Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-25
THEIRCAREERENDING
Close of the Family History of the
STAIRS.
lERRORlZED THE COUNTRY FOR YEARS.
The Woman Who Chung to the
Oesperadoes.
DEATH SENTENCE OF HENRY,

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
TOPEKA. Kan, Dec. 25.-The recent trial,
| conviction and sentence to death of the no.
torious bandit, Henry Starr, at Fort Smith,
Ark, bring before the public the history
OF family that has for years terrorized the
people OF southern Kansas and the Indian
territory, committing depredations that
would shame the James and Younger gangs
In their palmiest days in western Missouri
Inc latest exploit of the gang has been the
holding UP Of train near Coffeyville Sat-
urday night.
The Starr family during all these years
| lived in the Cherokee nation In the DAYS
when Ola Tom Starr was at his best he de-
ned the Cherokee authorities, though him.
SELF Cherokee, to interfere with his custom
OF killing disagreeable persons. The light
morse pursued him into tangled jungles and
INTO mountain Businesses, only to mark the
road with their own blood. So successfully
did Old Tom elude his pursuers and by de-
grees pick of their choicest braves with his
trasty rifle that the United States govern
ment was called in the case and the light
horse gave 1t up. The army Jared no better
than the Indians From out of the dark
corners and the mountain cliffs the sharp
3
effect as long as the army followed him.
CONSERVATION and dismay ensued and the
army returned to the barracks, confessing
that the unconditional repeal of Old Tom
was an impossibility. The government then
compromised with him and let him CO. The
Cherokee nation did likewise and Old Tom
became good citizen.
A story is told to the effect that the Read
gang, another family of Cherokee bandits
who nine years ago robbed Old Clay Wright,
Creek Indian, of $4,000 In gold left 81 OOO
of 1t with Old Tom Starr for safe keeping
Read was killed soon after in endeavoring
to make his escape from Coffeyville Kan,
where he attempted to rob a bank, and his
wife went to Old Tom to get the money
Naturally he refused to give 1t up. A year
or two later the woman married Old Toms
son. Sam. and thereafter became known as
Belle Starr, the champion female bandit of
the west. AS the wife of Sam Starr she be-
came member of Old Toms family and
made earnest efforts to locate the $1,000,
but she learned that Old Tom had given the
money to his wife to hide away SO that
thieves could not get it, and SO that If he
should be taken off without notice. which
was always probability, she could have
the money. But the old lady died while Old
Tom was absent from home in Labette
county, KAN stealing horses. and the gold
has never been found. About this time Sam
Starr got into some kind of difficulty with
the United States, and while scouting en-
gagged in personal row with friend. and
according 10 tne starr 1aShlOn agreed to
settle the matter in a duel. The result was
that both men were killed
rms, hoWever.d did not change the life of his
widow, Belle Starr. She became the lover
of Bandit Middleton, a desperate character
who was drowned while trying to cross the
Potean river on a horse that was a poor
swimmer Middleton's two pistols and we'll
loaded cartridge belt were too heavy for
him and he went down in the raging stream
to rise no more. Belle had gone down the
country with the understanding that Mid
dleton was to meet her at a designated
place. She waited anxiously for weeks
and not until the body of a drowned man
was found in the Potean river and buried
and dug up and buried again the second
time and identified as that of Middleton
did she learn that 1t was useless to wait
longer. Belle STAIRS participation In the
Fort Smith fair. when she was a prime at
traction. was later At the time AL. Powe
was young reporter on one OF the papers
lie was on friendly terms with Belle and
made the most out of her for the entertain
ment of the sports who read the paper to
keep posted on the races. One day Belle
was on the track mounted on magnificent
charger and bantered Powe to get up be-
hind her. Not to be outdone, he allowed his
companions to help him up. and when fairly
seated. Belle and her own special represen-
tative of the press sped past the grand
stand at break-nack speed, while the crowd
yelled itself hoarse Belle then married
Jim Starr, brother of her former husband
and they made their home in the eastern
miles from Fort Smith. One day while Jim
was in Fort Smith news came to town that
Belle had been assassinated. Jim jumped
on his horse and next day brought in man
who was suspected of the crime but who
was able to prove his innocence. Belle Starr
was shot from ambush, she was riding
along the road, but the assassin was never
apprehended.
u The next interesting member of the Starr
family Is Pearl. Belle Stars daughter
whose name however. is not Starr, but
Younger, being the daughter of one of the
Youngers, now in the Saltwater Mimi, pen
itentiary. She Is quite prominent in Fort
Smith. where she lives, and popular with
| the sports. She is very handsome woman
and possesses very amiable temper
Some of the STAIRS are the most promi-
nent families of the Indian territory Zeke
Starr is treasurer of the Cherokee nation
and Is man of high personal chara cter
He Is an uncle of Henry Starr. The name
Starr is very common one among the In
dams. 1t belongs to that class of names of
which Six Killer and Bushyhead are speci-
mems. There was a custom among the In
dams. yet In vogue to some extent, of
naming the male children for the first thing
that attracts the attention Of the mother
after the birth of the child. This accounts
for the few Bushyheads and the many
STAIRS.
Now that this gang of bandits have been
suppressed the people Of the towns along
the southern Kansas border breathe easier
and feel that life and property are more Sc
cure. The Starr family was more to be
dreaded than the Daltons. because their
operations extended over period OF fifteen
years. in which they pillaged and murdered
with scarcely any interruption.