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Fort Smith National Historic Site postcard detail of jail building with prison wagon in foreground and gallows to right
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
April 8, 1887 Execution
noose
Patrick McCarty was hanged on April 8, 1887 for murdering Thomas Mahoney and his brother in the Cherokee Nation. The Mahoney brothers were Kansas farmers who worked with a grading crew on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad during the winter. On February 17, 1886, McCarty was a traveling companion with the Mahoneys who were returning to Fort Scott, Kansas. When the brothers were alseep, McCarty killed them both, one with a gunshot to the head and the other with an axe. He robbed them of two teams and wagons and $200. McCarty's execution was originally scheduled for January 14, 1887, but he was given a respite while President Grover Cleveland reviewed his case.

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Lady Bird Johnson speaking at Fort Smith NHS dedication

Did You Know?
Lady Bird Johnson came to Fort Smith National Historic Site to dedicate the park on October 27, 1964.
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Last Updated: June 16, 2007 at 15:59 MST