, 1891-06-19
COLD FLOODED MURDER
Strangers Lured to Death in
the Cherokee Nation.
People in the NeighbOrhOOd
Greatly Excited.
Iron Nerve of a Man |Shamming
UncOnsciOusness.
Lured to rherr Death.

Fort SMITH, Ark, June lS.-A sen
s%ational double murder has Just been I'M
earthed in the Cherokee nation, about
twenty-five miles from Tulsa. John Bird,
Willie Westmoreland aud John eagle
were lodged in the United States Jail this
afternoon, charged with participating in
the murder IN February, 1890. Sherman
Phelps. a mere boy, was working for
Noah Westmoreland, who liYes on the
Cherokee strip, at the mouth OF the
CImarron river. One afternoon two men
came down the river in a boat and tied up
near Westmorelaud's. They got some
meal from him and offered a $50 bill in
payment. Westmoreland could not make
the change aud gave them the meal.
They prepared to remain there for the
night, and Just before dark WestmOreland
gent down and invited them to 10 out on
a turkey hunt, representing that they had
a roost located. The strangers assented
and the party. composed OF Noah West
moreland. John Bird. Sherman West
mureland. Willie Westm Ireland, John
eagle, Geo. Auspaw, Sherman Phelps
and the two strangers, started. Arriving
at a point three miles from the starting
place the Westmoreland party fired a vol
ley into the strangers, killing them in
stantly. They made young Phelps 10
through the pockets Of the dead men and
hand out their purses. Then they put
one of their victims across a horse and
made Phelps take hun to Salt creek,
where heavy stones were attached to the
body and it was sunk in the creek. The
body Of their other victim was disposed Of
in the same way. They hen warned
PhelDs that it he ever said a word about
the affair they would kill hun, and alter
getting Jack to the house they put a rope
around his neck aud told him if he
''peached' that was the way they
would do him. Phelps renamed
there for some time, but finally got
work on the opposite side OF the river with
Abe Ackley. He kept his bloody secret
until two or three weeks ago, when he
told Ackley the story. Ackley at once
got IN a boat with the boy and brought
him to this city, aud the case, as above
stated, was laid before the United States
court. Writs we're issued, and the boy
went with DEPUTY Marshals Councils and
YOes to the scene, where they arrested
the three prisoners above named. Phelps
took the officers to the spot on Salt creek
where he had thrown the bodies in the
river, but the water was too high to make
a successful search for them Phelps says
he has no idea how much money they
got from the strangers, though he had
heard Ansraw remark that $50 was
mighty little to make on such a raid. A
thorough search will be made for the
bodies as soon as the waters go down
Marshal White found evidences around
the Westmoreland ranch that would indi-
cate a regular Bender family. He brought
in a number of human bones that he had
picked up IN the rocky defles of the woods
and also found an old grip that had been
cut open, old clothing, ttc. Young
Phelps came back today with the officers,
being afraid to remain there after giving
up his secret. The other parties con
nected with the murder will be arrested as
soon as the bodies are found. The people
IN the Westmoreland neighbOrhoOd are
greatly stirred up over the matter. aud it
will be thoroughly investigated. Who the
murdered men were is not known. Phelps
describes one of them as a li~pht-complex-
Toned man with thin wIriskers, about 43
years old. The other was apparently %
wears of age, dark complexion, light
mustache. Both we're commonly though
comfortably dressed.