November 29, 1894, Chickasaw Enterprise
Shotguns and six shooters were in order on Smokey Row las Monday when Charles Strickland, a 'heap big Indian' with much fire water under his belt, proceeded to display his gun in a reckless manner and make himself a terror to the people. However, Deputy Marshal Jim Martin was on hand, and knowing that he had a bad man to deal with, just let his six shooter rest peacefully in its scabbard and brought out a big shotgun loaded with rail spikes, etc. and asked Mr. Strickland to hand up his gun. Which Mr. Strickland promptly did. Strickland was then helped into his saddle and asked to go home--which he promptly did. Stay with them Jim, and when you have to turn up a bad man's toes when he is terrorizing the town, you will always have good men to stay by you.

Feb. 8, 1895 Chickasaw Enterprise (Pauls Valley)
Joe Paul and Newt Williams, two well known Indians, had a difficulty on Smokey Row last Thursday, which resulted in Williams receiving a bullet in the fleshy part of the thigh. The immediate cause of the affray was not learned, but it is believed to have resulted from an old trouble. Williams was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Five in all were fired, only one taking effect. Paul was subsequently arrested by Marshal (H. H.) Lindsay and taken to Purcell. He was bound over to the Paris Court in the sum of $750.

Mike,

You have submitted two very good articles in which the street, commonly referred to as "Smokey Row", is used; however, it doesn't explain whether or not they are talking about Front Street, which you pointed out runs along (facing) the railroad tracks, or Paul Avenue.

Also, from the fact that both of your articles deal with a certain degree of "gunplay" on the street, I still suspect that the name "Smokey Row" is an euphuism for the many gunfights that occured there rather than from "the perpetual layer of cigar smoke eminating from the bars." I can see both explanations as very plausible.

I may be completely missing the message here. Are you reporting that the street that runs along (facing) the railroad tracks was actually named "Smokey Row"; or, was it just a local nickname? I always thought that the actual name of the street facing the railroad depot was Front Street. Am I wrong?

Care to begin a "new topic" for discussion - - entitled "The Paul Family of Pauls Valley"? I'll bet that you've got quite a file on the Smith Paul family and his son, Sam Paul. You've already submitted an article that mentioned Joe Paul. Didn't Joe Paul spend some time in a reformatory, or prison, back East for shooting (wounding) a young black woman for not getting out of his way quick enough on a Pauls Valley city sidewalk? What was that all about? And, whatever happened to ol' Sam Paul, anyway? Or, is this a part of Pauls Valley's history that's out-of-bounds? Too personal?!?

There is some question as to where Smokey Row was. My impression is that it was Front Street as several old timers and newspapers assert that "everything in Pauls Valley faces the railroad." But, I have read an account which called Chickasaw Street-Smokey Row, but this was later in the town's history. I also saw an article which placed a store at the corner of Chickasaw and Smokey Row, which would make it Front Street. I've seen both reasons touted as to the name for the street. Is it a nick name? Depends of if you go with common useage or town plat. The plat says it's front street.
I think you're confusing Joe Paul and Sam Paul Jr. as to the reformatory. Sam Jr. was Sr.'s son by a mistress. Jr. was a little hellion when young, but grew up to be quite a man in his own right. The family recognized his heritage after Sam Sr.'s death and Sam made provision for the boy and his mother.
There is a lot of history that has not been public about the Paul family until recently, partly because of the Paul infleuence, but mostly because of the respect people felt for the family and to avoid embarassing them, certain things were not talked about. But, if you're really interested, I'm peddling a book I wrote for local folk which discusses all of Sam's, Joe's, and Fred Waite's indecretions. Just slip me an email. Meanwhile, I'll answer what questions I can.

Mike,

Very good summation; however, I'm still not convinced that "Smokey Row" was Front Street. Doesn't Chickasaw Street and Paul Avenue cross at some point, causing an intersect and making it possible that the reference could mean Chickasaw Street & Paul Avenue - as "Smokey Row"? In fact, doesn't Chickasaw Street and Front Street run "parallel" to one another? Where's my damn map? An important point like this and my Pauls Valley map is at the office!

I may be making a mountain-out-of-a-molehill; so, I'll just drop it for now. I'm going to find Claude Weaver's reference on the issue and, then, you can respond to it. OK?

Yes, I would like to obtain a copy of your book about the Paul family and their environs. I'll be contacting you thru e-mail and/or snail mail in the near future.

