George A. Foster
PROMINENT NOBLE PIONEER IS DEAD
October 24, 1908—Perry, Okla.—George A. Foster, 75 years old, pioneer peace officer and prominent citizen of Noble County died here Friday night.
Foster was the third sheriff to be elected in Noble County, taking office for two consecutive terms in 1899. For four years following he was a deputy United States marshal and later a special officer and detective.
In 1918 Foster became president of the First National bank of Perry and headed the institution for some time. For the last six hears he has been connected with the sheriff’s office.
Forster is survived why his wife, thee sons, Ralph, Perry and George Forster, jr. and one daughter, Mrs. Orville savage of Ponca City. Funeral arrangements have not been made.
Freshour, William W.
Uncle Billy Freshour, Enemy of Oil Field Hoodlums, Dies
March 22, 1932—Bristow, OK—W. W. “Uncle Billy” Freshour, the Tennessee “revenoor,” who drove the oil boom hoodlums out of Bristow, dropped dead Monday in a barber shop. He was 86 years old.
Made chief of police here in 1919, “Uncle Billy” warred on the undesirables with a billiard cue and a sawed off shotgun and kept the town peaceful after one fatal gunfight.
As a boy of14 he enlisted in the Ninth Tennessee cavalry and rode through many civil war battles with the confederacy. Later in charge of revenue activities in 36 eastern Tennessee counties, he was said to have captured 1,500 stills in 14 yeas. He came to Oklahoma at the opening of the Sac and Fox country in the early 90’s.
Freshour also served as a deputy United States marshal.
Six children survive.
“Uncle Bill”
August 26, 1923—Daily Oklahoman—The last of the old-time peace officers of the Indian country of what now is Oklahoma has laid down his star. If the nickel is rubbed and polished again it will be only as a reminder of the days gone by.
W. W. “Uncle Bill” Freshour has been retired as chief of police at Bristow and with this is marked the passing of one of the oldest active police officers in the southwest.
Uncle Bill, who is 78 years old, has been a peace officer more than fifty years. He has served in nearly ever capacity of a police officer, deputy sheriff, internal revenue officer and United States deputy marshal.
Desperate bandits and outlaws have come and gone in Uncle Bill’s time. He has met time in their haunts, eh has battled them through forests and over hills and now he lives on as a veteran of the past and an authority on human nature.
Freshour has seen a revolution in methods of criminal hunting. From the early day method of outlaw chasing he was witnessed the transformation to the more peaceful system of today as modern customs and civilization overtake the wild life of the territory.
‘ Born October 31, 1845, in Blount County, Tennessee, Uncle Bill has been a resident of what is now Oklahoma thirty-one years.
At the out-break of the war between the states he joined the Confederate army, enlisting in Company E. Ninth Tennessee Calvary as a private in John Stoneman’s brigade. He served the greater part of the war. He participated in the battles of Morristown, Greenville, Blue Springs, Bull’s Gap, Bristol, Abingdon, Withville, New River and others, without received a wound.
His first commission as peace officer was in his home county in Tennessee following the war, when he served as deputy sheriff one term. Then he became general deputy in the internal revenue collector’s office for the government, and had charge of work of the revenue men in thirty-six counties in eastern Tennessee. He led all the raiding forces against the moonshiners and counterfeiters and other violators of federal laws throughout his district. He held this position sixteen years.
In 1890 he went to Missouri and two years later when the Sac and Fox country was opened in Oklahoma, he came here and settled on a claim fourteen miles from the present site of the city of Bristow. For eleven years he served as deputy United States marshal under Marshal Leo Bennett, whose army of assistants became one of the most notable organizations of peace officers the southwest has ever known. In the capacity of a deputy marshal, Uncle Bill’s record comes next to that of “Uncle Bud” Ledbetter, dean of “early day” peace officers of the Indian country and new sheriff of Muskogee County.
Four years ago he became chief of police of Bristow, when a straggling oil town. Although Uncle Bill had experienced a hectic career prior to assuming this office, some of his most exciting experiences were found while chief of police of this city. Upon becoming chief, Freshour launched a vigorous campaign against an undesirable element that infested the city. As a result of his persecution against these violators, they organized to drive the chief from the city. A delegation sent him word that for the benefit of his health it would be best for him to locate somewhere else.
Instead of accepting the suggestion to get out of Bristow, Chief Freshour became more vigorous than ever against law violators. The climax to the war that waged came in the nature of a fatal gun battle. A crowd of thugs ganged found the chief on the street and threatened him if he did not modify his policy. In a fight that followed, Uncle Bill shot and killed one of his assailants and severely wounded another. He never was molested again.