This story was originally published in Chronicles of Oklahoma, Vol. 12, No. 3, 1943. Reprinted in This Land, Vol. 6, Issue 1, January 1, 2015.
In November 1876, two men met in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and discussed their desires to cross the Indian Territory into Texas. Richard Wannamaker was preparing to drive a herd of 30 ponies into Texas, where he was possibly preparing to open a dental office. Frank Kilborn had a wagon, but was unable to secure any horses to pull his equipment into the country where he and his wife and three children were proposing to make their home. These two men decided to unite their efforts temporarily in order to attain their desired places of residence. Wannamaker then set about to secure the services of two men to assist in driving the animals and caring for the stock. After some time he located two men, Dick Simpson and Monroe Kiplnizer, who agreed to assist him in his trek across the territory.
On November 11, 1876, this group of strangers set out to be intimately associated for several weeks while en route to Texas. Concerning one another’s past, each knew nothing. Wannamaker was a man of about 50, had considerable property, and was in possession of quite a bit of knowledge of the West and had with him some money. The Kilborns were simple young people with a desire to get ahead in the new land. The two drivers were both products of the frontier. Simpson was about 26 and had been doing work with various outfits connected with stock for some time. Kiplnizer was only 18 years of age and unable to read or write, but was faithful to whom so ever employed him.
The party traveled somewhat slowly so that the horses had time to graze en route, and on November 24 they reached Turkey Creek, Indian Territory, in the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation, about 50 miles from the present location of El Reno, Oklahoma. This creek was at this time known for the great number of the wild fowl along its banks and three members of the group set out to secure fresh meat. Kiplnizer took with him a Winchester rifle, while Simpson and Wannamaker both took double-barreled shotguns. Soon after leaving camp, Kiplnizer left the others to hunt on the opposite side of the creek. Hearing the shots of the others, he thought that they were being more successful than he and crossed over again. This time he met Simpson, who informed him that he had just killed the “old man.” Kiplnizer rather thought that he was joking as this was the type of humor affected by the older herder and the two went into camp. Immediately, Simpson acted surprised and asked where the old man was and then advanced the idea that he was probably lost and would return after a while.
When the evening meal was over and the older member of the party had not yet returned, they discussed the advisability of going out to search for him, but decided to await daylight. In the night, Simpson arose and requested Kiplnizer to go out with him to search for Wannamaker, but the young herder feared foul play. Kilborn, knowing nothing of the afternoon and the confession of Simpson, agreed to go out with him. The two started on horseback, but Kilborn soon returned to camp and informed the others that he feared that Simpson meant harm to the entire party and that they should leave at once for the nearest fort in the territory. They broke camp at once, left the herd, and went as swiftly as possible to Darlington, where they came into the charge of the Indian Agent, John D. Miles.
The arrival and report of the Kilborns and Kiplnizer destroyed the comparative peace of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, and Miles set out to conduct the various actions required of him under the Intercourse Laws of 1834. The first necessary action was to detain the party; second to locate the body of the man if he were really murdered. Therefore, he requested the parties to remain in the agency, and sent out Ben Clark, a government employee as his representative with a troop from the fort.
In the meantime, a Mr. Harris learned of the murder through some Indians and advised D. W. Jones, a rancher about 10 miles north of Turkey Creek, of the rather indefinite information and expressed his opinion that the body was probably somewhere along the creek. The two men set out immediately on horseback to investigate the matter and shortly discovered the tracks of a wagon which they followed until they came upon a herd of ponies grazing on the prairie. Harris expressed the opinion that these horses and ponies resembled very closely the animals of an old man by the name of Wannamaker who was setting out to cross the territory into Texas. After conferring for some minutes, the men saw some Indians in the distance and decided to take the unprotected animals to the ranch. Upon reading the signs about the campsite, these men decided that something was decidedly amiss and that the party had abandoned the stock.
About four miles from Turkey Creek, two Indians were seen riding swiftly after them. Concerning their meeting, Jones reported: