Legend of Katherine Cross Submitted by Linda Simpson greyoaks@brightok.net Indian Nations/Indian Territory Archivist ------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. -------------------------------------------------------- The cemetery was almost vacant the October day Katherin Cross was buried. Some people were gone to fight in the war. Some people were too ashamed of the way she had died. When her grave was filled, and the few who had attended left, all that stood was her tombstone. Katherine Cross dau of J.T. & M.K. Cross Mar. 13, 1899 Oct. 10, 1917 "Murdered by human wolves" Over time people would forget her name. They would forget where she was buried. They would forget if she had really even existed. But they would never forget how she died. Murdered by human wolves. As memories of Katherine faded with time, her death became a local legend. As the circumstances of her death were forgotten, theories of what her epitaph meant spread. Her body was found, shred to pieces. She was killed by werewolves. She was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. Now 84 years later, people still talk about Katherine. Konawa City Cemetery is seperated into two sections by a dirt road. The grave was discovered. The girl who had been killed by human wolves had really lived. But Katherine was only half of the legend. Who, or what, were the human wolves? Research into newspapers revealed Katherine's name once again, under the headline, "Second Charge," in the Oct. 25, 1917 edition of The Seminole County News. The short article stated that Dr. A.H. Yates, of Konawa was arrested for performing a "criminal operation," presumably an abortion, on Miss Katherine Ann Cross, who died as a result of the operation. The article ended by saying Yates had been charged two months earlier with the same offense. Dr. Yates and Fred O'Neal, a school teacher from Konawa were held in county jail for the death of 18 year old Elise Stone. Elise was admitted to Dr. Yates office on Aug. 15, where she remained for four days, at which time she was taken to his home. Her death, according to Dr. Yates, was the result of a "congestive chill." Although most of Konawa was satisfied with Dr. Yates decision, the few who were suspicious contacted County Attorney A.G. Nichols. Nichols and the county physician, along with an order by M.L. Rascoe, Justice of the Peace, dug up Elise to perform an autopsy in the graveyard on her. She had died due to complications from another "criminal operation." Just like Katherine would two months later. The human wolves weren't werewolves or any other supernatural monster. They were a doctor and a school teacher.