My last century snapshot

[RGINN]

Snappy dressers, weren't they? My Uncle Joe on the far left stands out at least. He was there in 04 when the law shot my great-grandpa. He went to help and they told him to get back or he'd get the same.

 

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[seger98]

What did your great grandpa do to get himself shot?

 

[RGINN]

Yeah, I'll tell you about that, Seger. He was appointed at that time in 1904 at what might be considered a Justice of the Peace in Macomb, IT, soon to be the State of Oklahoma. There were two local city police, I guess you would call them, in that town. For some reason, there was bad blood between them and my great-grandpa. They went and got the County Deputy and said my great-grandpa was carrying a gun and wanted his assistance in confronting him about it. They went 'down there' (I don't know where down there was) and asked Lee Roy Ginn if he was carryin. He said he was, and pulled out a pistol to show them. The two locals opened up. Uncle Joe was there and went to help him and they said "Get back, or you'll get the same thing!" Dad said his grandpa was gutshot with a shotgun and died pretty quick. The County Deputy held back and told them they were both under arrest for murder, which is kind of remarkable for that era in Oklahoma. One got away apparently but the other one served 8 years at least in the pen at McAlester. Grandpa Walter Ginn said the older boys saddled up to go after the other one and wouldn't let him go because he was too young. They came back and said they never found him, but he was never heard from again. Probably Uncle Joe and them caught him and killed him somewhere between Oklahoma and California, where he was heading. They never talked about that later. The one that went to prison tried to appeal his sentence, based on self-defense. He said that my great-grandpa was a very dangerous man and they were in fear for their lives when they saw a gun in his hands. His appeal was denied. The lesson we all learned from that whole episode was never ever pull your gun unless you're fixin to use it. I remembered that a lot during my law enforcement career. They wrote up a history of the cemetary where Grandpa LeeRoy is buried and about him they said they thought he was a Seminole Indian (not that we know of) as he lived in the Seminole Council house for many years, in appearance he resembled Abraham Lincoln (guess he wore a stovepipe hat) and he walked every where he went and didn't own a horse. (?) That's the shortest version I can give you. Also, I would never mean to imply that Uncle Joe and his brothers killed someone. They were all fine church going, law abiding men in their later years. As they probably always were before my time. Later!

 

[seger98]

Very interesting story. 8 years for murder huh? Somethings never have changed I see. You would think the guy would have gotten more time or even gotten hung for killing a appointed juctice of the peacce.

 

[fossis]

Great family History & pic's, I have a friend who's Great-Grand father tracked two men from AR to TX & killed them both for some wrong that had done to him, those were 'rough times'.
Fossis................

 

[Ray S S]

That was another good pic and story. There were some exciting times back then. Really enjoy reading about early frontier
Life. Thanks for posting them.

Ray

 

[RGINN]

Thanks K Ray. If you're interested in that sort of history, I would recommend you research the early days of Okla. Territory and the Indian Nations. There's starting to be a ton of info on the internet that we never had access to in the past. The last time I talked with Marvin, one of my uncle Joe's sons still living, we both agreed that that time period was very violent and tough, and sometimes that's what you had to be to get by. Search up 'Oklahombres' and check that site out, you'll like it. Adios!