In the rural outskirts of Dumas, Arkansas, on a late September day in 1911, a violent confrontation unfolded that left three men dead and ultimately led to a grim act of mob justice. On September 26, 33-year-old Deputy Sheriff Barney Stiel, a White male and a veteran of the Spanish-American War, accompanied his superior, Sheriff William Preston of the Desha County Sheriff's Office, to serve arrest warrants on two brothers at their cabin.
As the lawmen approached the dwelling, the
situation escalated with shocking speed. One of the brothers opened fire, killing Sheriff Preston instantly. In the ensuing chaos, Deputy Stiel returned fire, fatally wounding the man who had just killed his sheriff. At that moment, the second brother shot and killed Deputy Stiel. The remaining deputies on the scene immediately engaged the second brother, shooting and killing him as well.
During the gun battle, the father of the two suspects arrived, armed with a rifle, and began firing at the deputies. The officers returned fire, seriously wounding him. He was taken into custody and transported to the local jail.
The next morning, a mob of approximately 100 men gathered, their anger fueled by the deaths of the two law enforcement officers. They stormed the jail, overpowered the on-duty officers, and seized the wounded father of the two deceased suspects. The mob then took him to a water tank located along the Iron Mountain Railroad, where they lynched him. No arrests of anyone in the lynch mob were ever made.
