Father and son Benjamin and Alexander Clark farmed near Pauls Valley, Chickasaw Nation. Lincoln Sprole, known as peaceful and not particularly bright, farmed neighboring land with a man named Perry.
In May 1885, Sprole and Perry got into an argument with Alexander Clark, whose reputation suggested trouble. Neighbors who intervened to calm tensions found Sprole and Perry armed and waiting for Clark. When Clark arrived, trouble seemed imminent until Ben Clark came and took Alex home.
The next day, Benjamin and Alexander Clark were found shot in their wagon. Before dying, both identified Sprole as the shooter.
After fleeing into Kansas, Sprole was arrested and returned to Fort Smith to await trial. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in May 1886. Lincoln Sprole was hanged on July 23, 1886.
The Federal Death Penalty Project 