Deputy Marshal R

R. J. Taylor, D. U. S. Marshal

Deputy Marshal R. J. Taylor

October 8, 1891--The Territorial Topic--Guthrie, O. T.--A letter received today by United State Marshal Grimes, from L. Shadley, chief of police at Pawhuska, detailing the manner in which Deputy Marshal R. J. Taylor met his death.

During the morning of October 1, Taylor was at the store of William Rogers at Skiatook, a small post office in the Cherokee nation about a mile from the Osage line. Taylor waited there to meet a young man named Ben Haney whose sister keeps house for Rogers. Haney arrived about noon and upon his invitation

Taylor went to Rogers’ house and the two ate dinner with Haney’s sister. Rogers and the clerks having eaten previously. After dinner the three went into the yard where they me Rogers coming from t he store with a gun. He swore at Taylor and ordered him off the premises. Taylor said all right he would go and turning to Haney asked in what direction he should go. Haney replied, “Go down the road to your horse.” Just then Rogers raised his run and fired, the load entering Taylor’s left breast. Taylor said, “My God, I’m killed!” and Rogers then fired again, the load entering Taylor’s right shoulder. Taylor fell forward on his face and when Haney raised his head he lived but a few seconds. Rogers now wanted a horse and left for the nearest railway station declaring he would go to Ft. Smith and give himself up. Taylor was buried by John R. Skinner, a friend whom he had requested to give him decent burial in case he was killed.

The killing was certainly a cold blooded murder.

Rogers, the murderer, is a half-breed Cherokee Indian who has kept a store and been post master at Skiatook for fifteen years. He is a prominent member of the Cherokee senate. it is very probable that he will adorn the end of a rope some day in the not distant future.

Dick Terry, D. U. Marshal

FORMER MARSHAL SHOT BY BANKER

September 17, 1910—Tahlequah, Okla.—C. L. Pratt, a banker at Kansas, Oklahoma, who shot and instantly killed Dick Terry at Tahlequah during the Cherokee payment, June 30, was acquitted for the charge of murder today, pleading self defense.

The killing took place in the rear of the old council house. Pratt was one of the bankers who had a booth there making collections from the Indians as they drew their money. He had trouble with Terry, a former deputy United States marshal and the latter had threatened to kill Pratt. He approached Pratt’s booth that morning and was shot down.

As soon as Pratt was released from jail he was spirited out of Tahlequah and accompanied by two heavily armed officers started overland to Muskogee, forty miles, to avoid threatened violence at the hands of Terry’s friend, who cherished a sullen resentment at the jury’s verdict Terry’s father and two brothers were in Tahlequah during the trial and many of his friends were there when Pratt was acquitted.

There were rumors that Pratt would never get out of Tahlequah alive and for this reason the officer spirited the banker out of the town and started him overland to Muskogee before Terry’s friends knew that he was gone. He will go back to his home at Kansas.

Terry was on of the deputy marshals wounded in the fight when Ike Gilstrap was killed by the Wycliffe, in the famous man hunt in the Cherokee nation, in 1906.

George Thornton, D. U. S. Marshal

GEORGE THORNTON KILLED

November 5, 1891-The Territorial Topic—Deputy United States Marshal George E. Thornton, of Oklahoma City, was shot and killed in the Creek country last Friday. Thornton and his posse man Fred Williams of Oklahoma City had gone there with a warrant for the arrest of the notorious Capt. Willie for horse stealing, and one for Mitchalee, another Creek Indian, for murder. Thursday night they went to the house of Willie, ten miles southeast of the Sac and Fox Agency. He was not there, however, and after searching the house they started for the house of Sam Lasley, another outlaw, some distance away. While they were riding along in the dark, going up the hill toward Lasley’s house, but sill about seventy-vive yards distant from there several shots were fired from in front of them. They rode forward a little ways, and the dismounted and stood battle. It was stills so dark that nobody could be seen, but the shots came from three different places in the direction of the house so there must have been at least three in the attacking party. Thornton and Williams returned the fire at every opportunity, and for a shot time, bullets flew thick and fast.

Suddenly Thornton said, “Fred, I’m sick.”

He then fired one more shot and fell over. Williams continued to fire until his gun was emptied, and then went over to where Thornton lay, not over ten feet away. He raised him up, but found him dead. Then he sat by the body until day dawned, when he went forward to the house to reconnoiter. The house was deserted, but Williams finally found an Indian who took the body to the ac and Fox agency in a wagon, when it was taken to Guthrie. Thornton had been shot entirely through the body with a 45 caliber Winchester ball, which had entered the right breast and passed out to the left of the spinal column.

The deceased was about thirty-eight years old, and no braver man ever lived. He had been an officer in this territory since 1887, and previous to that served in New Mexico and Texas. At the time of the organization of the territory he was a leading candidate for the appointment of United States Marshal. He was always active in his duties and hard at work. His father resides at Peoria, Illinois and his brother in New Mexico. The men who committed the foul deed were undoubtedly Capt. Willie, Sam Lasley and Mitchell, all of whom are desperate, full blood Creeks and criminals who should have been hung long ago. Willie was captured by the late Ed Short and Deputy Lillie last summer, but escaped while being held under guard at the Sac and Fox agency.

George Thornton was an exception to the average deputy marshal being very much a man, brave and highly respected. His body was taken in charge at Guthrie by his brother Odd Fellows, who conveyed it to his home at Oklahoma City, where appropriate services were held over it and afterwards sent to his father at Peoria, Illinois last Sunday.