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Fort Smith National Historic Site early 20th century postcards of Fort Smith
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
June 30, 1891 Execution
noose
Boudinot Crumpton was executed on the Fort Smith gallows on June 30, 1891.  A jury found him guilty of having shot and killed his traveling companion.  Crumpton asserted his innocence up until his execution. His final statement on the gallows is a poignant example of the role alcohol played on the frontier.  He warned those at the gallows, “To all present, and especially young men; when you are about to drink a glass of whiskey, look closely in the bottom and see if you cannot observe therein a hangman’s noose.  There is where I first saw the one which now breaks my neck.”

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Interior of jail cell with box for prisoners to visit with their lawyers

Did You Know?
The conditions at the federal jail at Fort Smith were so horrible that it received the nickname "Hell on the Border." Up to 50 men were crowded into one large cell with limited ventilation and poor sanitary conditions.
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Last Updated: June 16, 2007 at 21:05 MST