Volume 7 , Issue 17

1913 Murder at Ashley OK...

If you haven't bought your copy of Ila Wessels' history book about Ashley-Short Springs Early Pioneers, you might drop her an email or snail-mail the the address below. Did you know that Short Springs was named for the Short brothers who were members of the "Cherokee Outlet Livestock Association"?

AND... a natural spring lies in the area south of what is now highway 64 across from the schoolhouse. It is told that this watering hole quenched the thirst of cattle driven from Texas to Kansas along the "Kiowa Trail." A Small store and post office were located at this landmark with George Young acting as the first postmaster. 24 September 1897, the post office moved to Ashley but its use was discontinued 8 April 1908.

Ila (Marlatt) Wessels
RR 2 Box 52
Cherokee, OK 73728
Phone: (580)596-2966
Email: gwessels@akslc.net

Ila has some research of the "Murder at Ashley" - 23 November 1913. The murder had to do with Charles Bowers killing Jay French and wounding his brother George. Bowers was shot and killed November 1913, near Cherokee, Sunday night at about 11:00 o'clock -- Sheriff Duncan responded accompanied by Deputy Kincheloe to the place where it was reported to have occurred -- the French brothers shack, eight miles west and four north of Cherokee, on the east Hopper farm. It seems that Jake French had been killed by the discharge of a load from a shot gun, which entered the right breast, causing him to soon bleed to death. His brother, George, had been shot by another load from the same gun. That discharge striking George's left breast over the heart, BUT... it was impeded by passing thru a door, was not fatal.

According to a statement published in the "Alva Daily Pioneer" at the time: The shooting took place on the east farm of J. T. Hopper, and Bowers, who was employed by Mr. Hopper, had been there for three weeks sowing the place to wheat and the French brothers were boarding together. About nine o'clock, Sunday night Charley Bowers and Alpha Fullerton drove up to the house. The brothers had retired for the night. Bowers came in, lighted a lamp and came to the bed. Charley had been drinking and had a quart bottle half full of whiskey. He wanted to play cards and asked the brothers to drink with him. George took a drink, but Jay refused. They played cards for awhile (about an hour) -- George won $1.60. Afterwards, Jay stood in the doorway talking to to Charley while George went to bed. Jay said, "Well, you had better be going Charley, the boy (Fullerton) is getting sleepy." Then Charley said, "Put up your hands, Jay." That is when Charley fired a double-barrel shotgun at Jay then fired at George who had come up out of bed and across the room, but not before George got the door partially closed. George scurried through another door and hid in the bushes outside until Bowers left the scene. George then walked a half mile to the neighbor's, barefooted and in his night clothes for help.

The French boys were well known by many people of this area ans known as "threshermen" of the country... aside from this avocation little is known. George French was 48 years old and his brother Jay was 56 years.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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