The record-union., 1897-12-03

ton to their present lands When he
was yet a young man he became
noted among his people as a hunter
trapper and fighter His first victim
was a man named Year-Old. a young
Indian with whom he became involved
III an alteration. He buried the body
of Year-Old and adorned the grave
with flint rocks A road now runs near
the rocky mound, in what is known as
Indian Grave Hollow" Not long after
the tragedy Proctor attended a dance IN
the Goingsnake District, and during the
festivities he became involved in 4
fight with two Indians named Jay-Bird
and Big-Drum. He shot Jay-Bird dead
and sent bullet through Big-Drums :
body, but the latter recovered.
This occurred just at the outbreak of
the war of the rebellion, and as soon as
Proctor recovered from his wounds he
offered his services to the United
States Government as a scout. in which
capacity he was power as spy, scout
and sharpshooter.
Subsequently Proctor jointed Captain
Scraper's company of the First Indian
Regiment At the close of the war
Proctor ran for Sheriff of the Going
snake District and was elected. Dur
ing the second year of his service the
Council of Chiefs, for some offense on
the part of Proctor, deposed him.
Shortly after he got into a difficulty
with one Jim Kesterson, in which he
brought his revolver into action. firing
at Kesterson, missing him and killing
woman spectator named HiIdebrand
He was arrested for the killing of Mrs
Hilderbrand, tried and acquitted. Then
he was re-arrested for shooting at jim
Kesterson. The trial was set for May
Is, 1872. He was held as a prisoner at
Goingsnake Court house. In the fore
noon OF that day Proctor was in the
courtroom with number of his friends
Among his opponents We're eight United
States Deputy MarshalS. By order of
the court, the men of both parties had
stood their rifles and hung up their
revolverS in the corners ON each side
of the Judges bench, but while waiting
for Proctor's case to be called. Sut
Beck, q nephew of Mrs. Hilderbrand
appeared in the Courthouse door vita
double barreled shotgun. He was III
the act of leveling it at Zekc Proctor.
u
Proctor, caught the muzzle of the gun
and pulled it toward him. Beck at
that instant pulled the trigger. ana
Johnson Proctor fell dead.
Beck then shot Zeke Proctor with the
remaining charge, but at that instant
some one from the outside handed
Proctor gun through a window and
he began to use it most effectively, al
though growing weak from loss of
blood. Both factions rushed to their
stacked guns and a battle at close
range followed. The smoke became so
SO dense in the Court house that the
firing was mostly at random, bur after
it ceased, and the smoke lifted. Dep
uty United States Marshal a posse
man and ten others lay dead on the
floor and in the yard. Proctor and his
friends escaped and were finally par
doned by President Grant with the
proviso that they cease their sanguin-
ary contentious.
Proctor engaged, soon after his return
to the Indian Territory, in cattle rails
ing. He took as a partner in this en-
terprlse married man named Wood
run OF Sloan Springs, Ark, just across
the eastern boundary. Their herds
multiplied and grew fat, but one day
shortly before the time for marketing
the beeves, Woodruff was found dead
short distance west of Sloan
Springs. Woodruff was popular in ST.
loam Springs, and in their Indignation
the people conferred their suspicion
upon Proctor as the slayer of Wood
ruff. The excitement grew, until a vi
GLANCE committee was formed TO
avenge the death Of Woodruff by"wait-
ing upon Proctor in body. A prorl-
inent citizen led the avengers down TO
Proctor's ranch. AS they approached
they house they saw him sitting out
IN the yard, surrounded by about
twenty Cherokees squatted on the
ground, every one of them with a VIM
chester across his lap. Very few words
We're spoken, and they were by Proc
tor. who, pointing to a spring branch
that flows near his house. shouted:
Don't you cross that stream!" They
took his advice, and returned to Sloan
Springs, and that ended the Proctor
Woodruff deal.
Proctor is still riding as Deputy Unit
ed States Marshal and with his record
as killer and the Government at his
back, his prowess is feared and his
authority espected.-Carl p Johnson
in New York Times