Abstracts from Early Indian Territory Newspapers

Contributed by Sharron Standifer Ashton of Norman, Oklahoma



Another Murder -- We learn that another horrible murder has been committed just across the line. On Tuesday morning 22d ult., Alexander MCDONALD, a Cherokee man, was found dead, in a blacksmith shop, near WOFFORD's Grocery store, his brains knocked out with a hammer. By whom the deed was committed is not known, but suspicion rests strongly upon one of two white men whose names we [illegible] to mention until further information shall be elicited. [Cherokee Advocate, Thursday, 1 May 1845, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:2] 

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Lost on the 24th inst., at Fort Gibson, a small pocket-book containing Ten dollars in gold, one Warrant on the Nation drawn in favor of the undersigned, for One Hundred and thirty-five dollars on the 19th Feb, 1846 and one note of hand executed by D. J. BELL to Samuel MAYS for Forty-nine dollars and fifty cents with a credit of Ten dollars, other personal papers not recollected. Any person returning said pocket-book and contents to the undersigned or leaving them in the care of W. P. ROSS, at Tahlequah shall be entitled to a reward of $5. W. VANN, October 27th 1846. [Cherokee Advocate, Thursday, 29 Oct 1846, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:3] 

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Administrator's Notice--Notice is hereby given - Letters of Administration were granted to the undersigned on the 31st day of August, 1846 upon the estate of the late Jane WILSON deceased. Wm. WILSON, Administrator, Saline District Cherokee Nation. [Cherokee Advocate, Thursday, 29 Oct 1846, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:4]

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Drowned-- A young [illegible] named Moses McDANIEL was drowned week before last, in attempting to cross [illegible] Creek near Judge BROWN's, in Skin Bayou District. His body had not been recovered at last accounts. [Cherokee Advocate, Thursday, 9 Dec 1847, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation 2:1]

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Acquitted--The trial of KAH-LON-TO-TI-LA in Canadian last week, on the charge of having sold certain free negroes into slavery, resulted in his acquittal through the refusal of one of the witnesses to answer only such questions as he saw proper.[Cherokee Advocate, Thursday, 9 Dec 1847, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation 2:2]

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Our acknowledgements are offered to Mr. W. P. DENEKLA of Fort Gibson for his courtesy in furnishing us the New Orleans papers of the 16th. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:1] 

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A Cherokee named John ROGERS was murdered near Fort Gibson, on Thursday the 1st inst by a man named Shadrach CODREY. The murder was [illegible] with a rifle. CODREY made his escape. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:1]

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We are sorry to state that Mr. Jas. KELL was very badly injured a few days since at this place, by a fall from one of the buildings designed for Committee and Council houses. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:1]

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In consequence of family affliction Judge WOLF was unable to attend the special Court appointed for Monday in Saline District. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:1]

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A small boat navigated by [two] men, on their way to Little Rock, [- illegible -] Lewis ROSS; capsized a few nights since, four or five miles below Fort Gibson: As the boat went over Mr. SULLIVAN succeeded in catching a tree which projected from the river. In that perilous condition he remained all night. His companion clung to the boat was unable to swim is believed he was drowned. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:3]
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It is said that Wm CHISHOLM and Ann PINDER have been arrested on charge of aiding in the abduction of the negroes from the encampment at Fort Gibson some weeks since. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:2]

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A Cherokee woman, sister-in-law of Benj. JOHNSON, was murdered some nights since near Evansville. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:2] 

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Obituary Notice--Departed this life on Sunday evening the 28th of May last, at my Residence Thomas W. K., son of T. B. and Manerva WOLFE, aged three years and eight days. [poem follows] T. B. WOLFE, Tahlequah, June 3 1848. [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:6]

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Notice: Be it known to the several Districts of the Cherokee Nation, a young man, Jesse OO-QUAH-NAKER, was brought before me, Jay HICKS, an acting judge of the District Court of Flint District Cherokee Nation, charged with false swearing was tried and convicted on the 12th day of July 1848. The said Jesse OO-QUAH-NAKER is a man of common size, a fullblooded Cherokee formerly a resident of Flint District, 12th day of July 1848. Jay Hicks, JDC [Cherokee Advocate, Monday, 5 June 1848, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 6:6]

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Mr. Jesse WOLF, of this place, killed an Eagle on the 5th of this month, having claws an inch and three quarters long, and proportionally large. A few days before Mr. Wm. TURNER, Clerk of the Supreme Court, while [on] a turkey hunt at night shot what he supposed was a turkey which turned out to be a monstrous eagle of child-robbing size and strength. It measured twelve feet and a half, from tip to tip of its wings and weighed sixty pounds. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 16 Jan 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:1]

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Killed -- A few days since a young man named Thomas HILDERBRAND, was killed in Canadian District by a man name BLACKHAW. BLACKHAW remains at home, and awaits an investigation of the matter. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 1 April 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation 3:1]

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Murder Most Foul--The Columbus (Kansas) Independent of March 25th says: We are informed that Alphonse DELEAUX was brutally murdered near Ft. Arbuckle, in the Chickasaw Nation last week. We glean the particulars from a letter written by Mr. WEAVER, dated Sherman, Texas, March 18. Mr. DELEAUX in company with a Frenchman named BOOKA, about four weeks ago started for some point in Texas for the purpose of bringing up a lot of Nursery stock, when near Arbuckle, BOOKA, and a man by the name of SMITH murdered DELEAUX and threw him in the river after which the murderers attempted to make their escape and were arrested by a United States Marshal and taken to Van Buren, Arkansas and confined in jail to await their trial. The deed was committed for plunder, Mr. D. having on his person $1500 besides five horses and two wagons. Mr. DELEAUX has been a resident of this place for about one years, and was respected. [Cherokee Advocate Saturday, 1 April 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:8] 

