Cherokee County, from The Advocate, 2/05/1886
Cherokee Co. OK Archives 
Copyright c 2003 by: Mollie Stehno, e-mail: shoop@orcacom.net
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Cherokee Co. OK Archives. 
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The following was transcribed from THE ADVOCATE, Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, 

BLUE DUCK TO HANG

February 5, 1886-The Cherokee Advocate-Fort Smith, Ark., Jan. 30-In the 
Federal Court, late this evening, the Jury in the case of United States vs.
 Blue Duck and Wm. Christie, charged with the murder of a white man named 
Wyrick, in Flint District, Cherokee Nation on June 23, 1884; the Jury after 
being out over two days and nights, returned a verdict of guilty as to Blue 
Duck and disagreed as to Christie, standing eight for acquittal and four 
for conviction.
	Wyrick, the murdered man, was employed on the farm of Martin Hopper, 
a relative of Blue Duck.  On the day of the murder Blue Duck and Christie 
left George Scott's house, some three miles from Wyrick's, in company, and 
went to Hopper's house.  
Blue Duck was very drunk.  
Christie claims he went to see Hopper on some trivial matter, but Hopper 
was not at home.  
On the road Blue Duck had spoken of killing Wyrick, and wanted Christie 
to take a hand, but he refused.  
Christie dismounted and said he would wait until Hooper returned, and 
while Mrs. Hopper was gone to the spring, about 350 yards from the house, 
lay down on the porch, while Blue Duck rode off in the direction where 
Wyrick was plowing.  
Very soon five pistol shots were heard down that way, and immediately 
afterward the horse that Wyrick was plowing with came dashing up to the 
house, with plow attached.  
Soon afterwards Blue Duck came up on foot with an empty revolver in his 
hand, and after a trip to get his horse, came back, and refilled his 
revolver from cartridges in Christie's belt.  
He next shot at a boy named Billy Wolf, who came riding up about that 
time, after which he proceeded to the house of Hawkey Wolf and shot at 
him two or three times.  In the meantime Hopper and Christie had gone to 
the field where they found the body of Wyrick pierced with five bullets 
all of which had passed through him.  
It was difficult for the law officers to say who committed the murder.  
Hopper was arrested by which Christie told the officers Blue Duck's 
where-bouts and he was arrested and jailed. 
The Grand Jury failing to indict him he was released, but afterwards 
rearrested and duly indicted. Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat