Seaborn Kalijah

Seaborn Kalijah (alias Green) was a young Creek man who killed Mark Kuykendall, Henry Smith, and William Kelley on January 17, 1887. The three men worked as posse and guards for Deputy U.S. Marshal Phillips.

At issue were the circumstances of the killing. Kalijah claimed that the three men, who had apprehended him for bringing alcohol into the Indian Territory, had abused him and that he acted in self-defense. Also arrested were two of Kalijah’s relative, Doctor Walker and Josh A.E. Harjo. Investigation suggested that Walker was the principal in the killings.

At trial in Fort Smith, Kalijah testified that he acted alone. That protected his relatives, both of whom were acquitted. Kalijah was convicted of murder on July 13, 1887. After being sentenced to death, Silas Kalijah was hanged on October 7, 1887.

Author: Bill Lofquist

I am a sociologist and death penalty scholar at the State University of New York at Geneseo. I am also a Pittsburgh native. My present research focuses on the history of the death penalty in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pa. This website is dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing information about all Allegheny County cases in which a death sentence was imposed. Please share any questions or comments, errors or omissions, or other matters of interest related to these cases or to the broader history of the death penalty in Allegheny County. View all posts by Bill Lofquist