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Fatal Accident- Mr. Lee SCHRIMPSHER, a Cherokee accidentally shot himself last winter or fall, and was confined to bed in consequence for some months. Last week he rode horseback to Chetopa, Kansas, to have a surgical operation performed on the wounded limb and after his arrival and another Cherokee making inquiry was told he was lying down upstairs and admitted to see him and found the unfortunate SCHRIMPSHER dead sure enough from the effect of the Chloroform. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 8 July 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 2:6] 

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Notice - Letters of Administration having been granted to the undersigned on the estate of Moses S. NIVENS, (deceased) to JULIA NIVENS, Administratrix, 5th June 1871. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 8 July 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:1] 


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Notice - Stolen from the subscriber, on or about the 18th of May 1871, one brown mule 8 years old, 15 1/2 hands high, branded on the neck with the letter S and also branded U.S. Anyone finding and delivering the above described property will be liberally rewarded. Walter AGNEW, Canadian District C.N. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 8 July 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:2]


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Administrator's Notice-- Estate of Henry SHAW, dec'd 3 June 1871, Nancy SHAW, Administratrix, Estate of Henry SHAW. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 8 July 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:2] 

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Death of a Prominent Man - The Hon. Pig SMITH, one of the Chiefs of the Nation and member elect to the Senate died at his residence about the first of this month. He has since the war occupied a prominent place in the Councils of this Nation. [Cherokee Advocate, Saturday, 14 October 1871, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 3:1] 
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Choctaw Intelligencer

Obituary - Died on the morning of the 8th inst. at his residence, at Fort Towson, Mr. Geo. C. GOODING, who has long been stationed as Sutler for that post. The deceased was extensively known, not only throughout this Nation, but the Army of the United States, and has always been held in high estimation and, no doubt this news of his death will call forth volumes of sympathy for his truly distressed and afflicted family. This death is as afflictive to his family as its news will be sudden and unexpected to his friends. The deceased was born in Portland, Maine, and has resided at Fort Towson nineteen years. [The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation, 2:6]

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A man by the name of MADISON and his sister were arrested by our vigilant Sheriff on Monday, the 22d of September, on a charge of stealing some articles from Mr. CROCKETT of the Choctaw Nation. As the crime was committed in the Nation, they were taken before the U.S. Commissioner, Charles A. HINCKLEY, Esq., who committed them to wait their trial in the next U.S. District Court in Van Buren. The prisoners were handed over to the U.S. Marshal on the 24th ult., and were lodged in the jail. (Fort Smith Herald) [The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation, 2:2]

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List of Letters Remaining in the Post Office at Doaksville, C. N., Oct 1, 1851 F G SCHRACK, PM 

BENTZ, JOHN
COLBERT, FRANKLIN
COLLINS, WESLEY
COCK, WM F 
COLE, WM
DUNCAN, COLLIER
DURANT, C
FRAZIER, DANL 
FOSTER, J K
FILWOOD E W dr 
FRAZIER, EAVIS 
GARLAND, JAS 
GARLAND, LEON 2
GARWIN, JNO
HARRISON, Z
HATKINS, G W 
JOHNSON, P B 
JONES, J M
KERBY, JOHN
SPARROW, JOHN
SPERLIN, JOHN
THOMPSON, G W 
THOMPSON, WM
TYNER, Mrs S 
WALKER, G
WISH, CHAN 
WOOD, Miss CATH 
WOOD, SAML 
WRIGHT, ALF jr 
YOUNG, ELIJAH
[The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation, 2:6]

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List of Letters Remaining in the Postoffice at Wheelock, Oct 1, 1851 H K Copeland, PM 
Maryann JAMES 2
Anna CAVENDER
Wilson MAYTUBI
Wilson VIRTON
Mr. MENTONBBI
Col Saml COBB 
[The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation 2:6] 

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Dr. D. H. GIBSON having accepted the appointment of Attending Physician at Fort Towson has removed his office to the Fort. He will always be ready to attend calls from his friends in Doaksville and the surrounding country. [The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation 4:5] 

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[Abstracts from Advertisements]

J. R. BRYANT & Co., No. 1 Commercial Row, Doaksville, Saddles, Harnesses &c. 
HENRY B. HADDEN, No. 1 Well Place, Tin and Sheet Iron Manufactory. 
BERTHELET & JONES, Red Store, No. 5 Commercial Row, Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots & Shoes and Sadlery. 
P. COLBERT, S. FOLSOM, Agents [dry goods, groceries, etc.] 
F. J. MURPHY, Daguerrean ArtistÑRespectfully offers his services to the citizens of Doaksville and vicinity for a few [illegible]. 
ERVING & RIBBLE, Wagon Making. 
L. D. ALSOBROOK BERTHELET & JONES, Doaksville, C. N. [agents for] OGLESBY & GRISWOLD, Receiving & Forwarding and Grocery Merchants, Shreveport, LA
[The Choctaw Intelligencer, Wednesday, 15 October 1851, Doaksville, Choctaw Nation]