Men Executed at Fort Smith: 1873 to 1896
Execution of Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill, March 17, 1896
From 1873 until 1896, the federal court conducted executions on the grounds of the courthouse. The gallows scaffold was located against the southeast corner of the wall that surrounded the old fort.
From 1873 through 1896, eighty-six men were executed on the gallows at Fort Smith. All the men executed were convicted of rape or murder. After the Civil War, there was a mandatory federal death sentence in cases of rape or murder.
Of the eighty-six men executed here, seventy-nine were sentenced to death by Judge Parker. During Judge Parker's twenty-one year tenure, a total of 160 death sentences were handed down. Of that number, 43 were commuted to life in prison or lesser terms; 2 were pardoned by the President; 31 had appeals that resulted in acquittals or convictions overturned; 2 were granted new trials and discharged; 1 was shot and killed while attempting to escape; and 2 died in jail while awaiting execution.
Click on each date to learn more about the execution that occurred on that day.
August 15, 1873
John Childers
October 10, 1873
Tunagee, alias Tuni
Young Wolf
April 3, 1874
John Billy
Isaac Filmore
John Pointer
January 15, 1875
McClish Impson
Isaac Charles Parker, who presided as federal judge over Arkansas’s Western District; circa 1875. He was popularly dubbed the “hanging judge” because of the seventy-nine executions carried out during his tenure.
Courtesy of the Arkansas History Commission
September 3, 1875
First execution under the tenure of Judge Isaac Parker
Edmund Campbell
Daniel Evans
Samuel Fooy
Smoker Mankiller
James Moore
William Whittington
April 21, 1876
Gibson Ishtanubbee
William Leach
Orpheus McGee
Isham Seeley
Aaron Wilson
September 8, 1876
Samuel Peters
Osey Sanders
John Valley
Sinker Wilson
December 20, 1878
James Diggs
John Postoak
August 29, 1879
William Elliot Wiley, alias Colorado Bill
Dr. Henri Stewart
September 9, 1881
William Brown
Abler Manley
Amos Manley
Patrick McGowen
George W. Padgett
June 30, 1882
Edward Fulsom
April 13, 1883
Robert Massey
June 29, 1883
William Finch
Martin Joseph
Te-o-lit-se
July 11, 1884
John Davis
Thomas Thompson
Jack Womankiller
April 17, 1885
William Phillips
June 26, 1885
James Arcine
William Parchmeal
April 23, 1886
Joseph Jackson
James Wasson
July 23, 1886
Calvin James
Lincoln Sprole
August 6, 1886
Kitt Ross
January 14, 1887
John T. Echols
James Lamb
Albert O'Dell
John Stephens
April 8, 1887
Patrick McCarty
October 7, 1887
Seaborn Kalijah, alias Seaborn Green
Silas Hampton
April 27, 1888
Jackson Crow
Owen Hill
George Moss
July 6, 1888
Gus Bogles
January 25, 1889
Richard Smith
April 19, 1889
Malachi Allen
James Mills
August 30, 1889
Jack Spaniard
William Walker
January 16, 1890
Harris Austin
John Billy
Jimmon Burris
Sam Goin
Jefferson Jones
Thomas Willis
January 30, 1890
George Tobler
July 9, 1890
John Stansberry
June 30, 1891
Boudinot Crumpton, alias Bood Burris
April 27, 1892
Sheppard Busby
June 28, 1892
John Thornton
July 25, 1894
Lewis Holder
September 20, 1894
John Pointer
March 17, 1896
Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill
April 30, 1896
Webber Isaacs
George Pierce
John Pierce
July 1, 1896
Rufus Buck
Lewis Davis
Lucky Davis
Maoma July
Sam Sampson
July 30, 1896
George Wilson, alias James Casherago
http://www.nps.gov/fosm/historycultu...73-to-1896.htm
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