In the late summer of 1910, Garland County Sheriff Jake Houpt, a male, was involved in a fatal confrontation in Hot Springs, Arkansas. On August 17th, Sheriff Houpt, accompanied by his brother and chief deputy, Sid Houpt, attempted to arrest two brothers, Oscar and George Chitwood, on suspicion of horse theft. As the lawmen were escorting the suspects to the jail, the situation escalated dramatically.
Without warning, the Chitwood brothers produced pistols and opened fire on Sheriff
Houpt and his deputy. A fierce gunfight erupted on the grounds of the Garland County Courthouse. During the exchange of gunfire, Sheriff Houpt was mortally wounded. His brother, Sid, was also wounded but survived. As the Chitwood brothers attempted to flee the scene, the wounded officers returned fire.
In the ensuing chaos, one of the suspects, George Chitwood, was shot and killed. His brother, Oscar Chitwood, was badly wounded but managed to escape. Three days after the initial shootout, the wounded Oscar Chitwood was captured by authorities.
Following his capture, Oscar Chitwood was taken into custody. However, his life came to a violent end on December 26, 1910. While being escorted from the Garland County Jail to the police station by a deputy sheriff, a group of three unidentified men approached. They forced the deputy to step aside and then shot Oscar Chitwood to death. The murder of Oscar Chitwood officially remains unsolved. Sheriff Houpt succumbed to his injuries three days after the gunfight.