Although the history of the Paul family is an extremely interesting account of raw, frontier life, I'll respect their wishes not to air "dirty laundry" over the internet, exception being with the Public Record.

As an old timer and local lawyer in Pauls Valley once told me, "we, the early residents of Pauls Valley, decided a long time ago to just leave the Paul family more-or-less alone with their unconventional activities and many indiscretions because, when some member of their family felt the necessity to kill another human being, it usually just turned out to be one of their own."

And, No, I don't think that I'm confusing Sam Jr. with the wild antics of Joe Paul. More later.

Regarding the Paul Family history, descendent of Joe Paul, Bill Paul and family, have spent a bunch of years tracking down the real story and are in the process of trying to get it published. So, it will soon be public knowledge anyway.
A brief chronology of Paul involved killings reads this way:
Sam and Joe get in a fight and Sam wounds Joe.
Joe kills Sam.
Joe and Newt Williams have a fight, Joe wounds Newt.
(In the April, 1894 term of the Paris Court Joe faced charges for introducing liquor, assualt and murder.)
Jimmerson McClure, Joe's cousin, and Newt kill Joe.
Jimmerson gets killed, Bill Paul, a cousin is blamed.
But, there's more to the story than that. Politics were involved, money was involved, and women were involved.

Yes, Paul and Chickasaw do intersect and Front and Paul are parallel. The original Row was a bunch of long, narrow joints interspersed by cafes operating out of tents or wood shacks and was, like every thing else on the street facing the railroad but probably moved as the town expanded and studier buildings went up. Judge Paul was clear in saying that in 1887 Fred Waite and a man named Solomon put up a tent saloon/drug store with nail kegs for chairs and lumber stationed on barrels for a counter "facing the railroad" The town's expansion probably kept forcing the joints to locations at the end of the business district, accessible but away from the merchants and their gentler clientele. From what I can tell and remember of the town's history, the joints have made several transitions, but have always been grouped.The descriptions I've pieced together indicate the joints were like long rooms, with maybe two or three occupying the space of one of today's stores. One direct quote placing Smokey Row comes from John C. Starns, Indian and Pioneer files, OHS. Starns says he came to PV around 1896, stating it "was nothing but a mudhole, but the trading point for many miles around...The main street then was called Smokey Row. There were no brick buildings, only wooden shacks and there were eating places and many gambling places." However, his description still doesn't answer: which street was the main drag.

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

Excellent information on Pauls Valley and the Paul family. Thanks for the update. I'm still looking for the article that quotes Claude Weaver on "Smokey Row." I will post-it as soon as I find it.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable and SAFE Fourth-of-July!!!

I went back into some old files of mine and found two references which seem to indicate that the row was on present Santa Fe Street and facing the railroad.
First,from Short History of Pauls Valley, Indian and Pioneer Files, OHS (Maurice R. Anderson - Clipping - Information furnished by the Pauls Valley Enterprise): "Other businesses began to locate here until by 1895, there was quite a business section along the west side of the railroad and facing it. This was known in the early days as "Smoky Row".

Then: Mrs. B. A. Vaughn recollections of Pauls Valley, Chickasaw Enterprise, Oct. 7, 1954
Mrs Vaughn recalls that nice ladies walked only on the north side of the street because the south side of the street contained only "tough joints." It wasn't safe for a lady to walk on that side of the street.

I also found Claude Weaver's statements in the Chickasaw Enterprise, June 20, 1912, quoteing from his article "Old Indian Territory--a Random Sketch" printed in the May, Oklahoma Magazine:
"In the town of Pauls Valley where I lived for many years, the main street was called 'Smokey Row' because of the time honored custom of certain denizens to engage in the diversion of shooting up the town. The merchants reorganized the prescriptive right by closing up their stores and giving free possession to the invaders. It is said more than fifty men who died by violence from bloody feuds lie buried in a single grave yard near Pauls Valley. Some of these men I personally knew. They were men with bark on such as Bert Harte described among the Argonauts of the Golden Coast, and such as Shakspare (sic)drew as the boon-companions of Flagstaff and the wayward prince. They were not criminals and would protect rather than molest the property of other men."
As I said earlier, there are indications that a "boot hill" type grave yard was started near Pauls Valley, but its exact location has been lost. Considering all the construction in the valley, I'm pretty sure it's not within the valley but is within a 3 mile radius, probably along a creek.

