Looking for any info (especially newspaper articles) relating to these three brothers. Newton LeFors (most printed material gives his name as "LeForce") was killed in Indian Territory in 1895. Shortly thereafter, Joe LeFors came to the I.T. and obtained either a commission or posse status from Fort Smith and joined in the hunt for the killer of his brother who was identified as Buz Luckey. Joe LeFors went on to become a lawman in Wyoming and is the man given credit for "snookering" Tom Horn into his drunken confession of murdering young Willie Nickel. Rufe LeFors was a deputy sheriff in the Texas Panhandle and settled in Lawton after it was opened to settlement in 1901 where he became the mounted police officer for the city and also a deputy sheriff for Comanche County. By the 1910s, he was elected Sheriff of Comanche County. He eventually retired and moved to Texas where he lived out the remainder of his life. I believe there was also at least one other brother, Robert, who was a police officer on the Lawton police force in the early 1900s.

Any information is greatly appreciated.
On the Trail
Diron Ahlquist
Secretary/Editor Oklahombres Journal

The following appeared in the Ft. Wayne (Indiana) News 7 August 1895 p. 2:

Gradually Rounding Them Up.

FORT SMITH, Ark., Aug. 6--Thomas Root, outlaw and murderer, was placed in the United States jail here yesterday. He is a big burly negro and was an associate of Cherokee Bill and Buz Luckey. Root was in the Correta and Blackstone train robberies, and from ambush shot Deputy Newton Leforce in the back, killing him almost instantly. He was captured in the bottoms between the Verdigris and Arkansas rivers.

--meursault

Oklawdog,
I saw a book, an auyobiography, called the memories of (Buford?) Le For in a used bookstore while in Texas If that's any help to you.

BASS LUCKY CAPTURED
January 4, 1895 —Indian Journal— Fort Smith , Ark. Dec 31—Another alleged member of the famous Cook gang now languishes in the federal jail at this place under a charge of murder.
On the 5th of this month six deputy marshals surrounded the house occupied by Bill Root, near Broken Arrow , a small post office fifteen miles from Tulsa , Creek nation. Not finding any one they wanted two of the deputies, B. C. Brichfield and Leforce, approached some haystacks about 100 yards from the house. When near them two men, who afterwards turned out to be Root and Bas Lucky, jumped up and showed fight. A running fight took place in which about forty shots were exchanged.
Birchfield was unhurt but Leflore received a wound which resulted in his death. Both of the desperadoes escaped. Lucky was caught a few days ago at the home of his brother near Choska. He was brought in today by Birchfield, and upon examination by Commissioner Bridgeslara was committed on charge of murder.
Lucky’s capture is regarded by the authorities as an important thing.

For what it's worth, the following (reprinted from the St. Louis Republican, and from which I quote excerpts) appeared (2 May 1895 p. 3 in the Olean (New York) Democrat:

TO SUCCEED BILL COOK

New Gang of Outlaws Said to be Forming in the Indian Territory.

Reports from the Cherokee Nation state that a new gang of outlaws is forming on the Grand River. The alleged leaders are Tom Root and Ed Reed, both of whom are scouting.

Root is a big negro of the Cherokee Bill style and played a prominent part in the robbery of the M, K, and T train at Blackstone switch last October.

Ed Reed is the son of notorious Belle Star and Jim Reed, who was a member of Jesse James' gang. He is an intelligent young Indian and has done time at Columbus, O., for horse stealing. He announced upon his return a year and a half ago that he had reformed, and for a year he led a respectable life. . . .

The other members of the gang were with Cherokee Bill, Jim French, Verdigris Kid and Root. There are quite a number of smaller lights of these gangs still at large, and they will gladly flock around two such leaders as Reed and Root. . . .

--meursault

Yes, the autobiography of Rufe LeFors is very interesting to say the least...it's entitled "Facts As I Remember Them" and are his transcribed memoirs written in later life. What is interesting is that he barely mentions his more infamous brother, Joe, and then only in childhood...nothing about his later exploits in Wyoming. I don't believe he mentions anything about his brother Robert or Newton. He does mention a brother named Perry working as a deputy sheriff in the Texas Panhandle.

On the Trail
Diron Ahlquist
Secretary/Editor Oklahombres Journal

Thanks, Meursault. for the clue.

Robert DeArment, in "Alias Frank Canton," lists: Joe LeFors, "Wyoming Peace Officer," Laramie Printers, 1953 and Rufe LeFlors, "Facts as I remember them: The Audiobiography of Rufe LeFlors" Univ. of Texas, 1986. I believe I also saw that another biography of Joe, but not by Joe, had been issued. Yep, Chip Carlson, "Joe LeFors: The History of the Texas Cowboy turned Montana-Wyoming Lawman" Wolverine Gallery, 1995

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tower,

Found this on another of the brothers: Caldwell Journal, July 12, 1883: Perry LeForce (sic)arrived last Saturday with 2, 200 head of half and three-forth grade beeves from the Goodnight range on the staked plains. They are splendid cattle and will be held for future shipment in (S.T.)Tuttle's pasture.

