According to his gravestone and the U. S. Census records of 1910 and 1920, our family patriarch, George W(ashington) Roberson, was born 22 February 1861 in Texas. While some of the family have referred to his full name being George Washington Roberson, this name has never been found on any official document. He is always found listed as George W. Roberson or G. W. Roberson. His son was named George Wesley Roberson.
Little is known about his childhood other than his own children's inconsistent stories of a troubled home life. The common thread amongst their stories is he apparently did not reach adulthood in the home of his natural parents. For example:
The author has personally searched the U. S. Census of 1880 in the State of Texas for every possible permutation of the name George W. Roberson. His firstborn son, William Bee, arrived on 22 July 1881 in Cooke County, Texas. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that he was somewhere in the area, in order for him to meet and marry Fronia, who is on the U. S. Census of 1880 with her parents in Cooke County, Texas. The most likely record found lists a George Robberson [notice phonetic spelling of correct pronunciation], 18 years of age, living with a John Brown, an Indian, and he is listed as an adopted son. John's wife's name is illegible and George is the only other person living with them. This record is in Cooke County, Texas. If this is him, the chances of ever putting together his ancestry are grim.
While the account above of his children indicate George married Saphronia "Fronia" Hart in 1880, a marriage record has never been found. Not in Cooke County, Texas or anywhere else. There is a family story that the Hart family was less than impressed with George and that he and Fronia eloped. If there ever was a marriage, perhaps it took place in Indian Territory across the line from where the Hart family lived in Cooke County, Texas.
Judging from the birthplaces of his older sons and what is known of the movements of the Hart family, George and Fronia probably lived around them for the first several years of their marriage. By 1895, however, they had left Texas and moved into Pottawatomie County in Oklahoma Territory. On the U. S. Census record of 1900, we find Ambrose Franklin in Pottawatomie County and he is known to have been there for awhile. Ambrose was a first cousin of Fronia, the firstborn son of Timothy James Hart's older sister, Harriet Henrietta Hart and Jesse W. Franklin. Perhaps the Roberson family moved up to be near them. Ambrose died in Wanette, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma on 11 January 1913 [Ed. Note: This was about the time the Roberson family moved across the South Canadian River into McClain County, near Byars.]
One mystery on the U. S. Census of 1900 is that Saphronia is found listed with some of her children in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. George is not there and sons William Bee and John Caleb aren't either. Furthermore, she is listed as a widow. That was not true, so we don't know whether the census taker made an honest mistake or if something more was taking place. The author has come up with only two plausible explanations for George not being on the U. S. Census in 1900. He was hiding from the law and had Fronia list herself as a widow to throw people off his trail. Or he was visiting with family somewhere or away on business. The author chooses to believe the latter, since his sons were probably with him, and hopes that someday we will find him on the 1900 U. S. Census visiting members of his extended Roberson family. Ideally, his two sons will be with him on the record, which will allow us to be certain we have found the right person.
[Note: Of course, there is always the possibility the census taker missed them entirely, but we'll hope that was not the case.]
As to the location of the family during this period, the author obtained details in a phone conversation with J. P. Roberson, Polk's youngest son, 21 December 1997:
"... Roberson home site in Pottawatomie County is 2 mi. W of Asher, 2 mi. N, and
1/2 mi. back E. The old home is no longer there, just some elm trees. The nearest cemetery
is probably the Avoca Cemetery, about 1 mile."
Four of the five children born to George and Fronia who died in childhood, died in Pottawatomie County. They may be buried in Avoca Cemetery.
Two years later, the author had the opportunity to visit the site personally and J. P. Roberson talked about the farm up on the ridge from the Roberson home, where a farmer employed several of the older brothers. We find George Hull on the U. S. Census of 1900, living right next to the Roberson family. George and Fronia's oldest, William Bee, married George Hull's daughter, Ida Mae on 21 September 1901. Perhaps it was the Hull family who owned this farm on the ridge.
In about 1913, the family packed their belongings, crossed the South Canadian River, and moved to their new home 3 to 4 miles NW of Byars, McClain County, Oklahoma. The author spoke with Josephine Edna, the youngest child, as an 88-year-old woman who still vividly remembered the trip. She recalled their neighbors helping them move 3 or 4 wagon loads of goods across the river. She rode in the wagon with her mother while Mattie and Carl were walking along with them helping herd the animals. She was very frightened as they went out into the river. They lost some animals. Not properly secured, some of the chicken coops floated off the tops of the wagons and away down the river.
Once settled in their new home, they must have found things to their liking, for George and Fronia both lived out their lives there. Only one of their children, however, remained in the immediate area - George Wesley Roberson. His descendants are still in Byars today.
As to their earlier life in Pottawatomie County, the author has found only one reference to the Roberson family in a history book. In a book called "Localized History of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma to 1907," written by Charles W. Mooney, B.S. University of Oklahoma, Lt. Colonel of U.S. Army Retired, the following is written on p. 150 in the description of the "Ghost Town of Jefferson:
"The Robertson (sic) family lived east of town [Ed. Note: The description
of Jefferson was 3 mi. W and 2 mi. N of present day Asher], had several wild boys, and
later moved to Byars. Mr. Robertson shot a man in a saloon in Jefferson, but did not kill
him, however later killed a man, and was eventually killed himself. He was also remembered
as passing the sacrament in the Campbelite (sic) services at the Adell schoolhouse."