Eureka!!! You have found the article. I can't believe that you had it. Now, I can stop looking thru the mountain of clippings that I have. Congratulations!

What do you think? Mr. Weaver says that "Smokey Row" was the "main street" in Pauls Valley. Which street is (or, was) the "main" street in Pauls Valley? It had been a long time since I had read this article. I thought that he had referred to Paul Avenue by name; however, he did not. He just said that "Smokey Row" was the "main" street!?!

I guess that I just assumed he was talking about Paul Avenue because, in my research of Pauls Valley, it seemed that EVERYTHING that ever happened in Pauls Valley of any note, happened on Paul Avenue.

Your evidence is very strong. I may have to acquiesce to you on this point. I'll be looking forward to more of your very insightful and knowledgeable information on the Chickasaw Nation (region) and it's people.

Keep up the good work; and, thanks again for your time and your research! It's impressive.

As I said earlier, I think Smokey Row moved as the town expanded, I think it started out on the railroad, then moved when streets were laid out to Paul Ave. This information supports that and I'm quoting J. S. Mitchell, I&P files,OHS (In 1895) "Nearly all the business places faced the railroad at that time and what is Paul Avenue now was called Smoky Row then and it was considered a very tough place. There were small eating places, drinking places, and gambling dives on Smoky Row and it was nothing at all to see a shooting scrape there. Men with plenty of money in their pockets would get drunk and lie out behind these drinking places all night and would not be bothered."

Great job, Mike! I knew that if you looked long and hard enough that you'd find the definitive solution to the mystery. I think that you've got it - - for sure!!!

Wherever "Smokey Row" was located, actually, ie. Front Street, Santa Fe Avenue, or Paul Avenue, it was one of the wildest and most dangerous places to be, especially at night when the moon was full and the cowboys had just received their pay.

Looking forward to hearing more stories from you about the Chickasaw Nation and "The Queen City of the Washita" - - Pauls Valley.

Okay, now I think I got it. We were both right. Located a picture of the business section of Pauls Valley as it appeared in 1888 in the 1980 Garvin County History. According to the caption, as late as 1894, the businesses of the village were confined to a long row of buildings fronting the railroad. In short, there were no other streets. Apparently, this one long avenue was formally called Paul and colloquially known as "Smokey Row" and was in all proability the block between present Santa Fe and Chickasaw.

