In the wild and wooly days before Oklahoma became a state, the Choctaw were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands and were transplanted in what was then known as Indian Territory. They were given land that would be theirs for eternity, according to the treaty’s they signed. This was an area outside of U.S. control. A sovereign nation for the Choctaw Indian was established. They quickly set about establishing their own court system, their own government, and their own police force, which was known as the Choctaw Lighthorsemen.
From the time of the Choctaw Removals in the 1830s to the Civil War, things went relatively smoothly. They made great strides in developing the land and in advancing their civilization. The Choctaw that remained in Mississippi didn’t fare as well, as they had virtually no say in the local or federal government.
During and after the American Civil War, Indian Territory quickly became an outlaw’s haven. While the U.S. sent marshals into the territory, and had a small military presence, the Choctaw Nation went mostly unguarded. The Lighthorsemen had jurisdiction over the Choctaw, but they could do very little against the white encroachment on their lands. White justice was left up to the military and the U.S. Marshal Service.
By 1907, at the time of Oklahoma’s Statehood, the Choctaw Nation had virtually disintegrated. While it still existed, it finally had to bow to the large influx of white settlers and control over Choctaw land.
The old Choctaw Jail stands as a testament to the early days of Indian Territory. Typically, this jail was used for minor crimes. The Choctaw had a strict code of honor. If a man was sentenced to death, he was released and given time to get his affairs in order. When the appointed time for their execution came, they usually returned on their own to face their punishment. A white cross would be painted on their chest and, if possible, the prisoner would be allowed to choose the person who would carry out the punishment. These executions took place in a gulley behind the old jail. The last man executed was William Going in 1899. Just behind the old jail was a large “whipping tree”. Lawbreakers would be tied up to this tree and would be flogged with a blacksnake whip.
The walls of the old jail are approximately 2 feet thick and were constructed from native sandstone. The stone was laid in such a manner that it not only laps the joints at the outside edge of the wall but it also laps the joints from the inside to the outside of the wall. It still has the original heavy iron door, which was made from flat bars of iron that is approximately ½” inch thick by 1 ½” inches wide.
The door was made in a lattice work design with a hot rivet being inserted at each crisscross. The studs for the home-made hinges are mounted in the stone wall and the door is still perfectly balanced. When the door closes, the slotted strap of iron that is permanently attached to the door still closes perfectly over the huge iron staple that is embedded in the wall on the opposite side of the door from the hinges. The floor appears to be the original floor that was put in the jail that was first built in Indian Territory Days. The coiling of the jail is lined with plate iron and there are 2 windows on either side of the building with each window having 3 sets of hand-fashioned bars. It is a mystery why any bars were used at all because the windows are only about 9 or 10 inches square and are not large enough for even a small boy to pass through. However, the bars were well installed having holes chiseled into the rock at the top and bottom of the window in which each individual bar rests.
The jail was used for Choctaw Indian prisoners and federal prisoners in Indian Territory, but not all prisoners who had been sentenced ware detained in the jail. Especially was this so of the Choctaw Indians who had been sentenced to be shot. They were not kept in jail at all following their trial but were allowed to return home and wind-up their business affairs after which they would return at the appointed date and place to be executed. They usually requested that their closest friend be allowed to do the shooting and in most cases a white cross was pinned over their heart as a target for the executioner. The Choctaw Indian's word was his bond, and there was never any doubt among the Choctaw officials that the condemned man would return for his execution.
There was a large elm tree near a hand dug well close to a ravine about 200 yards from the jail where executions took place. White men who rented land from the Indians, and who were to pay a portion of their crops as rent, but who failed to make such payment were often sentenced by the Choctaw Courts, and in most cases, upon conviction, were tied to this large elm tree and whipped with a "cat-o-ninetails."
The Choctaw Indian Rock Jail is located on private property; however, you can drive by and see it from the road. In the past, the owners have had problems and want to preserve the property they have maintained it for the last 38 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment