Edward Capehart O'Kelley
| Edward Capehart O'Kelley | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1, 1857 Harrisonville, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 1904 (aged 46) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory |
Edward Capehart O'Kelley (October 1, 1857 – January 13, 1904) was the man who murdered Robert Ford, who had killed the famous outlaw Jesse James to receive a bounty. He was the subject of a 1994 book by O'Kelley's great-great-niece.
Over the years, historians and contemporary newspapers variously spelled O'Kelley's surname as "Kelly" or "O'Kelly", sometimes mistakenly using the letter "O" as his middle initial.
Little is known of O'Kelley's youth, although his birthplace is reported as Harrisonville, Missouri. His mother was Margaret Ann Capehart (6 July 1836 – 27 July 1903), but at the time of her 14 July 1857 marriage to Dr. Thomas Katlett O'Kelley (20 October 1833 – 9 October 1923), she was already pregnant with Edward. It is believed that Thomas was not Edward's father. Edward was a child during the American Civil War. In Thomas' Civil War Veteran Pension File, where Thomas was required to list all his children and their dates of birth, Edward is not included on the list.
Robert Ford befriended outlaw Jesse James in 1882, when he and his brother Charley joined his gang. They lived with James and his family for a time. Ford shot James in the back of the head to collect a state bounty of $10,000. By 1892, he operated a tent saloon in the silver mining camp of Creede, Colorado.
On June 8, 1892, while Ford was preparing to open his saloon, O'Kelley walked into the tent with a shotgun. Ford was turned away from the front entrance. O'Kelley called out, "Hello Bob." As Ford turned around to see who spoke, O'Kelley fired his shotgun, hitting Ford in the neck and killing him instantly.
O'Kelley never explained why he had shot Ford. It has been alleged that Soapy Smith, the infamous Colorado con man, had convinced O'Kelley he would be a hero for killing the unpopular Ford. Another theory involves the accusation that O'Kelley had stolen Ford's diamond ring, and the dispute escalated. For the crime, he was given a life sentence which was reduced to 18 years, but he only served about 9 years at Colorado State Penitentiary.
After his release, O'Kelley moved to Oklahoma City. Shortly after his arrival in town, he was recognized by Otto Ewing of the Southern Club, a local gambling house. It is claimed that Ewing had been connected with Ford's saloon in Creede, and may even have been there when O'Kelley killed Ford. Ewing told people that O'Kelley was a dangerous man and best avoided.
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