Gallows-Fort Smith National Historic Site - Fort Smith AR
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 35° 23.260 W 094° 25.807
15S E 370113 N 3916974
When a jury found defendants guilty in capital cases, federal law mandated the death penalty. In Fort Smith, that meant an execution by hanging on a “crude and unsightly” gallows.
Waymark Code: WM14156
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 03/26/2021
Views: 5
From the NPS Historic Marker at the site:
Inscription: With the largest criminal jurisdiction of any federal court at the time, the Western District of Arkansas handled an extraordinary number of murder and rape cases. When a jury found defendants guilty in these capital cases, federal law mandated the death penalty. In Fort Smith, that meant an execution by hanging on a “crude and unsightly” gallows.
A visitor to the city in 1893 recommended constructing a new gallows to evoke the “sacredness and majesty of the law.” This was never achieved and a year after the last execution, the city of Fort Smith destroyed the gallows structure.
“I do not desire to hang you men. It is the law.” Judge Isaac C. Parker
Another historic marker at the site:
Inscription:
During the twenty-four years the federal executions took place in Fort Smith, eighty-seven men died on the gallows. While Judge Isaac C. Parker sat on the bench, 160 people, including four women, were sentenced to hang. Just over half received a reprieve from execution through pardons, commutations, reversals or acquittals on appeal, or death in jail. The men listed below were hanged in Fort Smith.
August 15, 1873 John Childers
October 10, 1873 Six Killer, Tunagee alias Tuni Young Wolf
April 3, 1874 John Billy, Isaac Filmore, John Pointer
January 15, 1875 McClish Impson
September 3, 1875* 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, Patrick McGowen, Abler Manley, Amos Manley, George W. Padgett
June 30, 1882 Edward Fulson
April13, 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 Kit 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 Seborn 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 24, 1894 John Ponter
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
Type of Device: Gallows
What is the approximate age?: 01/01/1873
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Associated Website: [Web Link]
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