Not exactly a very flattering reference, but we have to take it as it comes. The reference to George W. Roberson being killed is related to the killing of Kirby Pugh, by G.W.'s son Carl [see story below]. According to his tombstone in the Old Byars Cemetery, Kirby was born 22 May 1907 and died 26 December 1922, the day after he was shot. He is buried in the Pugh family plot in the old Byars Cemetery, SE of town. As revenge, Ralph Pugh shot and killed George Washington Roberson the following Spring on 23 May 1923.
The details appeared in this article in the Purcell Register on Thursday, 31 May 1923:
"ROBERSON KILLED AT BYARS SUNDAY"
"Ralph Pugh Acknowledges The Shooting - Held in Cleveland County Jail At
Present"
"About nine o'clock Sunday morning G. W. Roberson, farmer, living three and a half
miles northwest of Byars was shot four times and instantly killed. Two shots were from a
high powered Winchester and two from a revolver. Johnnie E. Ratliff was notified and went
to Byars arriving at the scene about three o'clock and examined the body which had not
been disturbed. At least two of the bullets were fired after the man was down as they were
dug from the ground under the body by the sheriff. One bullet took effect in the back, one
in the face and two in the back of the head or neck. These were the revolver bullets which
were seemingly fired after the man was down."
"Ralph Pugh, a neighbor was arrested and acknowledged the shooting, but claims
justification. He has been placed in the Cleveland county jail at Norman to await a
preliminary hearing the date for which has not been set. Judge Madison, county attorney,
will set the hearing for a nearby date."
"The present killing is probably the outgrowth of the killing Christmas day of Kirby
Pugh by Carl Roberson who is now in jail at Pauls Valley awaiting the action of the
district court. Ralph Pugh who did the present killing is a brother of Kirby Pugh, the boy
who was killed at that time while G. W. Roberson the man killed is the father of Carl
Roberson who did the killing Christmas."
"The killing is a bad affair and the two families, although close neighbors, have not
been on good terms, in fact, it seems that a kind of feud exists between them. The
southeastern end of the county is considerably stirred up over the two tragedies - the one
Christmas and the present one."
"The Christmas was done in the public road near the Roberson home while the latter
shooting was done in the Roberson field where Roberson was apparently at work. We
understand that Roberson was armed but did not use his weapon."
Both Carl Roberson and Ralph Pugh came to trial on the 2nd and 3rd of October, 1923. Carl was found guilty of manslaughter in the first degree and sentenced to 12 years in the State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Ralph Pugh was found not guilty. How could this be?
For years, this story had been circulated through the family, but the truth was unknown until the author visited the McClain County Courthouse in August 1978, where he learned that the youngest Roberson son, Carl, had shot Kirby Pugh on Christmas Day, 1922. He died the next day. The author met with many people who lived as contemporaries of the Roberson family, asking what caused the problem. Everyone had a different story.
Later, in the early 1980s, the author was introduced to Orrin Johnston and he took him out to dinner. Mr. Johnston was about 85 years old and in excellent health. He was the son of a judge and himself one in McClain County and had grown up with several of the Roberson boys. He gave the best explanation for what had happened. After recounting all the earlier stories given us an explanation for the tragedies, he was asked which he thought was true. He replied they probably all were and that it was important to realize these were two tough, no-nonsense pioneer families that didn't back down from anything. Furthermore, he personally knew the culmination of all the problems was an ultimatum from the Roberson family to the Pugh family they were not to come down the public road by the Roberson's home to get into town anymore. Obviously, this presented a hardship to the Pugh family they were either unable or unwilling to accept. Mr. Johnston said that when Kirby came riding down the road on that fateful Christmas day, Carl's hot-headed wife urged him to not let Kirby get away with it. Carl then went outside and shot Kirby off his horse. Kirby vowed to get even, apparently not realizing how seriously he was wounded. He died the next day.
The following Spring, George was working in the back part of their property, closest to where the Pugh family lived, when he must've seen something. Family members related the tracks found at the site indicated George knew there was going to be trouble and he was heading back to the house, when he was shot long-range with a rifle in the back. He was then shot several more times at close range with a revolver.
So, how was Ralph found innocent? Especially considering the newspaper account indicates he pled guilty from the outset? Mr Johnston said this was "frontier" justice, common in those days. That, while Ralph Pugh was indeed guilty of murder, it was justifiable as an act of revenge for the killing of his little brother. Perhaps as a gesture to try and balance "the scales of justice," the judge reportedly issued a "peace order" against the Pugh family. In effect, this called for the family to be disarmed. Fronia's first cousin, Caleb Lawson "Loss" Hart, the U. S. Marshall for that part of the country reportedly took part in the execution of this judicial decree. The Pugh family left the area shortly thereafter. Descendants of George W. Roberson, on the other hand, as mentioned above, still live in Byars to this day.
One interesting side note was Mr. Johnston's telling the story, at the end of our evening together, that he had been taken to dinner a couple of years earlier by a young man about the author's age, asking similar questions. He asked if the author was interested to know this young's man name? Turns out, he was a descendant of the Pugh family, also trying to learn the truth of this tragedy for both families.
After the death of George W. Roberson, he was buried in the Old Byars Cemetery just SE of town. His wife, Fronia, lived for another 13 years. She died on 22 July 1936 and was buried beside her husband.
Author: Roger L. Roberson, Jr. • Last updated: 06 December 2009