Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-03-19

ponent could fire another shot, jerked
his revolver and fired. The would
be marshal killer sprang up into the
air foot and then fell to the bot
tom of the ferry boat, shot through
the heart.
Then there were some untrust-
worthy marshals. some of whom car
ried whisky into the territory them
selves, sold II to full-blood Indians,
and then arrested their Victims and
look them to Fort Smith. where they
were charged with introducing liquor
into prohibited territory. But the
number of this species of officer was
not large. and It is not recorded that
any OF the old~time veterans of the
service were guilty of such acts. ON
of the boo.e introducing officers was
killed in Tahlequah II number OF years
ago, and in consequence of his death
several men were killed. one OF them
being outlawed. accused of the mur-
der of the officer, when, as IA matter
o. fact II is said the real slayers
were never apprehended. A short
time before this officers death he
was seen near the territory line with
twenty gallons Of Arkansas liquor,
preparing to carry or have 1t carried
over the line into the Indian country.
yet at the time of his death he was
lauded as IA brave and efficient Of
icer.
Deputy Marshal Dye, who for
number of years lived on a farm near
TahleQuah, rarely went out in quest
OF a man. Instead he sen. word to
the accused by some friend or ac-
quaintance that he had writ for his
arrest: that the accused would save
trouble ard expense by quietly sur
rendering and would be accorded
good treatment by the officer. Though
many writs were served by this Of
hcer he was never compelled to use
his weapons in making arrests.
Bass Reeves was n coal black negro
and he was a member of the marshaIs
force for some twenty years. Reeves
operated principally in the Creek
country, where there were many des-
perate characters and IN the per-
Torrance of his duty was compelled
to kill several Inen at various times
He was the only negro deputy who
attained special prominence as ter
ror to bad men.
Joe Payne.
Joe Payne served about twenty
years as deputy marshal. lie was
"A North Carolnian, more than six
feet tall, slender and wiry. His long
yellow hair fell far down upon his
shoulders and he had the distinction
of knowing the Cherokee coutry as
well, If not better than the Indians
themselves. Payne made or assisted
in making the arrest of large number
OF criminals, but SO far as known
never had to kill II man. He would
have done so near the mouth of the
1iarren Fork river one evening if he
could have seen his assailant A man
hiding behind a big oak near the
ford fired shot from a winchester
which ripped, through the front of the
officers vest, but the unseen assail-
ant, afterward said to have been a
member of the noted Christie family,
made good his escape. Payne event.
ually contracted tuberculosis and died
at his home in Tahlequah.
a picturesque member of the mar
shars force in latter days of the In
dian Territory was Ezekiel Proctor.
better known as 'Zeke" Proctor. He
was about half white and wore long
black hair. gaudy buckskin vest,
and a wide brimmed white hat. The
appearance of this deputy marshal
was rather terrifying. but there is
no record of his having made any
notable arersts But he had a record
as a mankiller from away back in
the turbulent days of the seventies.
AT least eight men had fallen before
his deadly ann, and. some people as
serted that the correct number was at
least twenty. He was tho central fig
ure/at n big fight in the old Going
snake district more than forty years
ago when twenty persons We're killed,
the battle having occurred at a court
house when Proctor was being ar
raigned for trial.
Deputy Marshal Irwin had the pro-
CliVitiCS of a detective. Early in rhp
seventies a white man was killed and
robbed a few miles out from Table
quah, then small frontier town. The
body was found in a thicket, with
bullet holes in the anatomy and the
skull crushed. There We're no clues, |
or at best, very faint ones. Years
passed away. and when the dead man
had been in his grave for twelve |
years the deputy whose name begins
this paragraph had business near
While performing his |
duties throughout the country he cas-
ually inquired concerning the early |
day murder. He gained some infor-
nation, continued his Investigation |
very carefully and secretively. and |
after tho passage of a number of
months considered himself warranted
IN causing the arrest OF two men.
Upon being confronted with the evil
1ence they confessed. though each
-ried to prove the other the guilty
party. They were taken to Fort
Smith, tried, convicted and hanged
-blooded manner murdered and
'obbed the traveller on the old trail
eading westward from the Cherokee
,apital.
A Tragic Death.
Deputy JOe Hemrichs met n ira eic