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Fort Smith National Historic Site Group by Fort Smith National Historic Site Welcome Sign
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
September 9, 1881 Execution
rope tied as a noose
Five men were executed on the Fort Smith gallows on September 9, 1881. The motives for their crimes ranged from mistaken identity to senseless violence. In August of 1880, William Brown, trying to defend himself against a man who threatened his life, fired at a shadowy figure moving toward him. Instead, Brown killed his friend, Robert Tate. Self defense was also the claim of Patrick McGowen and George Padgett, but juries found both men guilty of murder. Brothers Abler and Amos Manley shot and killed Ellis McVay, a farmer who offered them shelter for the night of December 3, 1880. Their motive was unknown.

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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 11:51 MST