STORY REFERENCE DR. JACOB FUNKHOUSER OF SUMMER, ARKANSAS --- WORK, John - (By J.P. Neal) John Work came to the West with John
Ross and his party of Cherokees in 1838. He was then in appearance 25 or
30 years old, about six feet in height, weighing 180 or 190 pounds, dark
complexion, black hair worn long like the Indians of that day. He was uneducated
and unrefined but possessed a strong natural mind. His influence
was felt in any crowd or community he associated with or resided
amongst. He took up his abode along the line and soon became a frequenter
of the gambling and drinking houses then so numerous on the border. He
soon became notorious for his fighting and drinking qualities. He was an
associate of Tom Star. When Major Campbell was murdered and robbed
between Evansville and Van Buren in 1842 Tom Star, Charles Botsford
and John Work, or some of them, is supposed to be his murderers. Tom
Star at that day was notorious in the Cherokee nation and along the border
for excessive lawlessness. He was a half-breed Cherokee, in the prime
of life, with majestic, muscular frame, freighted with an unusual quantity
of strong common sense. He is still living. Charles Botsford resided in
Fayetteville, Ark.; was from some of the Eastern states and said to be of a
good family. He was well educated, fine portly appearance and possessed
unusual conversational powers, not much surpassed by Albert Pike or Ab
Fowler with whom, considering his outcome, it is almost invidious to make
a comparison. He had a wife but no children; she was a beautiful, refined
and fascinating lady. They were among the leaders of the social circle and
lived far beyond their income. This doubtless caused their downfall. In
1843, while assistant postmaster under John Stirman at Fayetteville, he
robbed the mail of quite an amount of money put up in a decoy letter. The
mail agent who was in the stage with a mail bag key in his pocket discovered
the robbery before the stage got out of town, returned immediately
and had him arrested. The money was found on his person. He was tried in
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Tragic Deaths In Northwest Arkansas & Surrounding States 1859 - 1912
the federal court at Little Rock and convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary
for 20 years. I, in company with A.M. Wilson, saw him shortly
after his conviction, he was much dejected and denied bitterly the murder
of Campbell and seemed to take that accusation harder than his conviction.
Major Campbell was a young lawyer of great promise of Van Buren, a
partner of G.W. Paschal. The firm had an extensive collecting business. He
was returning from a collecting tour when murdered. In the spring of 1846
at a trading establishment on the line near Dr. Jacob Funkhouser’s, John
Work and James Gollahar, a worthy young man about twenty-five years
old who resided in the community, were disputing about the murder of an
old negro man who was killed on the line road between that place and Van
Buren a short time previous. Work gave Gollahar the lie. Gollahar, disliking
to truckle like a whipped spaniel, made some spirited reply, Work drew
his bowie knife, plunged it into him killing him immediately, then mounted
his horse and fled. An officer and posse were sooon in pursuit.
[Fayetteville Democrat 1/11/1889]
{Continued from last week.] Work was not long in crossing the line and
reaching his hiding place in the Cherokee Nation. The pursuit was soon
given up. Along in the summer afterwards he was wanted by the authorities
of the nation for some offense and was hunted down and pursued so
closely that he fled to this side of the line, horseless and hatless with his
apparel well picked with briars and brush. He made his hiding place in a
forest with dense undergrowth east of Dr. Funkhouser’s plantation where
he was harbored by old Jake, a servant of Big John West, who was a halfbrother
of Tom Star. Jake carried his provision to him late at night. When
he reached the edge of the thicket he would hoot like an owl and Work
would answer in the same way. Work wished to kill Dr. F. and John Harnage
and then leave the country, In watching the movements of Dr. F. he learned
that he fed a lot of hogs near a thicket once every day day about the same
hour. He told Jake to steal the doctor’s fine mare and a bridle and saddle
and to being them to him a certain night, that he would kill the Dr. the
next day and leave the country, leaving Harnage to Mat Feating or Isaac
Gan. Jake, not liking the idea of having the Dr. killed, communicated the
whole matter to Mose, a servant of the Dr., and asked his advice. Mose
communicated the plot to the Dr. who at once sent for Sheriff O’Bryant to
come at once with his writ and posse and to arrest Work. Jake told Work
that he would bring the mare on the night specified. O’Bryant, with W.B.
Taylor, one of his deputies, Tom Ballard, Charles Severs and David Fine,
arrived at the Dr.’s a little after night, formed their plans, examined their
arms, filled Jake’s little sack with provisions and about 10 o’clock set out
on foot for the place of capture. The Dr. carried his fowling piece well charged
and Mose a heavy hickory stick. The Dr. said he did not like to be in the
vicinity of that outlaw at that time of night without something to protect
himself, that he and Mose might be needed as a reserve. Reaching the
place the men concealed themselves near the path along which Jake was
to conduct him. The Dr. and Mose were posted some thirty or forty yards
off. Things being arranged Jake hooted like an owl; no answer; he hooted
again, no answer; he hooted the third time, when away off in the density of
the thicket a plaintive, almost inaudible answer was heard. The signals
were repeated and Work slowly approached. When within a hundred yards
or two Jake went forward to meet him and told him that he had the mare
and rig hitched at a certain place. After Work had eaten a hearty snack
they set out along the path for the place where the animal was hitched,
Jake leading. When near the ambuscade Jake quickened his step to put as
many feet between himself and Work as he could without causing suspicion.
Work reached the fatal spot, at the word fire, the report of five rifles
broke the stillness of the night. Work sprang towards Jake, bowie-knife in
hand, and fell full length burying the blade of the knife in the ground exclaiming,
“Oh, Jake.” He was cautiously approached and found to be alive
but badly wounded. Mose was dispatched for a vehicle and was conveyed
to the Dr.’s residence. He would not talk although he seemed to have his
right mind and power of speech. In that sullen condition he laid until next
morning when he straightened himself out, laid his hands across his breast,
uttering these words: “I am caught.” and expired. The death of no outlaw
on the border ever gave as much security and joy as the death of Work.
OBryant was idolized. The last time I saw O’Bryant was at Austin, Tex.
He was living west of San Antonio engaged in stock raising. W.B. Taylor
lives on his farm in Prairie Grove valley. Tom Ballard is at his old home in
Price township. Mose lives on a portion of the Funkhouser plantation. Dr.
F., Charles Severs and David Fine have passed over the river. I don’t know
what has become of Jake.
[Fayetteville Democrat 1/18/1889]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr. John Jacob Funkhouser
The Funkhouser family arrived in west Washington County
about 1830, and located a few miles southwest of Lincoln, where
they established a large farm on what came to be called Sugar
Hill, from the many sugar maple trees that grew there. Sugar
Hill became the name of a community, and the church building
of that name is still in use. The Sugar Hill Cemetery was first
established as the Funkhouser Cemetery; it is still sometimes. so
calle