Going back over this discussion, I got confused. So, I'm going to add something I think will clear everything up, plus a couple more stories, one involving the shooting of Sam Paul.
In 1886-87, the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad began laying track across the Indian Territory. As the Caddo to Fort Sill government road crossed the old Fort Arbuckle Road on the east side of the Washita River it was assumed the rails would drive to this point. However, the survey crew found that laying its tracks through Rush Creek Valley on a northwest to southeast line on the west side of the Washita would provide a much firmer base; an added bonus was that there were fewer creeks to bridge on the west side. The decision made, the tiny settlement of Smith Paul’s Valley was approached as a site for a depot. Tecumseh McClure who controlled the land around the settlement refused to allow the depot to be placed there. McClure’s step brother, Sam Paul controlled lands within the valley itself and told the railroad officials he would give them land for a depot if they would call it Smith Paul’s Valley in honor of his father, the first settler. The railroad agreed and began construction of a depot about a mile to the northwest of the original village.
Shortly after the establishment of the depot, Sam Paul and Tom Fields decided to create a town and began to auction lots; however, none of the lots were taken because the price was too high. A short time later, a townsite company bought 160 acres from Paul for $200 and a 10th interest in the company. The town was surveyed and platted by J. J. Higgins of Norman (in 1887). The members retained several business and residence lots and named the streets after themselves, the remainder of the lots were sold using patents as deeds.
In the beginning, because Paul refused to sell, or allow buildings on the east side of the tracks, the entire commerce district faced the railroad tracks in a five block long line along present Santa Fe Street between Bradley Avenue and Garner Avenue. The first business is thought to be the Fred Waite and Solomon drug store/saloon set operating out of a tent facing the tracks. The establishment used nail kegs as chairs and boards across kegs as a bar. Other businesses were a general store owned by Amos Waite, Fred’s brother, who moved his goods from White Bead Hill and also set up in a tent near the tracks. Everett Baker’s livery stable (later Col. R. A. Sneed’s Big Red Store,) was the first substantial structure. It was a 40 foot wide and 80 foot long stable and feed barn located on present Santa Fe, south of the McClure Street junction. Langdon Brother’s store at McClure and Santa Fe was the second structure built which did not have canvass as its primary covering. According to the OHS, “There was quite a business section along the west side of the railroad and facing it known in the early days as “Smokey Row.” John C Starns, who arrived in 1889, states, “The main street in Pauls Valley then was called Smokey Row. There were no brick buildings, only wooden shacks and there were eating places and many gambling places.” Another old timer who arrived in 1889 described the town as 3 stores and one hotel with wide streets and high walks. The only memorable thing he recalled was that nine men were killed in town that year. The first brick building is thought to be the Calvin Grant Bank and mercantile store located at the corner of Chickasaw and Santa Fe; dates as to its construction vary from 1889 to 1893.
Ironically one of the killings on old Smokey Row involved the very man whose actions put the town on the map. On December 19, 1891, George M. Coleman was in town visiting his girl friend at the Johnson residence when he heard the report of two shots coming from the down town area. Though gun fire was a common enough occurrence around old Paul’s Valley, gunshots in town generally met someone had met their fate, and in a small town that was news. Curiosity piqued, George focused his attention in the direction of the fading echoes, but he had just come in from a long cattle drive and was a little more interested in looking at something soft than doings that was probably the work of a couple of drunks. A short time later, horses ran past the house heading in the general direction of the shots. This was too much for George who said goodbye to his sweetheart and wandered over to the downtown business district to check matters out. Coleman was less than a block away when he paused to watch several men carry Sam Paul’s body out of a restaurant.
Coleman, who knew Paul because he had been boarding at the same rooming house as he later learned that Sam, who was between marriages and without a permanent home, had been out that day lecturing for the opening of the country to settlement and had gotten in too late to eat supper at the hotel, and decided on a restaurant for a late meal. Sam entered the building (which has never been firmly established as to location,) smiled a greeting to the proprietor, then strolled on into the cafe, seating himself at a table, a short distance from the door where he could see and address the room. Sam, who was in the one community where he should have been safe, was facing into the room, his back to the door. While ordering coffee, Sam called out a greeting to a lanky cattleman named Long Smith. Smith later told Coleman that as Sam was cooling his coffee, he saw a young man with a sawed off shotgun enter and mutter, “It’s hard, but I guess its fair.” The man was Joe Paul, and finding his father facing away from the door, Joe stepped into the dining room and let his father have the first barrel of buckshot square in the back. Sam was driven under the table by the force of the blast and was probably dead before Joe emptied the second barrel into his limp body. And, at age 46, Sam Paul was shot to death by his own son.
Around 1893, the location of Smokey Row shifted to a short stretch of Paul Avenue, the block between Santa Fe Avenue and Chickasaw Street. According to J. S. Mitchell, “nearly all the business places faced the railroad at that time and what is Paul Avenue was called Smokey Row then and it was a very tough place. There were small eating places, drinking places, and gambling dives...and it was nothing to see a shooting scrape there. Men with money in their pockets would get drunk and lie out behind these drinking places all night and would not be bothered.” The dives have been described as long narrow rooms and an 1894 survey shows eight small businesses occupying the half block on the southwest side of Paul Avenue while the Wes Harris Opera House set across dominated the northeast corner of Chickasaw and Paul. (Not that these were the only establishments selling booze, for the same survey locates two “drug stores” fronting the railroad, one at Grant and Santa Fe and the other at McClure and Santa Fe, and across the street from the former is another “drug store.”) The east end of the Paul Avenue block was the location of the Grant Bank and General Store while the opposite side was empty. Mrs. B. A. Vaughn recalled that “nice ladies walked only on the north side of the street called Smokey Row because the south side contained only “tough joints” and it wasn’t safe for a lady to walk on that side of the street.” Claude Weaver, without stating an exact date, recalled that when he lived in the valley “the main street was called “Smokey Row” because certain denizens engaged in the diversion of shooting up the town and that the merchants reorganized the prescriptive right by closing up their stores and giving free possession to the invaders.”
So, how tough was the new Row? Well, on the night of August 21, 1893, Pauls Valley Constable, and Deputy United States Marshal, Joe Gaines was shot to death in the middle of Paul Avenue, in down town Paul’s Valley, by shots fired from a Winchester rifle wielded by John Stevenson. The location for this incident was fixed by Sam Garvin, a witness, for Moman Pruiett, soon to be Stevenson’s attorney, as being in view of the Grant Bank at the corner of Santa Fe and Paul. Garvin warned Pruiett that “shootin’s and killin’s is everyday stuff on Paul Avenue.” What caused the shooting between Gaines and Stevenson is that, earlier in the evening, Stevenson had been drinking and was reported out on the street waving a knife in a threatening manner. Gaines, upon hearing this deputized a local barber, Bill Robinson, to assist him in corralling Stevenson. Once Stevenson was disarmed, he was sent home to sober up. When Stevenson got home, he found Fred Waite, a former associate of Billy the Kid, and presently the Attorney General of the Chickasaw Nation, and his wife visiting. Stevenson had married Matilda McClure, one of Tecumseh McClure’s daughters and Fred’s cousin. I thought you ought to know that because several authors have tried to make a big deal of Waite being at the house when Stevenson got home. Wasn’t no big thing at all, just kin folk visiting is all, and there is absolutely no evidence that Waite had anything to do with subsequent events.
Stevenson had supper, and visited for a while, then, apparently still angry and feeling vengeful, strode out the front door carrying a Winchester rifle. A few minutes later, Deputy Gaines saw Stevenson, bold as brass, striding down the street carrying a rifle, and enter Brandy’s Cider Joint, a pub on old Smokey Row. Gaines went in after Stevenson. According to witnesses, the two men fired at each other at almost the same instant, and without preamble. Gaines caught a fatal wound from the heavy rifle but was able to get off a pistol shot which hit Stevenson in the leg. Stevenson, lamed and unable to escape, surrendered to his neighbor, Deputy U. S. Marshal E. H. Scrivner, who took Stevenson to Paris, Texas for safe keeping as lynching was rumored. Next day, Stevenson, indicted for murder, engaged two well known attorneys to defend him, but before this charge even made it to trial, Stevenson, while still in jail, was tangled up in a second sensational murder. Even though originally convicted and sentenced to hang, the criminal/lawyer Moman Pruiett defended Stevenson in subsequent legal actions and Stevenson was never executed.

