February 6, 1889

Congress took the circuit court authority from the federal court at Fort Smith (Sebastian County) and allowed the U.S. Supreme Court to begin reviewing all capital crimes. This had a profound effect on Judge Isaac Parker, known as the “hanging judge” of Arkansas. Soon, the Supreme Court began to reverse the capital crimes tried in Fort Smith, and two-thirds of the cases that were appealed were sent back to Fort Smith for a new trial.