In the small town of Wilburton, Oklahoma, a tragic event unfolded within the very walls meant to uphold justice. On a late June day in 1909, Deputy Constable Albert Turner was dutifully guarding a prisoner inside the local courthouse. The male prisoner was set to appear before a judge for a misdemeanor charge. During the trial, in a sudden and violent turn of events, the defendant managed to disarm the head constable.
The prisoner then opened fire, and Deputy Constable Turner was wounded
by the gunfire. In the ensuing chaos, another deputy constable was able to return fire, injuring the gunman. Despite the efforts to control the situation, Deputy Constable Turner succumbed to his injuries the following day, on Friday, June 25, 1909.
Following the shooting, the wounded prisoner was taken to the local jail. However, the story did not end there. An incensed mob of citizens, angered by the killing of the deputy constable, converged on the jail. They overpowered the authorities, took the prisoner from his cell, and lynched him. No arrests are on record for the lynching, closing a dark chapter in the town's history.
