cop-
ture MIN. one OF the McGhees was tried and
aCq lifted another was Killed while resisting
ON 'ers VINO were trying TO arrest HIM for
another offence. The prisoner the third Of the
MCluee brothers. tried found guilty.
TIE CnERoKGE.
Osea Sanders, fuil-blooded young Cherokee,
Of mediu u slzs and light complexion, was the
next To receive sentence. lie was tue only one
OF the six who showed am emotion on he ring
the death penalty pronounced. Hts crime WAS
Of XHss, $50, asssed by within Sr HatIe Is Sn
other Cherokee, he murdered lhos. H. Carlisle,
the Cherokee territory, near the border OF Arkun-
sas. In the porch OF his own house where ne
sitting with his wiie and children. san1ers had
been known to Carlisle and Hospitality received
by him, and his treacherOus attack was entirely
unexpected. lie and Matter carried on some
fifteen hundred dollars IN Cherokee national
scIip, and Sanders even stripped the dead man
Of his shoes, and two VS. aiterwlrd was found
TO resist arrest. s,nders belonged to the fnrd
Chcrgkee lio-imenl, and fought in It's ranks ON
the Northern side during the rebellion.
THE GEORGIAN.
The last Of the doomed mon was William
Leach, a native OF GEORGIA. and a white man.
lie came into The court room, IN an well built,
hoouN ~ wears Oh age anu OF an lntellgrnt dD-
peaIance, compared with the brutal faces that
had preceded him.. He served on the COnfed-
crate side during the rebellion, aud he looks a
strong, resolute. aud dangerous lighter. In
Mnrcn OF last year he shot n white man named
Watkins, wagon maker, living in Arkansis
pear the border line Of the Cherokee Territory.
Leach for some years has been living altogether
IN tue Cherokee nation. He Is thought 10 have
hred at Watkins from behind while tho latter
was on the highway. Dragging the corpse
90 nile Of logs by the roadside, he then heaped
wood upon II, and set fire 10 the rude funeral
pyre. Weeks niterward the murdered mans
bones were found, aud with them, unGonsumed,
his knife, the metallic button Of his fiddle bow,
aud some other articles, ike them, fire. proof.
1hev we're re ognized, and the deed was traced
10 Leach. In the laIter's possession were found
the sh os worn by Watkins, and his pistol, gun,
and other ariel les. Leach listened to his SEN
tence as entirely unmoved AS any OF bis com
panon- in the solemn ordeal.
shortly after the adjournment OF the court,
the six men were seen taxing dinner together
IN tine prison. and e,ting with evident relish.
Black care seemed far from their minds. lhsY
IRE " be hanged together ON the 2lst OF April.
Mormon COnrtahip.
from the SAT- Lake Tlibuns.
A Mormon by the name of Fulmer. who