Charles Isaac Epperson, City Marshal
Boynton
About 9 PM the evening of Thursday, June 25, 1925, a fight broke out at a black
brothel between Nick Lockridge and Will Love. Lockridge had cut Love on the arm
and breast. “Mexican Pete” Samara went to Marshal Epperson’s home and summoned
him to quell the disturbance. Upon arriving at the scene Marshal Epperson pulled
his gun and placed Love under arrest, put his gun back in his pocket then
started walking with Love to the city jail which was about a block away.
Suddenly Love leaped behind the marshal, grabbed the marshal’s gun from his
pocket, shoved it into his side and told him he was not going to jail.
In the meantime Night Watchman William Worley arrived and grabbed Love’s arm to
prevent him from shooting the marshal but did not draw his own gun. “Mexican
Pete” grabbed Worley from behind and pulled his gun from his pocket. “Mexican
Pete’ then leaped back, placed the gun within a few inches of Marshal Epperson’s
face and fired. The bullet struck the marshal in the left side of his chin
ranging downward into his throat. Marshal Epperson died before medical help
arrived.
In the excitement Love and Samara escaped. A posse was soon formed and they
located Samara in a corn field. When ordered to “throw up” his hands he
responded with a gun shot. He was then shot five times by the posse. Two of the
shots shattered the bone in one of his legs and the leg was amputated just below
the hip. Love was captured Friday evening
Marshal Epperson would have been 35 years old on July 1st and had
been the City Marshal for six weeks when he was killed. He was single.
“Mexican Pete” Samara was found guilty of the marshal’s murder and sentenced to
life in prison. Will Love was charged with attempted murder. A trial was held
with a jury picked and evidence presented when the county attorney motioned for
the charges to be dismissed. Love was then charged with resisting an officer,
tried, convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail and a $500 fine. Love’s
conviction was reversed by the State Court of Criminal Appeals.
Floyd James Spencer, City Marshal
Boynton
Floyd Spencer was one of sixteen children, was 49years old and had been City Marshal at Boynton in Muskogee County for two years. About 2:30 P.M. Saturday, January 21, 1950, Marshal Spencer was confronted by local grocer Floyd Rutherford in front of Rutherford’s store. Rutherford asked the marshal why he had been following him? Marshal Spencer stated he had not been following him and that since Rutherford was drunk he needed to give him his gun which was in his hand. After telling Rutherford several more times to give him his gun Rutherford raised his gun as Marshal Spencer drew his. Both men began firing at the same time. Marshal Spencer was hit twice in the stomach while Rutherford was struck in the thigh and arm. Both men were taken to the hospital where Marshal Spencer died early the next morning at 2:35 A.M. Rutherford was charged with the marshal’s murder. After being released from the hospital Rutherford was tried, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The Oklahoma Criminal Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and sentence in May 1952.
Marshal Spencer was survived by his wife Ada plus two daughters and five sons.