Goingsnake Massacre - Massacre

Massacre

The United States Marshals have one version of what led up to the incident, whereas the Cherokee nation another. Over time, various versions of the initial incident have surfaced, but all tend to indicate three particular facts:

• 1. The murder suspect, Zeke Proctor did object to a Cherokee woman being involved with a white man,
• 2. the victim Jim Kesterson had once been married to Proctor's sister, and
• 3. the victim Polly Beck was a love interest to Proctor.

Aside from these fact, the versions of the story are often quite different.

Some versions state that Jim Kesterson had previously been involved with Proctor's sister, Susan, and had left her for Polly, leaving Susan and the children destitute (it is said the children were not Kesterson's). Another version indicates Kesterson caught Proctor stealing cattle and intended to prosecute. Yet another version claims Proctor had been previously involved romantically with Polly, who was known locally to be promiscuous (dating several men, most of them white), and that he was in love with her. Another version indicates Proctor had never been involved with Polly, but was jealous about an native woman having married or being involved with a white man.

Whatever the reason, Proctor confronted Polly and Jim at Polly's dead husband's mill in the Oklahoma Territory, on February 27. The incident developed into an argument; Zeke Proctor produced a rifle and shot Kesterson in the head, slightly wounding him. Proctor then turned to Polly and fired, killing her. Zeke maintained his killing of Polly was accidental.

Stories diverge here, but one version says Proctor surrendered himself after the murder of Polly to the sheriff of the Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee judge Blackhawk Sixkiller was appointed to the case.

Chesterson, believing Proctor would not be convicted in a Cherokee court, appealed to the local federal court, asking that an arrest warrant be issued to ensure that Proctor received a trial in a non-Cherokee court in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Treaties with the United States federal government said that Cherokee Nation courts would have jurisdiction over Cherokee people, so the involvement of non-tribal law officers was seen as a threat to tribal sovereignty and was deeply resented by the Cherokee people. The federal court dispatched ten United States Marshals to secure the arrest of Proctor at the court house in Tahlequah.

Several Cherokees were prepared to protect their treaty rights, so the Cherokee court's trial of Proctor was moved to the schoolhouse, since it was seen as being easier to defend than the courthouse. All participants of the trial were heavily armed. Without issuing a warning, the marshals attacked the schoolhouse. In the ensuing melee, seven of the marshals were killed, Proctor and the Cherokee judge were wounded, and the Cherokee court cleck was killed.