Notorious Desperado

Newspaper Clippings & Other Sources Some Indian Police Officers

Submitted by: Michael Tower mtower@telepath.com

Pontotoc County, Old Chickasaw Nation:

1877: ? McClain, Sheriff

1886: John Walner, Chickasaw, of Wynnewood, was constable in the U. S. Indian

   Police; in the 1890’s Walner was commissioned a Dep. U. S. Marshal.

1887-1893: James Frazier, Chickasaw, Sheriff

   Frazier’s Constables: Charles Stuart and Charles Strickland  (In

   1893, Stuart was appointed Federal Judge of the Commissioner’s Court

   at Ardmore while Strickland in 1893-94 became Sheriff of Pontotoc County.)

November 29, 1894, Chickasaw Enterprise

Shotguns and six shooters were in order on Smokey Row las Monday when Charles Strickland, a 'heap big Indian' with much fire water under his belt, proceeded to display his gun in a reckless manner and make himself a terror to the people. However, Deputy Marshal Jim Martin was on hand, and knowing that he had a bad man to deal with, just let his six shooter rest peacefully in its scabbard and brought out a big shotgun loaded with rail spikes, etc. and asked Mr. Strickland to hand up his gun. Which Mr. Strickland promptly did. Strickland was then helped into his saddle and asked to go home--which he promptly did. Stay with them Jim, and when you have to turn up a bad man's toes when he is terrorizing the town, you will always have good men to stay by you.

src: http://oklahombres.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5176036794/m/88310335411