He Hung 'em High: Seaborn Kalijah and William Hampton - October 3, 1887

n the first week of October 1887, a large crowd gathered at Fort Smith to witness the execution of two men, Seaborn Kalijah and Silas Hampton, convicted of separate crimes. The event took place on the infamous gallows of the Fort Smith federal court, presided over by Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the "Hanging Judge" for his strict enforcement of justice in the Indian Territory.

Seaborn Kalijah, a Cherokee man, had been arrested in January 1887 on minor charges. He was left in the custody of three posse members--William Kelley, Mark Kuykendall, and Henry Smith--by Deputy U.S. Marshal John Phillips.

When Phillips returned the next day, he found all three posse members dead at the campsite, each killed by multiple stab wounds.

Kalijah was rearrested, charged with the murders, and subsequently convicted. His execution on the Fort Smith gallows was a direct consequence of this brutal crime.

Silas Hampton, an 18-year-old Cherokee, faced the gallows for the murder of Abner Lloyd, a white farmer. Hampton had killed Lloyd to steal a pocketknife and $7.50 in cash. Upon his capture, Hampton reportedly pleaded with deputies,

"Don’t take me to Fort Smith; kill me right now," likely aware of the grim fate awaiting him under Judge Parker’s court. His plea went unheeded, and he was sentenced to death.

The double execution in October 1887 was one of eight instances during Judge Parker’s 21-year tenure (1875–1896) as federal judge for the Western District of Arkansas where two men were hanged on the same day.