The above photo was featured in the article "BLOODY CADDO", by Louise Riottee. (TRUE WEST, June, 1970) From that article--and a few others--the following information was gathered:
"Ardmore was a hang out of horse thieves, train robbers, and every type of character found on the frontier." It "wasn't very big, but it was the largest town that Indian Territory could boast of, and even then, nobody could boast very much."Its main artery was called Caddo Street, where a number of "establishments of entertainment and refreshment" were. The endless fist fights and shoot outs that took place in these "joints" "earned for these few blocks the sobriquet of 'Bloody Caddo'."
The story of "Wobblin Willie" Balleau is a good example of the type of blood shed that took place on Caddo with regularity. Willie frequented a basement "gambling hall and bootlegging joint" located on the corner of Main and Caddo--"The DewDrop Inn". He was often drunk, always argumentative, and a crack shot. His archrivals were a family who owned another Caddo Street joint, the Fourches, who most likely supplied the DewDrop Inn with booze. At any rate, Balleau and Irb Fourche got into a fight at "The DewDrop Inn" one day, and by the time the two made it outside and into the street, guns were drawn and lead was flying. Irb didn't stand a chance Willie shot him dead.
When the Fourche family heard of the killing, they came to Caddo gunning for Balleau. A shoot out followed, leaving Balleau severely wounded. When he hid in the basement Inn, Buck Garrett was called to handle the situation. Garrett "strolled unconcerned down the dark stairway to the hiding place of the drink crazed man. 'I've come after you, Bill,' the sheriff proclaimed, 'and I haven't even got a gun in my hands.'" At first Balleau didn't want to be taken out of the building, because he feared the Fourches would finish the job they had started. Garrett convinced Willie that he would protect him, and the severely wounded man surrendered peacefully. Dr. Hardy treated him in the hospital, located on the second floor of that same building. The good Dr. removed some 32 pieces of buckshot from the drunken gunman. Balleau lived. And , surprisingly enough, no charges were filed against any of the participants in the gunbattle.
Balleau lived to fight another day, but he was not quite as lucky the next time. It seems Willie had lost a court case involving the ownership of a horse. Shortly afterwards he went to the judge, Jimmy Mathers, to convince him to overturn his decision. Judge Mathers told Willie "No", and that he believed he had made a fair decision in the case. Willie, seeing he couldn't change the judges mind, became angry and went for his gun. Mathers (who never claimed to be, nor wanted to be a gunman) had one, too. And the judge got to his first. Within a split second "Wobblin Willie" crumpled to the floor. He died before Dr. Hardy could even reach the judge's office.
Mathers stood trial and on Sept. 22, 1911.The jury deliberated for six minutes and returned with a verdict of not guilty.