This information is offered FREE and taken from http://www.okgenweb.net/~okcaddo/ If you have arrived here using a pay site please know that this information has been donated by volunteers in a joint effort to provide FREE genealogy material online. Caddo Co. OK - Newspaper Andarko Evening Tribune Submitted by Sandy Miller ============================================================================ 04-Apr-1902 John Gothers, A White Man Shot by Two Negroes J. Gothers, a white man, was shot yesterday afternoon at 3:15, from ambush at Wogan's camp, ten miles from Bridgeport, by two negroes. He died last night. About one week ago there was a free for all fight at Wogan's camp in which Gothers fired a shot into the three Negroes engaged in the fight, killing Lou Thompson, instantly. The other two Negroes swore vengeance and yesterday waylaid Gothers and shot him. One of the Negroes has small pox marks on his face and was rather large, the other has a hairlip. They took the trail east, but officers of the county will likely have them in hand soon. ============================================================================ 04-Apr-1902 Thompson - Curtis Feud of Long Standing Started by Divorce Proceedings Second Killing Napoleon Thompson Waylaid and Shot to Death by John Curtis, About Three Years Ago Tried and Acquitted In Saturday's issue of the Tribune appeared a brief account of the shooting that took place Friday in the northeastern part of this county, resulting in the killing of a Caddo half breed by the name of John Curtis. Following are the particulars of the killing and history of the old feud that led to the trouble. In the northeastern part of the county not many miles from the Canadian county line a family of halfbreeds named Curtis have resided for several years. They are cattle men and reported to be quite wealthy. In the same neighborhood lives the Thompsons and Smiths hard working industrious farmers but not possessed of as much of the world's riches as the Curtises. So far as known these neighbors lived harmoniously and at peace with each other until a few years ago. Some five years ago Miss Maud Thompson was married to John Curtis, and soon after trouble commenced. Curtis and his wife could not agree and she sued for a divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty. The case was tried in the court at El Reno and Mrs. Curtis was granted a divorce with a stipulated amount of alimony. Curtis soon neglected to make the payments to his divorced wife and he was arrested for nonpayment, and laid in jail at El Reno for a short time. The trouble between the Thompsons and Curtises became more agrivated day by day and finally culminated in John Curtis killing Napoleon Thompson and seriously wounding a companion named James Smith. This happened about three years ago. Thompson and Smith had been in El Reno as had John Curtis who left the city ahead of Thompson and Smith. About four miles south of that city, in a draw, he laid in wait for the others. Thompson and Smith were in an open buggy and were all unconscious of the fate that awaited them. When they approached Curtis rode out in front of them and turning in his saddle pulled his gun and began shooting at the occupants of the buggy not stopping until his gun was empty. Thompson was killed instantly and Smith shot through the arm and abdomen, but not fatally wounded. Thompson and Smith were unarmed and had no way whatever of protecting themselves from the fussilade of bullets from the half breed's gun. Curtis was arrested on a charge of murder, had his trial in El Reno and by some unknown turn was acquited. After the acquital of young Curtis, his father, soon after while drinking in an El Reno saloon, boasted that they had got one of the Thompsons and would get the other. Since that time all the parties interested have gone armed. Last Friday Andy Thompson and James Smith were at work in a field getting ready to plant corn, when the two Curtis boys rode up and opened fire on them. Thompson and Smith returned the fire filling George Curtis with buckshot and he died soon after. Smith was also wounded, but Thompson and John Curtis escaped unhurt. The shooting caused much excitement in the neighborhood and the feeling against the Curtises was very strong and for a time there was talk of lynching John Curtis but the feeling finally died down and now all is quiet again. Saturday Thompson came into Anadarko expressly for the purpose of giving himself up, but was seen by the officers and taken in custody by Deputy sheriff Burger and placed in the county jail. It is understood that Smith is under arrest at El Reno and of course will be brought here. So far as the Tribune has been able to gather the facts it would seem that Thompson and Smith acted wholy in self defense. None of the parties concerned are angels, but the Thompsons have always been law abiding and industrious men, while the Curtises have been considered as bad men, but the fact that they were wealthy gave them a standing in the community that could not be secured otherwise. No complaint has as yet been lodged against John Curtis so he is still at large but he will be the prosecuting witness against Thompson and Smith on the charge of homicide, or murder in the first degree. George Curtis, who was killed in the fight was buried at Minco, Sunday. ============================================================================ 18-Apr-1902 Henry Smith Released Henry Smith whose trial before Judge Ahrens a few days since resulted in his being bound over to ail without bail had his battle fought all over again yesterday before Judge Crum when his attorneys Glitsch, Randolph & Glitsch attempted to secure his release on a writ of habeas corpus. Judge Crum in a logical manner took up point after point of the case as brought out by the evidence and in a masterful way gave his opinion of the matter, ending by granting the release of the prisoner. Henry Smith was charged with the murder of George Curtis a few days ago in the Curtis-Thompson fight and Judge Crum's decision leaves him practically a free man, whereas otherwise he would necessarily have languished in jail perhaps until next spring as a term of court or a sitting of the grand jury is not an immediate prospect. Andy Thompson who was also charged with the murder, was released a few days since on a similar writ. Smith is still lame and suffering from the four wounds he carries as reminders of the conflict. =======================================================================