Thomas James Smith

Thomas James Smith (* 1830, 1835 or 1840 in New York City , † November 2, 1870 in Abilene , Kansas ) was marshal of the city of Abilene, which was then a thriving loading station for Texan cattle herds . He became a victim of the disputes at the time about the new laws on property fencing, which hindered the cattle drive .

Life

Smith was born in New York to Irish parents. There is little information about his childhood. It is believed that he worked in New York as a young police officer. Because of an unhappy love story, he then moved west.

During the Bear River Riots in Wyoming , he is said to have freed a friend from prison and defended him against some men who tried to practice vigilante justice .

Marshal of Abilene

On June 7, 1870, Smith was named Marshal by the City Fathers. After the cowboys left town to return to Texas in October of that year , a neighborhood dispute broke out outside town. During this dispute, the Scot Andrew McConnell shot and killed his neighbor John Shea. McConnell's friend, Moses Miles, testified to the crime and presented it as self-defense. However, the other neighbors provided evidence that Miles' testimony was false.

Smith's death

After an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Miles, Sheriff Cramer asked Marshal Smith for his help. Thereupon Smith and the Deputy Sheriff McDonald rode armed to McConnell's property on November 2, 1870. Smith ignored McConnell's warning and entered his hut. McDonald fled after McConnell and Miles tried to fire off shots at him. He heard another shot inside the hut and sounded the alarm in Abilene.

When the auxiliaries arrived at the scene, all they found was Smith's body. McConnell and Miles had already escaped. A reconstruction of the altercation revealed that McConnell Smith was shot in the chest. While the two were fighting in front of the hut, Miles came from behind and struck Smith three times with an ax, almost severing his head from his torso.

Sentencing the murderer

Smith was so popular that the entire city attended the funeral. McConnell and Miles were caught on the run and taken to Abilene. The angry population threatened to lynch the two . It was also not possible to put together an unbiased jury for the trial. The two men were transferred to Manhattan , Riley County , where they were sentenced to long imprisonment.

Relocation of the tomb

Smith had been forgotten in the fast-growing city. In 1904, however, JG Edwards received city approval to transfer the body to a better burial site. The event was honored with a large celebration, for which TC Henry, who had traveled from Colorado, gave the funeral oration.

Smith's successors include the famous Wild Bill Hickok , who was the city's marshal in 1871.