Marshall County, OK - Newspaper Article - BOY, 7, THREATENED TO KILL GANG WHEN HE BECAME A MAN - Isaac Overton Lewis http://files.usgwarchives.net/ok/marshall/newspaper/gang.txt --------------------------------- Copyright © 2000 by Ella Brown ellabbrown@email.msn.com This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. --------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: Madill Record Historical Edition 1952 ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOY, 7, THREATENED TO KILL GANG WHEN HE BECAME A MAN Isaac Overton Lewis "If I ever live to be a man, I’ll kill every one of you!" That was a threat Judge I.O. Lewis, (father of F.L. Lewis of Madill and grandfather of Jack Reirdon of Durant), made to a gang of outlaws when he was a youngster just seven years old. His threats were pretty well justified--even if later events made it unnecessary for him to carry out the threat. Here’s how it all came about: I.O. Lewis’ father (F.L. Lewis father and Jack Reirdons grandfather) was Wells Lewis, a Welchman. He landed in this country at New Orleans, and his wandering spirit led him up the Mississippi river and then up Red River, until he landed in the vicinity of the present town of Colbert. There he married into a prominent and prosperous Chickasaw family by the name of Love. Sawed Lumber for Ft. Sill After the marriage, the couple went to old Fort Washita, where Mr. Lewis, worked as a stationary engineer. History records that at one time he supervised the sawing of a load of lumber to be shipped all the way to Fort Sill. It was while the family was living at Fort Washita that I.O. Lewis was born. When the mother died, the father took the children back to Colbert, to make their home with the Love family. A Negro couple, Charles Love and Bino Love, were the family servants. I.O. Lewis, than a lad of about 7 years, learned to love them. A gang of outlaws, posing as soldiers, came through the country in 1864, during the Civil War. Thinking that the Love family; had gold buried, they took the faithful family Negro, out and beat him and tortured him, trying to force him to tell where the gold was buried. Entire Gang Hanged Young I.O. Lewis saw all this and threatened quite earnestly to kill them all when he grew up. He was spared the necessity, however. Citizens of the community rounded up the entire gang, and proceeded to hang them, one at a time, just a short distance from the point where the cruel beating had taken place. The old Negro Charley visited the Lewises many times after the I.O. Lewis family lived at Oakland, where they had moved in 1888. The son F.L. Lewis remembers him quite well. I.O. Lewis held numerous important positions with the Chickasaw Nation in Pickens County. As a lawyer and Judge, he had a great deal of influence. Named For General He was spokesman for the Chickasaws on various trips to Washington on tribal matters, the Indians always referring to him as “The Sobe.” When Fitzhugh Lewis was born, a slight error was made in naming him. When the Judge told the clerk that he wanted to name his newborn son after General Fitzhugh Lee, the clerk took him at his work--and the name was officially recorded as General Fitzhugh Lee Lewis. It so appears on the original birth certificate, of which Mr. Lewis has a photo static copy. The notary public signing the document was J. E. Grinstead, founder of The Oakland News. Railroad Missed Oakland Judge Lewis did not build his new home in the town of Oakland when he decided to start the construction and it was all because of the location of the new town of Madill. Location of the railroad missed Oakland, and naturally the citizens there were resentful. Because he was a powerful figure, the Oaklandites believed that Judge Lewis could have persuaded the railroad officials to go through there had he so desired. Bitterness flamed over the matter. Because of this feeling, Judge Lewis, built his home just outside Oakland, to the south of the city limits. It was a big two-story affair with 10 or 12 rooms. Lumber for the building was hauled in from Denison, with mules. The home was completed in 1899. Judge Lewis owned a hotel where the Nazarene church now stands and a livery stable where the peanut warehouse is now located. Submitted by Ella Byrd Reirdon Brown