Oakie's NW Corner...
 65th
Freedom Rodeo... Congratulations to Lynton Gerloff, Freedom's
Old Cowhand 2002. Since we have been collecting Okie Legacies of
NW Okies & Old Cowhand's of Freedom, Oklahoma for the last couple
of years, we thought it only right that we should include Old
Cowhand 2002 - Gerloff's Story on our Woods
Co., Freedom pages with the other Old Cowhands 2000-
C. Dauphin & 2001
- F. Waldrop. We have gathered and put together a list of the
Past Honored Old
Cowhands from 1956 thru 2001. You can also view a list of the
Freedom Rodeo Past
Queens from 1939 thru 2001. The Cowboy
Cemetery located 12 miles North of Freedom on Wayne & Bonnie
Wares land has gotten a sprucing-up to mark the spot where two cowboys
(Fred Clark & Reuben Bristow) met their
unfortunate demise more than 100 years ago.
"Back in 1878... history records
and legend embellishes Fred Clark and Reuben Bristow as the two
cowhands working for what later became part of the huge Comanche
Cattle Pool based out of southern Kansas. Clark and Bristow were
dispatched to ride south into what was then Indian Territory in
northern Oklahoma near where the town of Freedom now stands. Their
task was to get salt from the flats on the Cimarron River and
haul it back to the ranch to be used for supplementing the diet
of cattle....." -- Cowboy
Cemetery
BUT... It didn't begin with the Wares! According to the
R. Estil Hill Family Story
in the 2002 Freedom Rodeo program,...
"On his property was a bit of history -
he had a single cedar post stuck up in the middle of his pasture.
He learned it was a grave of ranch hands killed on a salt haul
by Indians. So he built a fence around it, improved it over the
years, and his hired man carved words on a rock which Estil put
in cement. He then named it the Cowboy Cemetery."
Turkey Springs Battle... The Cowboy Cemetery takes us to
the Battle of Turkey Springs & Red Hills, September 13 &
14, 1878. In the August 15, 2002 weekly edition of The Freedom
Call, on pages 6 & 7 you can read the article written up
by Dr. Kay Decker. If you don't take The Freedom Call, then
you can view the scanned Page
6 & Page 7
here at The Okie Legacy.
The Last Armed Conflict... It was September 13 & 14,
1878. It was also the last armed conflict between the U.S. Cavalry
and American Indians in the territory of present day Oklahoma. It
seems that a band of northern Cheyenne left the Cheyenne & Arapaho
Agency near Ft. Reno without permission, fleeing north and westward
to their former homelands of the Northern Plains. It was also known
as the Cheyenne Outbreak or Dull Knife's Raid. It
was this Battle of Turkey Springs in the rolling red hills and canyon
north of the Cimarron River in Woods County (approx. 12 miles north
of present day Freedom, Oklahoma) where the Northern Cheyenne, led
by Morning Star or Dull Knife and Little Wolf met up with Companies
G & H, 4th U.S. Cavalry under the command of Capt. Joseph Rendlebrock
in the northwest parts of Oklahoma. It was while on scout that the
Northern Cheyenne encountered two cowboys with the Comanche Pool
Cattle Co. It was these two salt-haulers that were killed for their
guns and horses and buried in the Cowboy Cemetery, 12 miles North
of Freedom, Oklahoma..
There was a great, enthusiastic crowd for last Saturday's (Aug.
17th) Biggest Open Rodeo in the West, at Freedom, Oklahoma. We rode
into this Old West Town of Freedom in the early afternoon hours.
We missed the Chuck Wagon Feed, but we did get to the Arts &
Craft Show in the community building where we bought a walking stick
made out of a Sumac stick, w/eagle-head carved on the top of it.
BUT... Durn it! We missed the annual, staged bank robbery
& shoot-out that they usually have each year at rodeo &
reunion time. They didn't do it this year.
~~ Linda "OaKie" ~~
NW Mystery Corner...
 Sheriff
Hugh Martin, Jr. Testimony... This
photo and other info about Sheriff Martin came via email from a
great-grandson of Hugh Martin, Jr. We now know that Hugh Martin,
Jr. made the land rush into Woods County. We also found out that
his horse threw him during the Run and he got no claim. His father-in-law
Joseph Barnett and brother Lemuel Barnett made the Run as well.
