The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-20
MARSHAL AND RUFFIAN.
CAREER OF a YORK STATE MAN IN
The INDIAN TERRITORY.

Fourteen People in Less Than Ten
Years. but he Died in Bed With 3
Parson by Him.
Nc zlistsr a. IT, Letter to tie Ne0 York Sun.
Burton Colbert is dead, and, contrary to
all notions ever held on the subject Of his
death, he died peacefully in bed with a par
son praying by his side for the welfare OF
his soul. II Barton Cohorts soul was
whitenei by that prayer there is deal Of
hope for every man in this wicked piece of
land called the Indian Territory.
Burton Colbert was born in Oneida
county, New York, near Utica, on April 30,
1859, and passed his early days on a farm.
His father was well to do and indulgent.
and Burton was the only boy. II half Of
what Burton baasted OF ebout his early
career was true, he had a whoopiDg
time amopg the hills Of Oneida unu!
1879. IN the fell of that year a gui5
brought by the father of young
wousD living in the neigaborhood to c)rn-
pei him for his father to support q child
then about to oe born, made 1t expedieut for
the young man % follow the course OF the
sun. He went first to Chicago. thence TO
ST. Louis, was for time in Springfield,
No. and then brought up in the spring of
1850 at tie thriving young city of Fort
Smith, ARR. re was supporting himself
during this tiule by caring for or driving
horses. He wa4 an expert hocseIusp, and 70
know bow 20 care for horses Is all that IS
needed IN this county % get on well.
At Fort Smith young Colbert got his first
taste Of blood. He was eJnUlcYod in Hent-
zell s. McDermott's livery stable, his chief
occupation beng the driving OF CONNER
cial troYelo,s from Fort Smith TO various
ha = nd "A fha iftia
stores kept by squaw men in the Indian
country. Before the end Of tina summer
Colbert knaw every ssoTe6ceper within forty
Tliles Of Fort Smith and abon5 all the
deputy n7arshsls chat ever came to the
United States cNrrS. and not a few OF the
Iliian Territory touEts who came there as
well. He was II genial fellow so far as any
one knew ct that time, and was very pop
mar So much So, indeed. that he received
tSe phenomenal pay Of $50 week from the
firm who employed him.
One day he reached the little store
located about ha,f way between Fort Glib
son and fahlequah having with him st.
Louis drummer for q notion house. The
store was kept b. an Indian, and there hap
pened 20 be dozsn men about it, the most
of whom wore Of Indian blood. The sight
of tho drummer's samples excited the spec
tators so much that, as If by a concerted
movement, they gathered about the open
gripsack and began to pick up and pocket
some of the most attractive Of the truck. IL
was done so quickly and on so many sides
at once that the drummer was taken by
surprise. aud in furry tried to close the
sample cases. He overturned one instead
that dropped lot Of little metal-cased mir
rors, photograph cases, and other bright
things on the floor. The sound of the fall
and the scramble and the expostulation of
the drummer drew the attention of Colbert
to t1e matter for the first time.
AS he whirled around he drew his re-
volver from its holster on his right hip.
The next instant two men fell mortally
hurt, hit by one bullet. The bullet had
passed through the neck of Curtis DinsmOre
and lodged in the breast of Brant McPher-
SOL. Hands up" yelled Colbert, and with
the sight of that weapon in their faces and
the two men struggling in the throes of
death on the floor as an incentive, every
man, including the drummer, made a Y of
himself instantly.
leather up your duds," SAID Colbert to
the drummer, and the drummer did it with
trembling hands In after years Colbert
learned that it was better to disarm the
gang first and gather up the stuff after,
but this little oversight was Of no conss-
quence this time.
When the notions were stored in the car
rage the merchant was told to disarm the
gang and put the weapons in the carriage
also. Then, telling the men that their arms
would be brought back by the Tahlequah
stage from Fort Gibson next morning, Col
bert drove hastily away.
That was the sort of an adventure to
make the name of Burton Colbert dreaded.
but it put him where it was dangerous to be
caught without well-loaded, easily handled
gun.
Colbert always said, after his trial by the
United States court was over, that this kill
ing was accidental; that his thumb slipped
as he was cooking the weapon. He had
learned the knack of drawing his pistol so
that its muzzle was pointed at the enemy
the moment it cleared the holster, however,
and no one believed that a man who had
learned this trick was going to let the ham,
meT slip. On tho trial Colbert pleaded self
defense. He said he and the drummer were
attacked by q gang of thieves. That was a
good plea, for every man there had had a
weapon of some sort, and one man had his
in hand, as the testimony showed
Whether Colbert killed the men by acci-
dent or not, his reputation was made as
i. quick and accurate shooting man, and his
denial of intent passed for modesty. The
Difference that was shown him everywhere
proved mighty pleasing TO him, and it was
from this time that his career as q des-
perado really begar. He was so much
sought after by fighting men, and it is
IA~i1 JkldJ ne OCSdil W grow alD1IlOuS TO
achieve further glory within a -ery short
time after his affair on the Tahlequah mail
route, for within month he was put on the
United States Marshal's force and sent on
the most dangerous missions that fell to
their lot.
II was early in March, 1881, that he got
into his noxt fight where blood was shed.
Over in the Greek nation was a family bv
the name of Crenshaw, father and TIRES
sons who had as villainous a mixture of
white, negro aud Greek blood in their veins
as was ever known in that particularly
tough part of the Indian territory. They
were horse thieves by vocation aud prac-
ticed highway robbery as an avocation.
They had murdered number of men. but
proof of the crimes had been lacking. In
March the four men came to Fort
Gibson to attend court, and Nc
Dermott, the liveryman, recognized
two of the horses as the property
OF farmer living in Cherokee county.
Kansas, from a very accurate description
which he had received from the farmer.
Warrants for the four thieves were issued
and delivered to Colbert and five other
narshals. who were detailed to make the
arrest. By some means not known the
Crenshaws heard that the warrants were
out, and getting their horses they rode
quietly out of town before the marshals
had developed a plan for taking them in.
A race for it was all that was left, and a
mighty hard race it proved. For thirty