My dad was great at telling tales of local legends and myths. He grew up on highway 59 south of Hodgen. I’m sure all sorts of visitors stopped at their house. Back then my dad had several cousins and uncles on both sides of the family. So, I’m sure there was a good bit of story telling.
When I was little dad and I hunted all over the Ouachita National Forest. One particular spot was several miles down a dead end forest service road. The road actually ended at a small parcel of land completely surrounded by the National Forest. I never met the man that lived there, but dad said the rumor around town was this guy was a hit man for the mafia.
Someone told dad this guy would disappear for a month or two then show up again. He never worked, hardly ever went to town, yet had plenty of money. This led to much speculation as to how he made a living.
I was a teenager when dad told me about this. At the time dad told me, I secretly figured he was just trying to persuade me not to hunt on the fence by that man’s place. But- now that I’m older I have seen many of the stories my dad told, turn out to be true. The last few years I’ve been wondering about them, what was really true and what just my dad spinning another tall tale.
I could see where a man that was an assassin would want to live in seclusion and keep a low profile. However, as I have grown older a cabin in the woods with no cell service sounds a lot like heaven to me.
I’d give anything to be able to ask my dad about that story once again, but I guess I will never find out. Was there a bone fide hermit/hitman/assassin that lived in the remote forest of southern LeFlore county? It makes for interesting reflection for sure….
James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.
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