In the autumn of 1907, the life of Sheriff Eugene Williams Mooney, a 33-year-old male, was cut tragically short. On October 5th of that year, he was in the process of transporting an escaped prisoner, William 'Wild Bill' Estes, back to Baxter County, Arkansas. They were aboard a train that was pulling into the depot at Holdenville, Oklahoma, when a fateful accident occurred. As Sheriff Mooney leaned over to peer out at the platform, the service weapon he had secured in his suspenders dislodged and fell.
The firearm struck a pipe on the side of the railroad coach, causing it to discharge. A single bullet struck Sheriff Mooney, inflicting a mortal wound. The incident was witnessed by both the prisoner he was escorting and his cousin, Deputy Sheriff John Conley, who was accompanying him. Both men verified that the shooting was purely accidental. Despite the immediate chaos and the gravity of his injury, there was no foul play involved.
In the immediate aftermath, as word of the sheriff's shooting spread through the town, a lynch mob formed under the mistaken belief that the prisoner, Estes, had killed him. However, Deputy Conley bravely intervened, explaining the true, accidental nature of the event to the assembled crowd, thereby averting further tragedy. Sheriff Mooney's death was officially ruled an accident, and consequently, there were no arrests made or suspects identified in connection with the incident. His passing was a sorrowful and unexpected end to the life of a dedicated lawman.
