The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1907-08-22
DEAD MANS GULCH.
Mysterious Murders, Searches
for Hidden Treasures and a
Bloody Visit by QuantreII
Among the Memories Of the
Dreaded Spot.

Atoka, l. T., Aug. 19.-No man
has ever travelled from Atoka to
Doggy Depot, twelve miles distant,
without getting that Creepy" feel.
Ing when he crossed Sandy Creek,
three miles out OF Atoka on the old
trail. This lonely spot with It's
deathlike stiffness by day and the
weird call Of the screech owl and the
yelping coyote at night, will occupy
place In the history OF Indian ter
risory as the scene Of probably more
mysterious murders than any other
one spot In It's borders.
Atoka Is one OF the Oldest towns In
the Choctaw nation, and Doggy
Depot Is another. In the early days
the trail between the two towns was
much frequented. Long ago the
crossing at andy Creek took the
name dead Mans Gulch," and to
this day no native OF that section
will make that crossing after night.
fall unless forced TO do 80. they go
miles out OF their way to avoid 1t.
Nearly forty years ago the bodies
OF two men we're found at this spot.
No one ever identified them, and no
one ever found out who killed them
or why. 1t was then the name dead
Mans Gulch" was first heard. A
few years later the stage driver, who
carried mail from Atoka over the
trail to Doggy Depot, was murdered
and his body was found in the same
spot where the other two had been
found.
Quantrell passed this spot in the
civil war and left his mark upon It.
He had found in the Choctaw nation
five men who were working among
the Choctaws trying to get recruits
for the Northern army. These men
had come among the Indians as
traders and were not generally known
to be representatives of the Northern
army. They ingrstiated themselves
In the goodwill Of the neighboring
Indians and then melted to Join the
Union army.
When Qnantrell found the trail Of
these men he searched the country
for them. They were chased across
the Choctaw nation, took refuge In
the Winding Stair mountains, were
driven westward and tried TO get
into the Arbuckle mountains in the
Chickasaw nation, but were inter-
cepted at Limestone Gap by squad
OF Quantrel's men led by a Choctaw
Indian. These five men were taken
to the trail and hanged at the cross
ing at Sandy Creek, together with
one Of Quantrell's own men who had
disobeyed orders in the treatment OF
the Indians. 1t was difficult for a
long time to get anyone to travel
that way even In daytime.
A STAGE ROBBERY, TOO.
Immediately after the civil war a
stage coach, with money designed to
pay government troops then station
ed near Doggy depot, was robbed
and the government money, as we'll
as all Of the money and valuables OF
the passengers, was taken.
Twenty years lstsr three men,
travelling in light spring wagon
and driving a fine team, stopped and
csmped for the night under the old
elm tree. 1t was she first time since
Quantrell had hanged the men that
anyone was ever known to have
stopped over night there. The next
morning the party was gone, but
there had been strange proceedings
that night.
The men had measured off $50 feet
from the tree and set a circle OF
stakes around 1t In a perfect circle.
1t was evident that they had used
tape line for the measurement. And
where they had set their stakes they
had dug into the ground. At the
end Of one Of the fines their search
had evidently been rewarded, for In
the bottom Of the hole. was plainly
seen the imprint Of q large pot, with
toes on the bottom, large enough to
hold at least five gallons. The pot
had been broken and whatever IL
contained had been carried away.
There was no more digging after the
pot was found and the remainder Of
the stakes were left where they had
hoop dslvon Tharo o-o ~n.,