In some documents of the 1887 murder trial of Steve Bussell in the court of the Western District of Arkansas, Bussell is found guilty, and on February 2, 1889, is ordered by the Honorable I.C. Parker to be hung.The order seems to direct US Marshall John Carroll to take custody of Bussell, and on a certain day specified by Judge Parker, to choose "a convenient place" and "hang (Bussell) by the neck until dead." Was it common for the US Marshall to personally perform the execution of a condemned Federal prisoner?

I believe the law of the time gave responsibility for execution to the Marshal. I doubt that many personally performed the duty. In S. W. Harmon, "Hell on the Border," a deputy Marshal, George Maledon, who performed 60 executions for the Parker court.
There were 88 executions, 12 were performed by Deputy George Lawson and the remaining 16 by various officers attached to the court.

Thank you. I had no idea, but now I know.

During the term of Judge Isaac C. Parker. 88 men were comdemned to death. 79 were actually executed. Of the remaining nine, some died in jail a few were killed while trying to escape and a few got their sentences overturned and got jail time. The U.S. Marshals were always in charge of federal executions and overseeing the operations of the federal court, jail and transport of prisoners. Whereas the assigned deputy U.S. marshals were charged with capturing felons and being the actual executioners

I was told by an uncle of mine that my great grandfather M.B. Thomas was photograghed hanging several men on the same gallows for Judge Parker I would like to know if any of these photo's exist

A followup on the Bussell murder case. Steve Bussel never hanged. His sentence was commuted by the President to life in Prison. He was paroled a few years later.