Excellent report, Mike. You've really out done yourself on this one. Some great information!

You stated on June 30th that Joe Paul faced charges of 'introducing liquor', 'assault', and 'murder' at the April 1894 term of court in Paris, Texas. Was the murder charge for killing his father, Sam Paul; and, if so, how did that ever come out? Was he convicted of murder? From all historical accounts, it sounds like a pretty cold-blooded shooting if there ever was one...I mean, shotgunned in the back!?! Was Joe Paul ever convicted?

As for the John Stevenson-Joe Gaines shoot-out, I've found some fairly good descriptions of that event from the Appeal Records.

As reported in Ken Butler's excellent article entitled "Those Troublesome Stevenson Brothers",
John Stevenson was tried four (4) times for the killing of City Constable/Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Gaines.

In April of 1895, he was convicted in Paris, Texas, and sentenced to hang; however, since the judge didn't allow the jury to consider a manslaughter verdict, the decision was reversed and scheduled for a new trial. (See; Stevenson v. United States in the Supreme Court Reporter, vol. 16 pp.839-843 (16S.Ct.839)).

The second trial, which took place in December of 1896, also in Paris, Texas, resulted in a hung jury. His third trial, which took place in May of 1897, also in Paris, Texas, resulted in a manslaughter conviction and a sentence of SIX YEARS & TEN MONTHS.

Moman Pruiett entered the case at this point; and, with his mentor, Stillwell Russell, obtained a reversal of the decision from the Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, New Orleans on March 15, 1898. (See; Stevenson v. United States, Federal Reporter, vol. 86, pp. 106-113 (86F.106)).

John Stevenson's Fourth trial was held in April of 1899 in Paris, Texas. He was acquitted on the grounds of 'self-defense'.

The Federal Reporter describes the location of the shoot-out as follow:

"The place of the homicide was the town of Paul's Valley, in the house and business of one W.R. Bandy, situated on Main street, which runs north and south parallel with the Santa Fe Railroad."

(Note: As we know, Paul's Valley does not have a "Main" street. This reference is actually describing Santa Fe Street (or, as sometimes called "front street").

"Bandy's place in in the north part of the town, and fronts east on Main street. The building is 18 feet by 36 feet, with a front double door and window south of door in east wall. On the night of the homicide, the house was well lighted, and a counter was in the southeast corner, with passage room between it and the south wall.

