Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: February 3, 1938
Name: William Smedley
Address: Poteau, Oklahoma
Field Worker: Gomer Gower
Interview: 12882

Interview With William Smedley,
Poteau, Oklahoma

During the Summer of 1877, I was living with my parents on Nail Prairie, Sugar Loaf County, Choctaw Nation, and, in company with several other young men, rode to Wild Horse Prairie in the same county to witness an Indian ball game which had been arranged to be played between contestants in Sans Bois and Sugar Loaf Counties.

Such was the interest shown in the outcome of this game that a large number of both participants and spectators had congregated at the ball ground on the day before the game was to be played.

As it was summer time, no inconvenience was suffered by those who slept about on the ground awaiting the arrival of the day when the momentous ball game was to be held. Among the early arrivals at the scene of the proposed ball game was a young man, an Indian, who later became very prominent in tribal affairs. As he, with many others, was stretched out asleep under a protecting tree, another Indian was observed stealthily creeping toward him and, after reaching his side, he drew his pistol and placed it quite near the head of the sleeping form whose life he was about to take. Taking deliberate aim, he pulled the trigger, but to his amazement, the pistol merely snapped. Although the pistol had providentially failed to fire, the noise of its snapping had the effect of waking the sleeping intended victim, who immediately grasped his Winchester, which had lain conveniently at his side, jumped to his feet and was ready to avenge the surreptitious attempt to take his life. The darkness of the night prevented his seeing his attacker at once but, within a few moments, he discerned a skulking form fleeing toward the open space where most of the ponies were grazing. Taking aim as best he could under the circumstances, he fired several shots at the fleeing form. These shots had the effect of awakening all who were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting and, as was to be expected, caused considerable excitement. All congregated around the central figure who had fired the shots and whose life had been so nearly taken, which enabled him to make a careful observation of those who were still present and to note anyone who might be absent. With the substantiating evidence of others who knew all those who were present when they lay down for the night, then he had little trouble in determining just who his would-be-attacker was, through his absence soon after the attack was made.

Such was the excitement caused by this episode that it was thought expedient to postpone the ball game until a future date and those, who had come from considerable distance to witness the spectacular ball play, returned to their homes unrewarded in that particular.

The intended victim was one of those who was to participate in the game, being considered an expert and fearless player, in fact, the leader of the San Bois County contingent. As may be surmised, he was in no mood to participate in sport so long as his would-be-assassin remained unpunished for the cowardly and unsuccessful attempt to take his life and upon the decision to postpone the ball play being made, after the disappointed gathering had dispersed to their several homes, he mounted his horse and made off in the direction of the home of the Indian whom he had suspected of disturbing his peaceful sleep.

Arriving at the home of that Indian, he walked, unannounced, into the house and found him in bed and with a wound in his leg. This disclosure convinced him of the accuracy of his observations of the night before. Upon being questioned with reference to the matter, the Indian, realizing that a denial of his guilt was useless, admitted that he was the one who had sought to take his life, offering, as an excuse, that it was in settlement of a previous wrong done him by his interrogator. That excuse proved to be of no avail and, although he was in no condition to defend himself, he was shot to death in his bed and thus was an unwarranted attack avenged in the late eighteen seventies in the Choctaw Nation. No tribal investigation of the matter was made as too many people who were encamped at the ball ground, and of which assemblage I was one, knew of the circumstances leading up to the murder and that, according to tribal usages, the killing was justified.

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: February 3, 1938
Name: William Smedley
Address: Poteau, Oklahoma
Field Worker: Gomer Gower

SECOND INTERVIEW # 12883

Origin and history of legend or story: Attendance of mixed race group on circus at Fort Smith, Arkansas, in which one of the party, an Indian, met with death.

During the Fall of 1877, a circus, after extensive advertising, stopped at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to exhibit its wonderful attractions. Then, as now, a traveling show had irresistible allurement. The blaring of the band instruments; the prancing of the horses upon the backs of which rode spangled ladies; the troop of elephants marching in the parade, each, except the leader, having his trunk entwined about the tail of the one just in front; the gaily painted chariots with their occupants, - lions, tigers, monkeys and various other animals from darkest Africa and Asia, followed by a herd of ill-tempered camels from the banks of the far off Nile. This array of pomp and splendor was flanked by clowns who, under any and all circumstances, drew the attention of the children as no other part of the spectacular parade could.

Too, then as now, the young swain living within riding distance of the place at which a show was billed to stop, deemed it a tragedy should he for any reason be prevented from attending at least one of the performances.

On the occasion of the show performance at Fort Smith, my brother, George Smedley, Dual MORRIS, Bill HARPER AND an Indian, Israel Morris, left their homes on Nail Prairie, in Sugar Loaf County, at sunrise, dressed in their best, and riding their best ponies, and set forth in gay spirits for Fort Smith, to be a part of the crowd which they knew would gather there to witness the parades and performances.

Arriving at Fort Smith, they put up their ponies in a convenient wagon yard and proceeded to mingle with the vast throngs of people who, like themselves, were on pleasure bent. Numberless saloons were open and did a thriving business. Many of those residing in the Indian Territory, as did the party of four heretofore named, where the sale of liquor was forbidden, quite humanly, partook too freely of that which was forbidden them in their home surroundings.

Late that evening, having spent all their money seeing the side-shows as well as the main features of the show and in the purchase of several rounds of drinks, they departed for their homes, traveling by way of the old Fort Towson-Fort Smith Road. They rode in two pairs and upon reaching a distance of about four miles from Fort Smith on the road, and quite near the old MCCARTY home, the horse which was ridden by my brother George, always more or less ill-tempered, grasped the jaw of the horse ridden by the Indian, Israel Morris, in his mouth and caused the Indian’s mount to fall upon its side, throwing the Indian violently to the ground. The horse quickly arose to his feet but the prostrate Indian could not be aroused beyond emitting a series of grunts or snores. The remaining part of the group, after many efforts to arouse the Indian from what they considered a drunken stupor, decided that his condition was the result of his over-indulgence in strong drink during the day and that to let him lie where he was in order that he might sleep it off, was all they could do. They tied his pony to a nearby tree and resumed their homeward journey, hoping that on the following morning the supposedly sleeping Indian would wake from his drunken stupor, mount his pony and come on home.

The McCarty family, upon arising on the following morning, being fully unaware of the occurrence, saw the Indian’s pony tied to the tree and a prostrate form lying near it. Their curiosity prompted an investigation of the uncommon sight which met their gaze, whereupon they found the Indian still in death. The matter was promptly reported to the authorities at Fort Smith who, after due examination, found that his neck was broken, presumably when his horse fell with him.

A full investigation of the entire matter was made by the Federal authorities, who then had jurisdiction in all matters where whites living in the Indian Territory were concerned, and the result was found to be, as related, the death of the Indian was attributable to the fall of his horse, and each of his companions on that occasion was exonerated from blame in the matter.