Sheriff Jesse Sunday, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Tribal Police

Sheriff Jesse Sunday

Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Tribal Police

End of Watch Tuesday, September 21, 1897

Jesse Sunday

Sheriff Jesse Sunday succumbed to gunshot wounds received the previous day in the town of Rose, Oklahoma, while attempting to question a man wanted for the murder of a store owner and the Sheriff-elect.

The suspect was taken into custody and convicted of Sheriff Sunday's murder.

The man was originally sentenced to death but the sentence was later commuted to 10 years in prison. He escaped from prison three months later and joined the Army. All charges against him were dropped after he joined the Army.

Sheriff Sunday was sheriff of the Saline District of Cherokee Nation Indian Territory. He was survived by his wife and six children.

Bio

Age 44
Tour Not available
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Location Oklahoma
Incident Date Monday, September 20, 1897
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Sentence commuted

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Jesse Sunday, was my great grandfather, one of his daughters was Betsy Sunday, my grandmother; her mom and Jesse's wife was Alice Hair who only lived 4 yrs after his death; I think he was 44 when killed. The story above is correct as I know; he used to escort prisoners to Ft. Smith to hanging judge Parker, and was an interpreter when there. The BIA sent an agent and wagon to Alice's home and took the children from her, taking them to the orphanage....grandma never got over that as you might imagine and had strong feelings, she shared some with me when I was young.

Mark Downing
Retired

September 4, 2018