Underwood's drug store is 175 feet south of Bandy's, and the Central Hotel several hundred feet south of Underwood's drug store. Miller & Berry's drug store is still further south of the hotel several hundred feet.

ALL of the buildings are practically, with their fronts, on a line, and face the east and the railroad."

Another point brought out in this report:

"About dusk that evening, he (Stevenson) took from the house of Mrs. Sarah Paul a Winchester. She tried to take the gun from him, and he told her not to be uneasy, he was only going to carry it to his restaurant. She thought her son was in trouble."

Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Gaines had disarmed (arrested) John Stevenson twice that evening; but, released him and allowed him go home both times.

Regarding Joe, no, he was not convicted. In fact, it appears he beat all three charges, which stemmed from seperate incidents. The only reason I've found is that both Joe and his father were Indians and not subject to Federal prosecution under existing case law. The Marshals arrested Joe for killing Sam a second time because Sam, in a temper snit, tried to renounce his Chickasaw citizenship. The court denied his request but the Marshals and Prosecutor tried to use this as an excuse to get the case reopened.
On April 9, 1895, the Daily Ardmorite reported: "Joe Paul, county Judge of Pickens County, was the victim, and Jennison McClure, son of Tecumseh McClure, was the slayer. From parties who came down this morning from Pauls Valley it is learned that the killing took place last night about 8 o'clock...Paul, about 3 years since murdered his father in the very same room, and within a few feet of the identical spot on which he fell victim to McClure's deadly rifle last night." The Ardmorite reminded everyone Joe was dangerous when drunk and then theorized that since both parties were Indian, the U. S. Courts would have no jurisdiction. Later reports described the actual shooting which has Newt Williams shoving bystanders out of the line of fire and Jennison picking up a Winchester, thought to have been stashed there for the purpose, and putting a hole through Joe from left to right, the ball nicking the artery. Joe, who was armed with a pocket pistol, rose and walked to an ajoining room where he died 40 minutes later.
Thank's for the info on the Stevenson/ Gaines affair, it helps clarify several points, but confuses the heck outta me as to where Bandy's was actually located. Thank's a lot--now I've got another blankety blank mystery to resolve.

Okay, got it. From the description, (18x36 feet and so many feet this way and that) the location of Bandy’s joint, would have to be the structure occupying the southeast corner of Guy Avenue and Santa Fe. Although the 1894 Plat does not name all the business, according to Judge Haskell Paul, who as a lad quizzed Buck and Bill Paul, Sam’s youngest boys, as to the location of things in PV and preserved the remembrances in a notebook, proclaims that Underwood, who had been a stage driver before the coming of the railroad, built a large building with a drug store downstairs and rooms to let upstairs. (I don’t propose that a former stage driver fell back to his secondary profession, but since alcohol and opium were the major ingredients of medicines at that time, and there was no FDA, it was easy to open a saloon under the guise of “drug store.”) The 1894 Plat locates a Drug store in a large building on the northeast corner of Grant and Smokey Row with rear steps to the upper floor (sounds like a rooming house to me.) Next door, to the north is the City Hotel. There is another drug store 2 blocks (375 feet, when one figures in the street widths,) south of Underwood’s with another hotel, whose name I can’t quite make out, but which could have been called the Center, located midway along the row between the two drug stores, however, it would only be 150 feet from Underwood’s. Another possibility for the Center Hotel is the National Hotel, a large structure which sat across the tracks about 700 feet southeast of Underwood’s, and was the only building in town that commanded a view of the entire stretch of Smokey Row.
By the by, Everett Baker and Riley Bandy had the first livery in town.
Now, I’ve always assumed the killing of Joe Gaines took place on Paul Street because quoting from Moman Pruiett—Criminal Lawyer, p. 75, “Calvin Grant and Sam Garvin were together in Grant’s bank. (Grant’s first bank and store was on the southeast corner of Grant and Smokey Row. It burned and he moved to the Paul Street location a block south, probably in 1893.) Then: p. 77, “Didn’t John Stevenson take a Winchester to Joe Gaines right in front of this building, and Joe a deputy United States Marshal, too?” However, from the case information, and supposed location of things as best I could find them, it appears Joe was shot two blocks north. Is that about right?

I'm not confirming or denying anything until I've talked to my lawyer!!!

