National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service: U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
 
 
Find a National Park Near You
Fort Smith National Historic Site postcard detail showing top of federal courthouse building on 6th Street
view map
text size: largest larger normal
printer friendly
Fort Smith National Historic Site
July 11, 1884 Execution
noose
Three men were executed in Fort Smith on July 11, 1884.  They had been found guilty of three separate crimes.  John Davis killed a traveler in the Choctaw Nation in 1883. Jack Womankiller killed a settler in the Cherokee Nation. Thomas Thompson stabbed and beat James O'Holleran to death, throwing the body in a well to escape discovery. Neighbors of the murdered man grew suspicious at his disappearance and mounted a search that located the victim. The motive for each of these crimes was apparently robbery.

You are exiting the National Park Service website

Thank you for visiting our site.

You will now be redirected to:

We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.
Portrait of Anna Dawes

Did You Know?
A woman was responsible for the building of a modern federal jail at Fort Smith, AR, in 1888. Anna Dawes, daughter of Sen. Dawes of MA, visited the "Hell on the Border" jail in 1885 and wrote an article describing its conditions. When read in Congress, money was quickly approved for a new jail.
Disclaimer Accessibility Privacy Policy FOIA Notices USA.gov

Last Updated: June 16, 2007 at 12:46 MST