How would you like to read these articles in your Christmas Newspaper? Van Buren Press Crawford County, Arkansas December 25, 1886 SAM STARR KILLED Fort Smith Tribune- Well authenticated reports have been received that this notorious Indian was killed on last Saturday and that his last act in life was to kill his slayer. A feud had existed for over fifty years between the Foreman and Starr families, in which many lives have been sacrificed. Ben Foreman was an Indian Policeman and assisted in the first arrest of Belle Starr, the wife of Sam. This only intensified the feelings of hatred existing between the parties. Subsequently and only a few months ago, Ben Foreman, with others, attempted the arrest of Sam Starr. A fight ensued, during which Sam was badly wounded and his horse killed. Sam was captured, but wounded as he was, succeeded in escaping from the guard and secreting himself in the hills near Younger's Bend, the home of the outlaw and his family. His wife, Belle, went to his aid and, placing him upon a horse, they swam the river and came to this city where Sam surrendered himself to the U S Marshal. Belle was afraid that Sam would be killed by his neighbors and has carefully guarded him. But it seems that on last Saturday night they both started for this city. After coming some distance they stopped at a house where a dance was in progress. Ben Foreman chanced to be present and soon he and Sam became involved in a quarrel about the horse which had been killed by the Foreman posse, Starr demanding pay for the animal. Foreman drew his pistol and Starr quickly responded. Their shots were almost in unison and Starr fell dead with a bullet through his heart. Foreman having his neck broken by Sam's bullet and dying in a few minutes. But two shots were fired, both fatal, and one of the bullets grazed the head of a boy standing near, inflicting a slight wound. The death of these two well-known characters will probably put an end to the vendetta which has so long disgraced the Cherokee Nation. BRANDED HIS CHILD-WIFE Texarkana, Ark., December 16.-James Howard, aged thirty-five years, was taken from jail here last night by a masked mob, carried a short distance below the town and hanged to a railroad trestle. Howard was arrested Wednesday on a warrant sworn out by his mother in law, charging him with maltreating his wife, who is scarcely fourteen years old. Howard and his wife were married last July. Mrs. Howard says he frequently tied her feet together while she was in a state of nudity, and, hanging her up by the bare feet, beat her unmercifully and threatened to kill her if he told any one of his cruelties. On November 1st, Howard took a branding iron used to brand live stock, and heating it red hot branded a large letter "H" on his wife's person in two places while she was tied to a bed. After suffering several weeks from these burns Mrs. Howard told her mother what had happened, and Howard was arrested. The sheriff anticipated that a mob would attack he jail last night and had employed extra guards, but the mob gained entrance while the guards were eating a midnight meal. Fran Alverson Warren e-mail: [email protected] 501-369-2703 http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/