You may very well have caught the "teller of the story" (Moman Pruiett), and the "author" (Howard K. Berry) using what is commonly referred to as "literary license" in describing the location of an event that happened 2 or 3 years before Pruiett even came to Pauls Valley. The story of the shooting and the outcome of the trials are what was most important to them, not the "exact" location of any specific event. Remember, they were both just lowly lawyers, known to often play fast-and-loose with the facts; and, not diligent, historical researchers, like you and me.

For example: Does anyone know the name and location of the Cafe (or, Uno Joint) where Sam Paul was murdered by his son, Joe Paul? It was suppose to be in the same "joint" where Sam Paul shot (wounded) Joe, just one year prior to this ultimate, fatal confrontation. For historical reasons, I believe that the exact location should be known and recorded. Any guesses?!?

Any chance of getting to see the 1894 plat map of Pauls Valley that you mentioned? I've attempted to recontruct the locations of some early Pauls Valley businesses, using Sanborn Insurance Maps; however, many of the names of the joints are lost to history, or the names of the businesses changed with such frequency, making it almost impossible to keep an accurate record.

Those same reference quotes, that you used in your recent posting, can be found in the new book (He Made It Safe To Murder) on pages 130-131. I'm somewhat surprised that you used the "old" book to quote from, rather than the new book, which has so much more restored information, that was deleted in the old book.

I'll be contacting you in the near future, concerning the purchase of copies of your books. How many books have you written; and, what are their titles?

I agree the better book is the latter, and I know the same info is in the new book, but I had those pages handy, so I used 'em. I don't know the exact spot of the Paul murders, been looking for a reference to it for years, and I agree that if the info can be found, it should become public. My suspicion is that the cafe is near the City Hotel located in the block between Grant and Guy Aves. As to the Plat, it is an 1894 Sanborn-Perris, and may well be for insurance purposes. To date, my efforts to locate the original plat, 1887-88, have failed. I assume, when you ask how many books I've written, that you are wanting to know how many have seen the light of day and the answer is one. I'm primarily a writer of short stories, so I wrote a collection of short stories outlining the history of the Middle Washita River valley, circa 1836-1913, using the war between the laws and lawless as the vechicle to carry the tale. It's a self publishing effort, but local folk seem to like it, and a few out of towners claim they didn't get sick while reading it. Just click on my name and we can discuss it via email. And, by the way, I've really enjoyed this discussion.

Apparently, when I copied my notes, I did not do a full transcription because I revisited the April 11, 1895 edition of the Chickasaw Enterprise and found the following:
"...Judge Joe Paul was waiting for the south bound train to go to Paris to attend court. He and Dr. T. C. Branum, of this city, were together, and walked into Williams & Gibson's restaurant to get a lunch.." Don't know yet exactly the location of this establishment, but a name is added.

I've recently come into possession, thanks to a Texican, Linda Mearse, of a Fifth Circuit case which contains the full transcription, or at least as full as those things get, of the original Stevenson trial for shooting Joe Gaines on old Smokey Row. Wish I had had it before, it might have saved all this typing. Anyway, Commissioner Blueford D. Davidson states he was in Underwood's drug store "which fronts as does Bandy's place, the main street and is about 150 to 200 feet South of Bandy's...later he says the Central Hotel is several hundred feet South of Underwood's and fronts the main street, facing the railroad and East, as does Bandy's and Underwoods. Arch Matthews testifies that prior to the Gaines shooting he was at Miller and Berry's drug store which is about 1000 feet south of Bandy's and fronts the same street as Bandys. He continues saying the Central is about 1/2 way between Miller's and Bandy's. Later he says he told Stevenson, after Stevenson offered him some bitters to drink, that he had some "sure enough liquor at my room at the Whitehurst, also called the National, Hotel which was East of the railroad, and East of the Depot House. The National from the Plat map was the only business east of the railroad and was erected by Tecumseh McClure, Stevenson's father in law, who controlled that side of the valley. Another place of business named was Ward's, which Ben Stevenson described as southwest of the Central. Anyway, I said all this to confirm that between 1887 and 1893, the main street of Pauls Valley was Santa Fe, commonly called Smokey Row. You realize of course, that a town of less than 300 people did not need two drug stores and were popular hangouts only because patent medicines were not controlled as to how much alcohol or opium they could contain.
By the by, the evidence for the name Smokey Row being because of the pall of smoke from the train and numerous stoves has been strengthened by the fact that Hunnewell, Kansas on the Santa Fe had a railroad frontage street named Smokey Row.