Dallas Co TX - Dan Maples

Submitted By: Sadie Kennedy <bluffroad618@sbcglobal.net
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Dallas Morning News 6 May 1887

KILLED IN THE TERRITORY.

A DEPUTY UNITED STATES MARSHAL

Confronted By an Unknown Man and Shot Down at a Place Where No Danger Was
Expected.

TAHLEQUAH, I. T., May 5 - - Last night about 8 o'clock the quiet was broken by
twenty-five or thirty shots in the northern end of town. In a few minutes
there was great excitement. THE NEWS reporter hastened to the spot and learned
that Mr. Dan Maples, from Bentonville, Ark., a deputy United States marshal,
had been fatally shot by some one unknown, who seemed to be lying in wait for
him. Day before yesterday Mr. Maples, with Mr. Pelle, a son of Congressman
Pelle, of Arkansas, and Mr. Jefferson and a son of the murdered man started
from Bentonville to Fort Gibson, I. T., where Mr. Maples expected to make some
arrests. They stopped near a spring in the north part of town, where they
pitched their tent, not dreaming of danger, as they had no writs for any one
in this vicinity. About time to get supper Mr. Maples and Jefferson concluded
to walk to town for the purpose of getting some eggs and chatting with some
old friends. They remained in town until about 7:40 p.m., when they started to
return to their camp near the spring. About ten yards from the spring an old-
time foot-log had to be crossed. Just as Mr. Maples put his left foot on the
foot log, Mr. Jefferson remarked: "Look out, Dan; don't you see that man
standing at the other end of the log with his pistol pointing toward us?" Dan
replied, "Oh, he is not going to shoot." He had barely got these words out of
his mouth when the man fired a bullet square through his chest. The ball
entered the left lobe of his right lung, coming out at the backbone - - a dead
shot. Notwithstanding the mortal wound, Mr. Maples rallied and got up from
where he fell and fired three shots at his assailant without effect, after
which he fell and asked to be taken to Dr. Blake's, an old acquaintance living
in town. The assailant did not stop here, but fired in rapid succession eleven
shots at Mr. Jefferson, who in turn fired six at him. The assailant, having
emptied both his revolvers, ran about one hundred yards up the creek and
whooped. This was the last heard of him. Deputy Marshal Maples was then picked
up and carried to Dr. Binke's residence, where he breathed his last to-day at
12:30 p.m., although he received all the attention that medical skill could
suggest.

The reporter interviewed Mr. Pelle, who was at the camp when the shooting
commended. He said he was sitting around the camp not dreaming of danger,
"when I heard the shot not far off, when I hastily picked up my gun and went
to the scene, where I found Dan weltering in his own blood and Jefferson
attending to his. Jefferson and I just took a notion to rusticate a while,
both being tired of town. Jefferson is a livery man and I am a lawyer, and we
wanted rest and just thought that we would accompany Dan on this trip and fish
and hunt while Mr. Maples attended to his official duties. We were going right
on to Fort Gibson this morning had not this terrible calamity overtaken us."
Continuing Mr. Pelle said: "There will be sorrow at Bentonville and all over
Arkansas when the news is flashed around that Dan Maples has been killed. No
truer man lived. He was all through the war with my father, Congressman Pelle,
and made a brave soldier. Dan was at the battle of Corinth when my uncle,
Senator Berry, was shot and lost his leg. He and Judge Pittman were the ones
to pick up Senator Berry and carry him to a resting place," and the tears
rolled down his cheeks as he spoke.

Mr. Maples was a Royal Arch Mason. The Masons here are attending to the body,
so it will be taken home for burial. All citizens here deplore this tragedy,
and will do all in their power to bring the slayer to trial. No clew.