He Hung 'Em High: James Casherago - July 20, 1896

 The gallows at Fort Smith fell silent for the last time on a sweltering summer day in 1896, marking the end of an era of federal executions overseen by Judge Isaac C. Parker.

The final man to meet his fate was George Wilson, better known as James Casherago, convicted of the brutal murder of his traveling companion, Zachariah W. Patch.

Casherago’s conviction was secured through a combination of witness testimony and forensic ingenuity--an early example of frontier justice relying on physical evidence. Suspicion arose when Casherago was seen wearing blood-stained trousers while in possession of Patch’s team and wagon.

Marshals soon uncovered the crime scene, where Casherago had attempted to conceal his deed by burning a fire over the spot where Patch had bled out after being struck down with an axe.

However, the unforgiving Oklahoma prairie soilrefused to erase the crime. The dry, cracked earth had absorbed Patch’s blood, allowing marshals to dig up chunks of blood-infused red clay, which were later introduced as evidence at trial. This rudimentary forensic work played a crucial role in securing Casherago’s conviction.

Judge Parker had sentenced 160 individuals to death during his tenure, though not all met their fate at the gallows. By the time Casherago was executed, Parker had effectively retired from the bench due to complications from Bright’s Disease, a severe kidney condition.

His departure marked the decline of the federal court’s use of capital punishment in Fort Smith.

Casherago was hanged on July 20, 1896, bringing an end to the grim legacy of executions at Fort Smith. His burial site remains at Thorn Cemetery in Greenbrier, Arkansas, where his gravestone bears the haunting inscription: "Only God Knows"