Our Arklahoma Heritage: Cherokee Deputy, 32, was killed in a shootout on Six Mile Creek in the Tahlequah District
- Dennis McCaslin
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
In the lawless region of late 19th-century Indian Territory, where tribal lands straddled what would become the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, Sequoyah Houston served as a dedicated Cherokee Nation deputy sheriff.
At age 32, he lost his life in a fierce gunfight while attempting to arrest notorious outlaw Crawford "Cherokee Bill" Goldsby. His death on June 17, 1894, marked a tragic but heroic moment in the region's history.
Born around 1862 in the Cherokee Nation, Houston was a full-blooded Cherokee raised in the aftermath of the Trail of Tears. He grew up in a community fighting to maintain its sovereignty amid growing outside pressures.
The Cherokee Nation operated its own police force, known as the Lighthorse, to enforce laws in a territory increasingly plagued by criminals taking advantage of jurisdictional gaps, Houston joined this force and became a respected deputy in the Tahlequah District.
He was known for his commitment to his people and his community. Married to Mary Ann Wyrick, he had three young sons: Mack, Alexander, and George.
By the 1890s, Indian Territory had become a refuge for outlaw gangs. Houston's duties often involved tracking down horse thieves, robbers, and killers operating on Cherokee lands.
Many cases fell under the oversight of the federal court in nearby Fort Smith presided over by Judge Isaac Parker On that June day in 1894, Houston led a posse to Effie Crittenden's Halfway House on Fourteen Mile Creek, near present-day Hulbert, Oklahoma, close to the Sequoyah County line.
The target was members of the Cook Gang, including brothers Bill and Jim Cook, along with the young Crawford Goldsby. The outlaws had gathered to collect lease payments. The arrest attempt quickly turned into a shootout.
Houston took position in a nearby ravine and fired on the house, wounding Jim Cook. Goldsby returned fire from cover and struck Houston fatally. The deputy emptied his revolver before falling, allowing the outlaws to escape.
After escaping the shootout , Crawford Goldsby continued his violent crime spree with the Cook Gang across Indian Territory. The gang committed numerous robberies of trains, banks, stores, and stagecoaches, often resulting in murders, including the killing of bystander Ernest Melton during a store holdup in Lenapah in November 1894.
His notoriety grew as one of the most feared outlaws in the region, prompting a substantial reward for his capture. On January 30, 1895, he was betrayed and apprehended by lawmen, including Ike Rogers, and transported to the federal jail in Fort Smith to face trial under the jurisdiction of Judge Isaac Parker.
Goldsby was convicted of Melton's murder in February 1895 and initially sentenced to hang, though an appeal delayed the execution. While awaiting his fate, he attempted a daring jail escape in July 1895, smuggling in a pistol and fatally shooting guard Lawrence Keating, leading to a second murder conviction.
Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court failed, and on March 17, 1896, at age 20, Goldsby was hanged on the Fort Smith gallows before a large crowd.
Reportedly calm to the end, when asked for final words, he replied something along the lines of "I came here to die, not to make a speech." His body was returned to Fort Gibson for burial, marking the end of one of the Indian Territory's most notorious outlaws.
Houston was buried in Blue Springs Cemetery in Gideon, Cherokee County, Oklahoma. His death left his family in financial hardship, a common outcome for lawmen's families in the territory
.Today, Sequoyah Houston is remembered as one of the brave Native officers who maintained order in a challenging era. Though tribal lawmen often received less recognition than federal marshals, his sacrifice helped protect Cherokee communities during a time of transition.
His story reflects the courage and resilience of those who bridged tribal traditions with the demands of frontier justice in the Ark-Oklahoma borderlands.