Only Lemuel got a claim, although all of them stayed in Woods County.
Hugh married Ida B. Barnett and came to Oklahoma at the opening
of the Cherokee Strip, settling on a farm seven miles southeast
of Alva, near Dacoma area. He was Sheriff of Woods County during
two terms, 1909-1912 & 1923-1924.
Dr.
Saffold's Testimony... It
was during Direct Examination under Moman Pruiett (hired by the
law Enforcement League in the prosecution of N. L. Miller) that
Dr. Saffold testified, "The first time that I saw Miss Oakes
professionally was about the 1st of August. I think it was the second.
I was called down and found her in almost an unconscious condition
sitting in a chair. The first time, he asked me to go down to see
her. The second time he asked me to call on her." He later
testified that October 17, 1910 (three weeks before Miss Oakes
death) that he examined Mabel Oakes in his office.
Later under Cross-examination by L.
T. Wilson -- Dr. Saffold states, "Squire Miller told me that
he was not responsible for her condition when he first came and
asked me to examine her. He said he had reason to suspect that the
girl was in that condition, and while he was not responsible for
her condition he wanted to know, because if she was in that condition
everybody would think that he was responsible."
Dr.
Geo. N. Bilby's Testimony...
Dr. Bilby was sworn in as the State's sixth witness.
One of three Doctors called in to do post mortem autopsy. Bilby
was a native of Iowa; he lived in Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma;
he graduated from the Louisville Medical college, Louisville, KY.
Settled in Stroud, OK and practiced medicine since 1894. Came to
Alva in 1899. He had his Doctor's office upstairs in the building
on the NE corner of College Ave. & Flynn St. (where the Johnson
Ins. Co. is today). Dr. Bilby married Alberta Mae Stockbarger.
Their children were Afton, Paul and Lee. Dr. Bilby was an influential
Democrat and represented the Woods County District at the 1906 Constitutional
Convention when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. He was one of three
doctors that had done the post mortem on Miss Oakes body 9 November
1910.
State's
Opening Statement... "Now,
gentlemen of the jury, the evidence on the part of the State will
be in part circumstantial; will be in part circumstantial, not altogether.
The evidence will show that the deceased was strangled to death
by this defendant, N. L. Miller, and that he had several motives
for strangling and killing her."
During the interviewing of the Jury, there were
several jurors that were dismissed because they were prejudice against
the use of circumstantial evidence in a criminal case. If it was
wholly circumstantial evidence they would not sentence a man for
death. One witness was excused because he didn't believe that he
could make up his mind to sign a death warrant on wholly circumstantial
evidence.
The
12-Man Jury...
— John Chambers
-- Lived 10 miles south of Quinlan for four years. Lived in the
south and east of Woodward, out toward Mutual, post office was Pearl.
Came from Iowa. He was 26 years old, married man with wife and one
child. -- Pass for cause. 8 days, 60 miles.
— J. A. Hampton
-- Lived in Mooreland for four years. He was fifty years of age
and came from Missouri. Family consisted of a wife, one son, wife's
small sister that they raised since she was three years of age.
He read the headlines of this disaster in the "Beacon"
but did not read the article. He was assistant deputy in Missouri
and Kansas. 8 days, 20 miles.
— Harry McGriff
-- Lived in Mutual for 7 years. Used to live down at McGriff's Grove.
McGriff came from Kansas and lived in Kansas for 20 years. He was
38 years of age with a wife and baby. 8 days, 66 miles.
— J. T. Israel --
Israel was a forty-five year old man that lived in Mooreland since
he came there in November 1908. He has lived within a mile of Mooreland
ever since. He was in the farming business with a wife and five
children. two boys and three girls., with the oldest girl being
17 years of age and the youngest is four years. He came to Oklahoma
from Missouri, Schuyler County. Israel was asked if he was acquainted
with a Miss Miller that once taught school in Mooreland and at the
district schoolhouse a mile and a half east of Mooreland. He responded,
"No sir." He read something about the case in the Wichita
Beacon. 8 days, 20 miles.
— M. B. Wallace
-- a fifty-eight year old man that came from Illinois to Kansas
(Butler County, Eldorado) to Oklahoma. He lived 22 miles southeast
of Woodward for eight years last December. 8 days, 44 miles.
