Curnutt, Ada - US Dep. Marshall
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 20 Nov 1893.
An Oklahoma City special to the New York Recorder gives the following particulars of a brave act of the arrest of two territorial toughs by Miss Ada Curnutt, the Deputy United States Marshal. The narration is of a semi local interest, as Miss Curnutt is a descendent form Montgomery County stock. She is the granddaughter of the late Calloway Curnutt, who for many years lived in the west and north parts of this county. Her grandmother was a sister of the late John Hutchings, who lived six miles east of the city. Her father was the Rev. William G. Curnett, who was raised in this county and served through the war in the 40th Regiment Indiana Volunteers. He was admitted to the Northwest Indiana Conference after the war closed, and soon after was transferred to the Illinois Conference, where he died a few years ago. The following is the correspondent’s account:
Extraordinary conditions often force the women of the West into extraordinary positions. Miss Ada Curnutt, of Oklahoma, holds the position of the Deputy United States Marshal in a country where the public peace is in the hands of the federal government. Miss Curnutt, who is also clerk of the district court at Norman, received a telegram not long ago from the United States Marshal that two well known desperate characters and perjurers who were badly wanted, were at Oklahoma City, and to send an experienced deputy there at once and arrest them. As it happened, all of the deputies were at that time out on the “scout” with warrants, but the men must be arrested, and the plucky little woman took the train herself to Oklahoma City. When she arrived there she learned that the men were in a gambling house and saloon, and going there she sent a man in to tell them that a lady wished to see them outside. When they came out, she was for the moment appalled. They were toughs of the toughest character, heavily armed and under the influence of liquor, but, nothing daunted; she read them the warrant and placed them under arrest.
The toughs considered it quite a joke and refused to accompany her. The plucky little deputy marshal was not calculated to inspire terror. She is a slender woman about twenty years of age, well dressed, modest, but with determined looking gray eyes and unflinching courage. Although she was entirely unarmed, in a locality where the only thing that commands thorough respect is the Winchester and the revolver, she told them that they must go with her, and that she could instantly summon every man on the street to assist her. The perjurers allowed her to fasten them together with handcuffs. She marched them to the station and telegraphed the marshal at Guthrie:
Meet me at the train. I have Reagan and Doleze
Ada Curnutt
Miss Curnett, as clerk of the district court, has survived several administrations. Her work is conducted with and in the presence of men of the roughest character, who, however, yield her the greatest respect. The force of character and self reliance necessary to conduct the office in a new country and under the circumstances arising in such a community are very great, but this young woman has won the admiration and respect of all the judges and officials, as well as of the characters who find themselves before the courts.
Miss Curnett came to this country just after its opening to settlement, with her sister and brother-in-law, and her ability soon won her a place in the county clerk’s office. She knows nor cares nothing for politics, but she understands her business and sticks to it. She is the daughter of a Methodist clergyman and was born in Illinois. She devotes most of her spare time to china painting.