Ada, Ok., April 19 - With the lynching this morning about three o'clock at
this place of Jim Miller, Jesse West, Joe Allen and D.B. Burrell, charged with
the murder of Gus Bobbitt, ended what was for years one of the bloodiest band of
murderers in the state of Oklahoma and an organization of professional
assassins, that for a record of blood crimes, probably has no equal in the
annals of criminal history in the entire southwest.
The citizens of Ada were horrified but not in the least surprised this
morning on arising to find in an old abandoned livery barn back of the jail the
cold and dangling bodies of the four men, hanging from the rafters. When the
details of the quadruple lynching became known the entire town was in a furor of
excitement and for a time it was believed that violence to other persons would
be done, so frenzied had the crowd become, however the work of the lynchers had
been so thorough and so systematic and so little fuss had been made that there
was little left to do but to notify the relatives of the victims to come and get
the bodies.
At three o'clock this morning the guards at the jail, Deputy Sheriffs Walter
Goyne and Bud Nestor, were surprised and overpowered by the advance agents of
the mob numbering between 150 and 200 determined men. Nestor attempted to make
resistance, but was at once made to understand that no interference would be
brooked and was beaten over the head with the butt end of a revolver.
The keys to the cells were secured and the four men, Miller, West, Allen and
Burrell were taken out of the jail and to an old abandoned livery stable in the
rear where they were strung up one at a time to the rafters of the building.
Their hands were tightly bound behind them with bailing wire and the first man
to swing was Miller, and the others were hauled up in regular order. West was
the only one of the quartette to offer any resistance and he put up a desperate
fight when he learned what the mob was after. He was beaten into submission
after a fierce struggle which lasted only a short time, and later when his body
was cut down he was badly cut and very bloody from the beating.
Three others charged with murder were in jail at the same time, young Peeler,
nephew of Miller and two men charged with the killing of Town Marshal Zeke
Putman, at Allen, were not molested.
While the mob was carrying out its bloody work two of their number were left
at the jail to guard the officers and to prevent them giving an alarm until the
lynchers had completed their work. The deputies under guard were warned not to
make an outcry or to stick their heads out of the window for thirty minutes, or
they would be instantly shot.
Shortly before the mob appeared at the jail other members visited the
electric light plant and forced the employees on duty to cut all wires
controlling street light service in the city so that their work might be done
without fear of detection or interruption.
Some few of the members of the mob were masked, while the others appeared
with nothing to conceal their identity. It is believed by some that the mob was
organized by friends and neighbors of Bobbitt, while others are of the opinion
that many residents of Ada had a hand in it. Certain it is however that no
member of the crowd has been apprehended and apparently no efforts have been
made to establish any identities. Sheriff Tom Smith, of Pontotoc county is in
Roff today and nothing toward the apprehension of members of the mob has yet
been done. The justices' inquest on the bodies of the hanged men will be held
today.
Young Peeler, Miller's nephew has said that he would give out a statement for
publication this afternoon.
West and Allen were wealthy cattlemen of Canadian, Texas and formerly lived
across the Canadian in the Seminole country. During their residence there ill
feeling arose between them and Bobbitt, caused, it is said by Bobbitt having
forced them to leave the country on account of some crooked deals. A few years
ago they removed to West Texas in the Panhandle.
County officers here claim that they hired Miller to kill Bobbitt, turning
the money over to Burrell, who placed it in Miller's hands. The fear that
justice would not be done in the trial of Miller is said to have been the cause
of the mob's actions, and the information of the acquittal of Stephenson at
Norman for the murder of City Marshal Cathey at Pauls Valley is said to have had
an influence in causing the mob to act. Shortly after dusk last night, the
guards at the jail saw two men go through the old stable and look around,
supposedly for a good place in which to hang the men. The examining trial of
Miller was held Friday and he was bound over without bail. The trials of the
others was to have taken place Tuesday morning, but they waived examination
after Miller's trial.
R.F. Turner of this city, principal counsel for J.B. Miller had a telephone
message from Miller's wife this morning in Fort Worth. She said that Miller's
body would be prepared for burial in Ada and it would be shipped to Fort Worth.
She made arrangements with the First National Bank in Fort Worth to have
Oklahoma State Bank in Ada pay the expenses for preparing the body for burial.
Jesse West who was one of the men mobbed last night is about 38 years of age
and has a wife. He was reared in Indian Territory on a farm and his first
business venture was to embark in the saloon business in Potawatomie county
Oklahoma. The saloon was known as the "Corner Saloon," and was the scene of many
killings. It was on the border of Indian and Oklahoma Territories. It is said
also that West killed a man named Picket in Duncan about ten years ago and was
acquitted. It seems that Pickett had before that time killed a brother of West.
Jesse West and Joe Allen were partners in the saloon business. They sold out and
left the country with about ten thousand dollars. They went to West Texas and
bought many acres of the cheap panhandle lands. The land soon become valuable.
West recently attended the Stockman's convention and told a friend there that he
was worth $40,000. Allen had made similar investments to West and was said to
have from fifty to seventy-five thousand dollars.
John Williamson who was arrested in connection with the killing of A.A.
Bobbitt on the 27th of February has been released on a $2,500 bond. Oscar Peeler
who lives on the McLain farm west of Ardmore is in jail charged with complicity
in the affair. He was the only man in jail charged with the killing who was
spared. Peeler is a lad about nineteen years of age. His youth probably saved
him from the noose.
John Williamson, a man about 24 years, living at Francis is the person who
turned state's evidence. In his story he said Miller came to his house and
borrowed a mare. A deal was made between the two men for the purchase of the
animal. Miller gave him $20 and promised him $80 more if he took her and if he
did not keep the animal Williamson was to have the $20 for use of the animal.
Miller rode off from Francis and returned Monday before the killing on Saturday.
He told Williamson he was on a cattle deal and if he made it he would give
Williamson a job in helping drive the cattle from the country. He left the
Williamson home again and returned between nine and ten o'clock on the night of
the killing. According to his testimony Miller was restless and complained of
headache. Supper was prepared for him and he retired for the night. He coughed
frequently through the night and did not rest well. On the following morning
both Miller and Williamson took mounts and rode to Sasakwa some nine miles
north. While riding together Williamson says Miller told him that the cattle
deal was not made but that he had killed Gus Bobbitt and told him it would not
be well for him if he ever told anything.
Berry Burrell one of the men hanged could have saved his life probably if he
had been willing to tell what he knew. The county attorney had a talk with him
last Thursday and urged Burrell to confess and tell what he knew of the others.
This he positively refused to do. Burrell has a number of acquaintances in this
city. He has been engaged in the banking business at Duncan and at Cornish and
has dealt some in Indian lands. He is a man who was presumed to act as
treasurer. In the conspiracy it is charged that Burrell was to receive the money
and turn it over to Miller. A telephone conversation between Miller at Roff and
Burrell at Ada connected Burrell in a manner that the mob felt justified in the
lynching of him. Miller and Burrell were also seen together in Ada just before
the killing.
The loss of the wire clippers carried by Miller and the loss of the oil cloth
in which he kept his shot gun wrapped led to the clue that finally convinced the
officers and the citizens of Pontotoc county that they had the right man.
The man West who was hanged is said to have been nervy. He was afraid of
nothing and had had trouble with Bobbitt. A killing was expected for many months
between the two men and it is claimed that West and Allen furnished the money to
hire Jim Miller to commit the crime. What evidence the officials had to connect
these men with the crime is not known as their examining trials had not been
held. They were set for today but the mob's work last night sent their spirits
to a higher court for examination. It is said that a conversation overheard in
Oklahoma City connected West and Allen with the killing.
On the streets here and in the offices this morning little else was talked
of, but the lynching at Ada and many here knew well all the parties connected
with the affair.
The killing of Gus Bobbitt is well remembered, having occurred only a few
months ago. That Bobbitt knew who shot him was learned from those who are in the
position to know and who, since the lynching are willing to talk. When he was
shot by Miller from ambush he went home and told his wife all about it. He kept
his coat buttoned over his wound and told her not to talk to him, as he had only
an hour to live and that he wanted to take up what time he had left on earth
talking to her and giving directions as to the disposition of his property. He
had his will made and in it provisions for a large sum of money to be set aside
be used for the officers in running down Miller, whom he said had killed him.
Miller is said to have been careless of late and talked with many parties of
the many murders and killing scrapes that he had been in and it is said that he
had acknowledged to the murder of thirty one others and it seems was the master
workman, whose bullets sent to death those who fell out with him and his gang in
business and other crooked transactions. Miller is said to have been received
$1,700 for the murder of Bobbitt.
His last victim in this part of the county was Ben Collins, whom he killed
about three years ago, the occurrence being remembered by hundreds here. For
this job he is said to have received nearly $2,000. Miller is believed to have
operated with his gang over a large territory and in Texas as far south and west
as the Panhandle his record is written in blood.
He was a member of a thoroughly organized gang, that for unwarranted
bloodthirstiness had the Bender's of Kansas outclassed and overshadowed many
times. So thoroughly was the work of this gang done that none arose to
interfere, even the officers in this part of the state being a little shy of
taking up Miller's trial. He seemed to have little difficulty in securing
bondsmen when arrested for any of his crimes, which were all the way from cattle
and horse stealing to murder.
He was arrested in Texas by a well known Texas Ranger after his place of
hiding had been located and the man who it is said to have found out where he
was, was afraid to go with an officer to him to arrest him. The informant went
with the Ranger to where Miller was stopping, it is said and when Miller made
his appearance, the man said "that is Miller," and left the officer to make the
arrest as best he could.
There are dozens of men in this part of old Indian Territory, who it is
declared have never gone to bed at night without being sure all the curtains in
the house were down, fearing a shot from without the night from Miller or one of
his gang.
The wife of Miller's nephew told one of the witnesses in court the other day
that her husband would be dead in less than ten days, but at that time no
thought was had of a lynching. Some have even gone so far to say that the
friends of Miller were responsible for the lynching, believing that if justice
was not done in the trial that nasty and disagreeable things would come to light
that would implicate hitherto respectable citizens.
It is believed that with the lynching of these four men, Oklahoma is now rid
of the worst band of outlaws and murderers that has ever infested her borders
and beside whom the Starr and Dalton gangs and others of their kind were simply
petty malefactors in comparison. It will possibly never be known how many
murders might be traced to Miller and his associates.