— Earl McDowell
-- He lived two miles from Mooreland, Oklahoma for about 10 years.
He was asked if he was acquainted with a Miss Miller who taught
school up there about three years ago (1908). He responded, "No,
sir." At the time he was a 33 year old man with a wife and
baby. He came from Cloud county, Kansas to Oklahoma. He had never
been to Alva nor took the Alva papers. He was in the farming business.
8 days, 26 miles.
— Ray (Roy) Halloway
-- He was a married 27 years of age man with three children. A native
of Stark County, Indiana. He had lived in the east part, Cedardale,
Woodward County 10 or 11 years. , 8 days, 64 miles.
— E. A. Yeager
-- A thirty-five year old man that lived four miles west of Woodward
and a native of Kansas that has lived in Woodward county for four
years. He has prejudice against circumstantial evidence.8 days,
9 miles.
— Lewis (Louis) M.
Philips -- "A man with a family of five girls and a boy.
His oldest daughter going on 19 years of age and his youngest was
five years. He had lived ten miles Southeast of Woodward for ten
years. He came from Flynn County, Missouri to Oklahoma. He had never
heard of what purported to be the facts in the case except what
he read in the Woodward papers." 8 days, 20 miles
— J.
A. Rhudy -- A native of Virginia. He has lived in Oklahoma 11
years. Mr. Rhudy is a 45 year old family man with five children
(3 girls and 2 boys). Oldest daughter is 18 years old. He had never
heard of this case until he came to Woodward. He heard of it at
Fargo. Rhudy lived 21 miles southwest of Woodward, in Woodward county.
8 days, 4 miles
— George B. Welty
-- A native of Ohio. He has lived in Oklahoma a little over ten
years. No relation to Don Welty of Oklahoma city. He read of the
case generally when it occurred. Welty is in the farming business.
He lives 39 miles northeast of Woodward. He had sat as a juror in
a murder trial before in Lineas county, Missouri about 8 years ago.
(One black man killed another.). He knew of two of the witnesses..
Mr. Rambo for 6 years, and Mr. S. P. Shearer. 8 days, 78 miles.
— H. C. Thompson, jury
foreman -- A 68 year old native of Missouri that has raised
three children, girls. He has lived in Woodward county for 17 years
as a merchant and a farmer, but not in any business at this time.
Has no prejudice against the use of circumstantial evidence in a
criminal case. He knew one witness... Mr. Campbell. He knew Judge
Wilson and Mr. Tincher over at Medicine Lodge or that part of Kansas.
8 days.
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NW OK Marriages - 1930-'45
Rose-Munroe ca. - June 18, 1938 -- Ella Rose,
daughter of Mr. And Mrs. F. P. Rose, 817 Center Street, married
Dr. James Munroe, native of Pryor, Okla., in Chicago, Ill., on June
18.
Raney-Slack - ca. 1938 -- Miss Florence Raney
and Joseph Lowell Slack, married at seven o'clock, Sunday evening
at the First Presbyterian Church.
Manuel-Larason - ca. 1936 -- Mr. & Mrs.
Van Manuel, Shattuck, announce the marriage of their daughter, Margaret,
to Bert Larason, son of Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Larason, Mercer, Missouri.
Bert is also a Ellis County rancher. The marriage took place New
Year's day in the home of the bride's parents.
Johnston-Henderson - ca. 1936 -- Vivian Johnston,
daughter of Mr. & Mrs. M. F. Johnston of Wellington, Kansas,
and Lehman Henderson the Lambert community, and son of Mr. &
Mrs. Ernest Henderson, near Cherokee, were married June 7 ca. 1936,
at the Baptist Church in Alva, OK.
Hall-Cook - ca. 1936 -- Mary Grace Hall,
granddaughter of Mrs. C.I. Overstreet, married Melvin Cook, son
of Mr. & Mrs. Walter Cook of Cherokee, Wednesday noon in the
home of the bride's grandmother, Mrs. C. I. Overstreet.
Shinn-Morton - ca. 1936 -- Coral Lee Shinn,
daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Fred Shinn, northwest of the city, married
Harry Morton of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Menu:
Linda K McGill Wagner
c/o WWW Publishing Co
PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122
Thanks! You can also view The OkieLegacy online. Copyrighted © 2008 by WWWPubCo & OkieLegacy.
All Rights Reserved.
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