Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland
-
In reply to:
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland
Sandy Miller 1/10/04
Sandy, Thank you so much for responding and your interest in Jim Bourland. I have the news account from the "Lawton Constitution" 31 May 1906, so when you said you had posted accounts on the Caddo website, I had to run back and find it! The "Daily Democrat" you posted, had a lot more information and I really enjoyed reading it, Thank You. Yes, I am related to Jim, but not too close (2nd cuz-4 times removed) As you thought, Jim was born in Texas, around Bell County. A "short" History is... At 17 he was convicted of "theft of property of more than twenty dollars in value" on 21 May 1887 and sent to Rusk Penitentiary for two years. The "convict record ledger form" Shows--- Number: 2740, Name: J.C.Bourland -alias J.C. Carter, Age: 17, Height: 5'10-3/4", weight:150, Complexion: Sallow, Eyes: Hazel, Hair: Light,.. he was sent back to the Bell County jail a year later and then escaped and headed for Oklahoma Territory on 24 June 1888. He did some Law work in his early years but tried the Outlaw life one more time on 9 April 1894, by trying with six or seven others to rob a Rock Island express train at Pond Creek west of Enid. His friend, Bob Hughs was killed and Jim was arrested and stuck in the Pond Creek jail where he promptly escaped and headed back to Texas. By 5 June, Jim was back at Rusk and was delivered back to a Sheriff of Oklahoma on 28 Nov. 1894.....the trail went cold for awhile as I looked for the prison Jim served his time in, but just learned recently that Oklahoma had no penitentiary at that time and all federal prisoners were sent to Lansing Kansas while Oklahoma paid 37 cents a day for their keep. I found Jim listed there and those records are being sent to me, so I will be able to find out how long he served and when he was released. All records and evidence shows he was reformed, and on his release he moved to Anadarko. Jim was made Deputy sheriff of Caddo County by Jim Thompson and was appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal by Jack Abernathy. The trouble with "Little Wes" Hudson (Fred was an alias for William Wesley Hudson) started at least a few years earlier with the murder of Deputy Luther Houston in October 1902. Deputy Houston was hung, shot and had his skull crushed for acting as a "spy". There seems to be no doubt of an intense hatred felt by Jim towards the person of Fred Hudson! Five days after the Houston murder, Hudson Killed his "friend" or at least a "partner in crime" Bert Casey, as they finished breakfast around the camp fire, and received a thousand dollars in reward money. Not a great loss for Oklahoma to be sure, but the way it was done just shows me the character of Fred Hudson. It looks like Jim Bourland was involved over the next three or four years trying to bring to trial Fred Hudson for the murder of Luther Houston including arresting Hudson in Arkansas and bringing him back to face trial. He was extremely disappointed by Hudson's ultimate acquittal in May of 1906. I doubt "Fred" felt he could ever rest easy as long as Jim Bourland was alive and I don't think Jim Bourland would have ever rested until William Wesley Hudson was in Prison or dead!......Now If we can just find that pesky headstone!!We have a large gathering of Bourland Cuzzuns Head'n to Oklahoma City in 2005 from the "Bourland Society" for a reunion, It would be really great if I could find it before then. If I can find the Father, Charles T. Bourland, I may find the Mother and Son. The IOOF in Anadarko may have some record since they conducted the Burial but I'm not sure who might have records if the remains were exhumed and moved. Thanks again for your interest and help and from now on, I will consider you an Adopted Bourland Cuzz'n...RB
More Replies:
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
Sandy Miller 1/14/04
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
Rod Bourland 1/17/04
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
Sandy Miller 1/18/04
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
Sandy Miller 1/18/04
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
Katherine Wright 11/15/04
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland'
-
Re: Looking for grave site of Jim Bourland
Sandy Miller 1/13/04