Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-14
BLUFORD DUCK HANGED.
A Murder Committed In the Cherokee
Nation Is at Last Avenged on
the Gallows.
history Of the KiIling OF white Farmer
In tho Territory-whisiSy the Cause
of Another Foul Deed.

Special to the Gazette
FORT SMITH, ARK, Aug. II. President
Cleveland refused TO Interfere in the case
OF Blue Duck, who, while drunk, muir.
dered white man in the Cherokee ma
ton. He faced death with indifference,
and was pronounced dead nineteen min
utes after the trap was sprung.
MS CRIME.
On the 2Sd day OF June, 1884, a youna
white man employed on the farm of
Martin Hopper, an Indian, in Flint dis
trlct, Cherokee nation, was shot TO death
while engaged plowing In the field not
far from Hopper's house. His assassin
had emptied tue contents Of six-shooter
into his body, and he fell dead in the
furrow behind his pillow. Fer time the
whole affair appeared to be shrouGed In
mystery, and deputy marshals on duty in
that country could learn nothing definite
as to who committed the murder or why
1t was done. Information was finally on.
tanned, however, indicating that either
Hopper, VIM. Christie OF Blue Duck. or
all three of them, were guilty of the
crime, and as the latter was on the scout
the principal weight OF the suspicion fell
on him. Hopper was first arrested but
was dismissed after examination by
United States commissioner. Next
Christie was arrested on charge of In
Producing WI sky in the Nation, and the
marshal told him II he would catch Blue
Duck he wonld see that he was not prose-
cuted. lie accepted the proposition and
soon had Blue Duck In custody. On ar
rival here Christie was held as &C.
cessorY TO the murder of Wyrick,
and was finally indicted with
Blue Duck. At the trial in the latter
part of January last evidence was pro-
duced showing that Blue Duck and
Christie were both drunk and at Harpei's
house the day the killing occurred and
that one of them did It, Christie testified
that they went there to see Harper and
he was not at home, They asked for
drink of water, and Mrs. Harper, who
was the only person about the place ex.
cept little child, took bucket and went
to the spring some distance from the
house to get some. While she was gone
he Christie laid down on the porch aud
Blue Duck got on his horse
snd rode of. Presently he was
startled by six pistol shots in
the field and then the horse Wyrick was
blowing came running up to the house
with plow attached, aud not far behind
came Blue Duck, with O smoking pistol
in his hand which was empty lie had
| got cartridges from Christie to reload
the weapon, and after getting his horse,
mounted and started off whooping,
though not before he had fred one shot
at boy who came riding up Just as he
started. From there he went to the
! hr.ta ~ uxnrt- T.fE -.
! ing for more blood, shot at
| him, and to Wolf he stated
boosted of the deed to several parties, all
OF whom testified to his confessions or
statements, and this combined with the
other strong circumstanual evidence
satisfied the jury Of his guilt, aud they
brought In verdict accordingly, though
they disagreed as TO Christie, one of the
twelve wanting to stick him also. Next
term OF court Christie was tried again
and acquitted. Blue Duck was foe
looking young man, twenty-four years Of
age, with a fair education, and very
pleasant disposition when sober,
but when drunk was a perfect
demon and very dangerous. His trial
occupied the court about ten days, his
attorney trying to fasten the crime on
Christie and Christie's attorneys fighting
for their client by trying TO break Blue
Ducks neck, which they succe eded in do
ing. Many think that while Blue Duck
is guilty, Hopper and Christie had some
thing to do with 1t, but why the murder
was committed is not known. He made
no preparation to meet his fate, relying
on Communication of sentence up to Sun
day last, when he began to weaken and sent
for Rev. L Smythe OF the Catholic church,
who had been the spiritual adviser Of
Sprole and Kit Ross. He has CONSTANT
denied his guilt, and In his testimony at
the trial said he knew nothing about the
murder. His proper name is Bluford
Duck, but he has always been known as
Blue. He was 10 have been hung on the
Sd Of July, but was granted a three
weeks respite by the president, secured
through the Intervention in his behalf of
Chief Bushyhead and other high officials
OF the Cherokee nation.
There is one mystery In the case that
has never been cleared up, and that Is
the fact that the pistol with which the
murder was committed was the property
of Martin Hopper. II was known conclu-
sively that when Blue Duck and Christie
went to lIopper's house neither of them
were armed. Christie had around him a
belt full of cartridges that belonged to
Winchester rife, but he did not have the
gun with him. The night before the kill
ing they had been on a protracted spree
at the house OF man named Ross, where
they ana several others kept up their
drunken orgies nearly all night. Both
went direct from there 10 Hopper's on
the morning OF the murder, and by some
means the pistol was obtained after their
arrival there. Many think the murder
was instlgated by Hopper, who owed
Wyrick considerable for work and wanted
him out of the way. Blue Duck and Wy
-. Ia .,..-nr no a a diiiinnlNu Of any Lind