Henry Reuben, Albert Kemp, Tony Love, and Calvin James, who lived near Tishomingo, traveled together to Texas in July 1885 to buy whiskey, which was illegal in the Indian Territory.
As they returned, James killed Love, who was holding the whiskey. Both men were Black.
When Love did not return home, his family began a search. The men were captured and taken to Fort Smith.
At trial, Kemp and Reuben testified against James, avoiding prosecution as a result. James was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in early May 1886. With two other men, he was hanged on July 23, 1886.
The Federal Death Penalty Project 