From my cousin: "NO, the correct spelling is Laforce. The imigrant Rene' came from France around 1700. He settled in Goochland County ,Virginia. Our line Samuel is the only family to change it to Lefors. There is a lot of information on this family. Two other sons of James were Jeff and William. William married Kate Parish when they were living at Caddo Grove near Cleburne. They moved to South Dakato. He became the range foreman for the Continental Cattle Company. While at Caddo GRove he worked for the Hash Knife I think. Jeff was in the Spanish American War and later moved to Idaho."

Also from my cousin:Yes, I think the Lefors men are our kin. Sarah Lefors that married Thomas McCarty was probably the daughter of James Lefors. There is no marriage record found for Sarah and Thomas but I believe considering all I have learned about Sarah, who was married to Thomas, she has to be the daughter of James. These men are the son's of James Lefors and his second wife Martha West. Our Sarah was from the first marriage to Jeneatte Jones. They were half brothers to our Sarah.

Martha West was part Indian. I don't remember the details of that right now. If you look at the Indian Territory history(Cherokee Nation and also the Choctow Nation) you will find several West involved in a lot of events, most not so good. James had a total of 22 children. One of his sons Newton Lefors was killed in a shoot out when he was a deputy U. S. Marshall in Indian Territory. If you look on the internet for U. S. Marshall's Roll of Honor, his name is there. I believe this has to do with Fort Smith Arkansas.

I have a book written by Rufe Lefors. It is now out of print but I found mine on the internet. I also have a book by Chip Carlson. It has to do with Joe's book Wyoming Peace Officer. I believe the name is "I slickered Tom Horn". This is as close as I could come to getting the book. I found one but it was $200.00 so I could not afford that.

Perry Lefors, another son, had a ranch in the panhandle of Texas and the little town of Lefors was named for him . There is a statue in Pampa of Perry on his horse (life size). Perry's family lived most of there llives in that area. This was on the internet but I don't remember where maybe has something to do with Pampa.
I have lots of information on the Lefors family, to much to send now.

Danged interesting. I put the (sic)there because it was not the traditional spelling. No offense intended. The West clan are an interesting bunch. If memory serves me correctly, one James West migrated to Texas in the 1840's and did not return to the Cherokee Nation until after the Civil War. Quite a few of his kids married in Texas and stayed there. Caused me no end of confusion.

No, I'm not offended. My cousin was just correcting me. All I know about the LeFors, & West's, I have learned either from Oklahombres online, or my cousin. It's all(history of I.T., O.T., & all the persons who made history) very interesting. Thank you, Martha

The history of the laforce's is of interest to me because we have common acestry the lefors brothers joe ,bill, rufe and newton's grt. grandfather was a bro. to my acetrial gr.father monsier laforce . it is true that samuel's side of the family was the only ones that assumed the name (lefors) although some in ky spelled their name leforce .the reason if name was officially spelled wrong it was too difficult to have the name changed . i have both copies of the life of joe shelby and rufes copy of events as i remember plus i have ap[prox 13 generations of. the decendants of rene the 1st
including lots of individual history

Leonard, I'm happy to run into you! I haven't talked with my cousin in a while. Her husband was ill, & I haven't wanted to bother her.
If you'd like to e-mail me, I think I can put an e-mail on this site. Martha.

Leonard, my e-mail is there. Let me know if you want to e-mail. Thanks, Martha.

Mr leonard laforce- do you by chance have any info on parents of james LaForce b June 7, 1842 Greene co, Illinois? he lived with david davis sr. & wife jane, & david davis jr 0n 1860 Illinois, Montgomery co census. he was in the civil war-Illinois infantry & the Missouri calvary. he came out as a 2nd leutenant. He married susan a. clearwater july 16, 1868 in litchfield, montgomery co, Illinois. They had 4 children #1 William F. LaForce B IL 1869/70 #2 Maytie M. LaForce #3 Perry LaForce #4 Grace eleanor LaForce. James died (unknown cause-my mom thought by an explosion of a steam engine boiler/train)April 13th -15th 1878. he is buried in Elmwood cemetary lot 2 block 68-litchfield, montgomery co., Illinois. Obituary can't be located yet. would any of this fit with LaForce/LeForce info you have for Illinois/Missouri/Arkansas/Kansas? I would be so grateful for any leads as I can't tie into the KY/VA LaForces. thank you very much L. K Mcknight E-Mail jmcknight3@cox.net

quote:

Originally posted by Martha:
Leonard, I'm happy to run into you! I haven't talked with my cousin in a while. Her husband was ill, & I haven't wanted to bother her.
If you'd like to e-mail me, I think I can put an e-mail on this site. Martha.

Martha, my great grandfather was a james LaForce, born June 7, Greene/Jersey co., Illinois. I wondered who your cousin was that ?corrected? some info. & if she might have regional LaForce info., as they migrated west? I think our line starts in VA then to KY, IL, ? MO. ?Kansas/Nebraska. Mom said, they lived in a sod house for awhile, & robbers tried to steal Susan Clearwater LaForce's railroad settlement money. According to Mom's aunt, james was killed in a boiler explosion/?steam engine?- april 13th-15th, location not known, 1878. He's buried in Elmwood cem. Litchfield, Illinois, (under husband #2)John Riley Monden, who I know was a locomotive engineer per 1880 Il Montgomery co census. thank you for your time, Linda

Linda, I just found your post, & will e-mail you with my cousin's name & e-mail. Martha.