Thomas Leroy Whitehead was the son of James Connor Whitehead and Alma Josephine (Davis) Whitehead.∼Frontier Peace Officer. On December 8, 1891, Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Whitehead and his posseman, Josiah Poorboy, were staying at Cherokee Nation Judge L. W. Shirley’s home in order to keep watch on the house of Annie Hitchcock. Annie was the daughter of Judge Shirley. A charge of adultery had been filed against Jim Craig in federal court in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The indictment alleged Craig had been sexually involved with Annie Hitchcock. Craig
had been arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal Charles Lamb but had escaped from custody. Lamb planned a way to recapture Craig by sending in an undercover operative to locate him. Thomas Whitehead agreed to infiltrate the area, locate
Craig and make the arrest. He was appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Whitehead appointed Josiah Poorboy, a young Cherokee, his posse. Annie Hitchcock asked Waco Hampton, an escapee who had been convicted of manslaughter, John Brown, a white man living with Hampton’s step-father, and John Roach, another young man who was friends with Hampton and Brown, to kill Poorboy and Whitehead. The three
men went to the home of Judge Shirley and Hampton called for Whitehead to come outside. The two lawmen came out carrying rifles. Hampton leveled a rifle at Poorboy and fired, while Brown fired at Whitehead who went down and died within minutes. Poorboy kept firing until he was shot and fell to the ground dead. Roach had been wounded and lay moaning on the ground. Hampton and Brown fled and were not found until January 30, 1892, by Deputy U.S. Marshal C.A. Bruner. Hampton fired on Bruner when ordered to surrender. Bruner had a double barreled shotgun and opened fire on Hampton killing him and his horse. John Roach recovered from his wounds and testified against Brown. Brown was tried and sentenced to hang by Judge Isaac C. Parker. After several appeals, on December 24, 1896, John Brown pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one year
in prison.
Deputy Marshal Whitehead is memorialized at Panel 36-W: 2 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
had been arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal Charles Lamb but had escaped from custody. Lamb planned a way to recapture Craig by sending in an undercover operative to locate him. Thomas Whitehead agreed to infiltrate the area, locate
Craig and make the arrest. He was appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Whitehead appointed Josiah Poorboy, a young Cherokee, his posse. Annie Hitchcock asked Waco Hampton, an escapee who had been convicted of manslaughter, John Brown, a white man living with Hampton’s step-father, and John Roach, another young man who was friends with Hampton and Brown, to kill Poorboy and Whitehead. The three
men went to the home of Judge Shirley and Hampton called for Whitehead to come outside. The two lawmen came out carrying rifles. Hampton leveled a rifle at Poorboy and fired, while Brown fired at Whitehead who went down and died within minutes. Poorboy kept firing until he was shot and fell to the ground dead. Roach had been wounded and lay moaning on the ground. Hampton and Brown fled and were not found until January 30, 1892, by Deputy U.S. Marshal C.A. Bruner. Hampton fired on Bruner when ordered to surrender. Bruner had a double barreled shotgun and opened fire on Hampton killing him and his horse. John Roach recovered from his wounds and testified against Brown. Brown was tried and sentenced to hang by Judge Isaac C. Parker. After several appeals, on December 24, 1896, John Brown pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one year
in prison.
Deputy Marshal Whitehead is memorialized at Panel 36-W: 2 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
Thomas Leroy Whitehead was the son of James Connor Whitehead and Alma Josephine (Davis) Whitehead.∼Frontier Peace Officer. On December 8, 1891, Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Whitehead and his posseman, Josiah Poorboy, were staying at Cherokee Nation Judge L. W. Shirley’s home in order to keep watch on the house of Annie Hitchcock. Annie was the daughter of Judge Shirley. A charge of adultery had been filed against Jim Craig in federal court in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The indictment alleged Craig had been sexually involved with Annie Hitchcock. Craig
had been arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal Charles Lamb but had escaped from custody. Lamb planned a way to recapture Craig by sending in an undercover operative to locate him. Thomas Whitehead agreed to infiltrate the area, locate
Craig and make the arrest. He was appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Whitehead appointed Josiah Poorboy, a young Cherokee, his posse. Annie Hitchcock asked Waco Hampton, an escapee who had been convicted of manslaughter, John Brown, a white man living with Hampton’s step-father, and John Roach, another young man who was friends with Hampton and Brown, to kill Poorboy and Whitehead. The three
men went to the home of Judge Shirley and Hampton called for Whitehead to come outside. The two lawmen came out carrying rifles. Hampton leveled a rifle at Poorboy and fired, while Brown fired at Whitehead who went down and died within minutes. Poorboy kept firing until he was shot and fell to the ground dead. Roach had been wounded and lay moaning on the ground. Hampton and Brown fled and were not found until January 30, 1892, by Deputy U.S. Marshal C.A. Bruner. Hampton fired on Bruner when ordered to surrender. Bruner had a double barreled shotgun and opened fire on Hampton killing him and his horse. John Roach recovered from his wounds and testified against Brown. Brown was tried and sentenced to hang by Judge Isaac C. Parker. After several appeals, on December 24, 1896, John Brown pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one year
in prison.
Deputy Marshal Whitehead is memorialized at Panel 36-W: 2 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
had been arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshal Charles Lamb but had escaped from custody. Lamb planned a way to recapture Craig by sending in an undercover operative to locate him. Thomas Whitehead agreed to infiltrate the area, locate
Craig and make the arrest. He was appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Whitehead appointed Josiah Poorboy, a young Cherokee, his posse. Annie Hitchcock asked Waco Hampton, an escapee who had been convicted of manslaughter, John Brown, a white man living with Hampton’s step-father, and John Roach, another young man who was friends with Hampton and Brown, to kill Poorboy and Whitehead. The three
men went to the home of Judge Shirley and Hampton called for Whitehead to come outside. The two lawmen came out carrying rifles. Hampton leveled a rifle at Poorboy and fired, while Brown fired at Whitehead who went down and died within minutes. Poorboy kept firing until he was shot and fell to the ground dead. Roach had been wounded and lay moaning on the ground. Hampton and Brown fled and were not found until January 30, 1892, by Deputy U.S. Marshal C.A. Bruner. Hampton fired on Bruner when ordered to surrender. Bruner had a double barreled shotgun and opened fire on Hampton killing him and his horse. John Roach recovered from his wounds and testified against Brown. Brown was tried and sentenced to hang by Judge Isaac C. Parker. After several appeals, on December 24, 1896, John Brown pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one year
in prison.
Deputy Marshal Whitehead is memorialized at Panel 36-W: 2 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
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