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Proud Dalton, D. U. S. Marshal

ANOTHER DEPUTY KILLED

 Vinita, I. T.--December 8, 1887—One week ago Deputy Marshal Proud Dalton was killed by Will Lowery a desperado.  The latter was located at a point   five miles from Atoka, and early yesterday morning Deputy Marshal Ed Stockley went with a posse to affect the outlaw’s arrest.  As soon as the officers arrived at the house Lowery opened the door and shot Stockley in the left side near the heart.  Before falling Stockley returned fire and his posse also opened on the outlaw at the same time and disabled him. The officer died in ten minutes, and at last report Lowery’s recovery was not expected.

A DESPERATE BATTLE

At Atoka, I. T., Between United States Marshals and a Desperado—Two Men Killed  

December 10, 1887 —The Purcell Register—E. A. Stokley, deputy United States marshal, was killed at 7 o’clock Saturday morning, five miles from Atoka, at the residence of old man Towerly, by the noted boy horse thief and murderer, Bill Towerly.

            Deputy Marshal Stokley, in connection with William Moody, John McAllister and James Wallace, went to the house of the father of young Towerly who they were intending to arrest for assisting in the murder of deputy United States marshal, Dalton, who was killed near Fort Smith on the 27^th of November last.  Young Towerly had arrived at his father’s late Friday night, of which fact the deputy marshals were very soon informed, and by 7 o’clock Saturday morning they had surrounded the house, at which time, Bill Towerly appeared in the yard and opened fire on them.  Stokley shot him thorough the leg (not desiring to kill him, and with the expectation of taking him alive), and assistant Marshal Moody shot him in the right shoulder.  These wound caused him to fall to the ground and drop his revolver which he quickly grasped with his left hand, and when Stokley ran up to him he was shot twice by the fiend before he could be dispatched.  One ball, a .45 caliber, passed through Stokley’s body entering near the heart, while the second one that passed through entered the body above and near the right groin. Stokey lived but a few minutes after the received the fatal shot.

            Towlery kept up the fusillade until he empted his revolver which he then threw toward his father, who was near by at the time, requesting the father to load it for him, and hand it back that he might kill the whole posse.

            During all this time he was being fired at by William Moody, who had approached near the desperado at the out-set, but was retarded from doing very effective shooting for awhile by the mother and sister of young Towerly. They having taken hold of Moody, and continued to push him back, clawing the skin off his hands, and finally getting him in the house and closing the door on him.  Moody then shot at the fiend through the window until the wretch was disabled so as he could do no further damage.  Towerly received eight gun shot wounds from which he died at 7 o’clock this evening.

            Towerly was but twenty years old, and was one of the hardest characters in the Territory, being a noted horse thief and murderer.

            Ed Stokley, the deceased marshal, was one of the coolest and bravest officers in the service.  He was twenty-seven years old, and when at home lived with his father near Marietta, I. T.  He has been connected with the public service, more or less, for the last two years, and last June was appointed United State deputy marshal and has had a posse with him since.  He was widely known and well liked by all good people and law and order citizens.  He was to have been married on the 25^th of next January to Miss Josie Peterman who resides hear Calisbury, this county. The body was brought to Gainesville over the Missouri Pacific, Sunday afternoon, and taken to the house of Harvey Hulen, where it was kept till time for burial, 10 o’clock a.m., Monday.

            A large procession followed the deceased to the city cemetery, where the body was interred.

            Mr. Stokley lost his life trying to save the life of the desperado whom he was trying to capture; for had he desired to shoot him down on sight he could have done so but by his clemency shown the brute Towery, he lost his own life; and a braver boy, nor a more vigilant and trusty young man never gave his life for a any case in the faithful discharge of his official duty.

            This makes fifteen United States marshals attacked and killed in the Indian Territory during the past two years.