U. S. Marshall Dan Maples

May 5, 1887, Daniel Perry Maples died. He served
the Court of Judge Parker out of Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
He was my Grandfather, William Burl "Bee" Maples,
first cousin. He died this day, serving the United States
trying to arrest illegal whiskey dealers in Indian Territory.
I can see the Maples look of my father in his eyes.

Ned Christie lived in the Rabbit Trap community of Indian
Territory with his third wife, Nancy, and a son from a
previous marriage, 13-year-old James. At the end of a busy
day, he liked to go downtown after supper to find a drink
of whiskey. Like many of his friends, he sometimes drank
too much. On December 24, 1884, he had been accused
of killing a young Cherokee man, William Palone, in a
liquor-related incident. Christie had been brought to
trial but was declared not guilty.

On the night of May 5, 1887, in downtown Tahlequah,
Christie met John Parris. A half blood, Parris had been
in trouble with the court in Fort Smith for years for
introducing and selling whiskey. Parris always knew
where to find a drink of whiskey.

He and Christie moseyed toward Dog Town on the
northern edge of Tahlequah. They crossed the
bridge over Spring Branch and passed Big Spring,
where a team and wagon were camped. The past
three days had been cold and rainy, but this evening
was clear and pleasant.

At the home of Nancy "Old Lady" Shell, they found
Thomas "Bub" Trainor, Jr., eating supper, all decked
out in a white shirt, ready to attend a local dance.
Trainor was one of Tahlequah's "Saturday Night Outlaws."
His family was well-respected, but Bub was wild and
reckless. Christie and Parris bought a bottle of whiskey
from Nancy. Not having a cork for the bottle,
she tore a strip from her apron to use as a stopper.
Christie and Parris left Nancy and Bub behind and
made their way back to Spring Branch. They came
across three other acquaintances, and soon all five men
were drinking.

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Maples and
posseman George Jefferson were at work in Big Spring.
John C. Carroll, the Western District of Arkansas marshal
at Fort Smith, had sent them to investigate the growing
illegal whiskey operations in the Tahlequah area.
Maples inquired unobtrusively about the matter. His chief
suspects were Bub Trainor and John Parris, and
he had warrants for each of them. Maples soon learned
that Trainor was the most persistent supplier of whiskey
in Dog Town and a frequent visitor to Old Lady Shell,
among others. Satisfied with what he had learned,
Maples used storekeeper James S. Stapler's phone to
notify Carroll. One of Trainor's associates, standing
unnoticed by an open window, heard everything. After
making the call, Maples walked with Jefferson back
toward their wagon camp. The moon shone brightly.
As they approached a footlog across Spring Branch,
Jefferson saw the muzzle of a revolver resting against
the side of a tree on the opposite side of the branch.
"Don't shoot!" he shouted. But the assassin fired. The
ball struck Maples in the chest. He fell but was able to
draw his revolver and fire at the man. Jefferson fired,
too. None of their shots found their mark. A few hours
later, shortly after midnight, Maples died of internal
hemorrhage.
(from: Ned Christie: Cherokee Outlaw By Bonnie Speer)

Cherokee Ned Christie was hunted like a rabbit until he was killed.
But truth be known ....he likely was not the killer of Dan Maples.