The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-16
OUTLAWS THAT RULE
BlOOdthirSty Gangs in Oklahoma Who
Delight in Murder and Pillage.
RlVALED THE JAMES BOYS
Women Assist In the Lawless
Deeds. and Life and Prop
erty Are Unsafe-Many
Lswless Eands.

a more liberal representation Of all
parties in interest than the recent con-
vention at Shawnee, will be held in
Oklahoma City soon. Statehood for
Oklahoma will sound the death knell of
outlawry in this bandit-cursed coun-
try. Oklahoma and the Indian terri
tory have been for years the prey of
some of the most daring ard despicable
characters known in the annals of
crime. They have pillaged the homes
Of honest settlers, levied rich tribute
upon railroads, banks and express COM
panies, and have murdered scores of
defenseless men. Prior to the opening
of Oklahoma to homestead settlement
the territory was the rendezvous of
hundreds of criminals who had sought
refuge from officers of the law. There
were organized bands of cattle thieves
and train robbers who made frequent
raids in adjacent states, and with their
plumber quickly disappeared again and
were almost as safe from pursuit as
though in the painless jungles of India.
In day, indeed, in an hour, Oklahoma
was invaded by a vast army of home
seekers. Every quarter section had
several claimants and killings became
so frequent in the bitter disputes that
they soon attracted but slight atten
ton. Disappointed boomers" with
prediction for crime became outlaws.
OIlen 0dNlnB StTNeu an apprenticeship
as deputy marshals.
RIVALED THE JAMES BOYS.
The success of the stupendous I'M
dertaking of those past masters in
crime, the James brothers, seems to
have furnished an incentive to similar
endeavors, and the worldfamous Dali
ton gang sprang into existence. The
disintegration of the Dalton gang by
no means put a stop to the operations
of the bandits. The Bill Cook gang.
the Doolin gang. the Buck gang, the
Christian gang, the Wyatt gang and
numerous other bands of robbers and
cattle thieves continued to infest the
territory and prey upon the people.
Bill Cook was the leader of lot Of
desperate and ignorant fellows, whose
field of operations was for the most
part limited to eastern Oklahoma. Cook
was part Cherokee and an all round
bad man. None of the robberieS con-
Quoted by him were of great magni-
tude, but they were always attended
with the most revolving brutality. Bill
Doolin is still at large, and the pre-
sumption is that he is with the Chris
tian gang. Cook is serving a life SEN
tence. Tulsa Jack, who has been with
almost every outlaw gang in the terri
tory, was recently killed by United
States deputy marshals near Tulsa, In
dian territory. The Buck gang was
made up of the lowest and vilest Off
scourings of the country, and it's rec
ord of evil deeds is the blacklist of any
of the outlaw gangs, it's victims being
most often defenseless women. The
authorities have finally corraled the
entire gang. The Christian brothers.
who were captured some months ago
after a hot pursuit and a hard fight,
broke jail recently and are again oper-
ating in eastern Oklahoma. They are
wanted for crimes of every character,
and Will probably never be taken alive.
MANY LAWLESS BANDS.
Jim Raider. one of the most desper-
ate men in the Doolin gang, lies in the
Oklahoma City jail awaiting trial for
his many crimes, with his body full of
lead. The officers rounded him up
about 10 miles from the Usage agency
in southern Kansas recently, and as he
would not give himself up and was
about to escape the marshals shot him
in the hand. tearing off two fingers
They followed him, shooting several
times. He was shot with bird shot
being hit in the wrist with a rifle. but
still he could not be taken. Finally, as
the officers were gaining on him. he
turned, and as he started to run again
a shot from a Winchester caused him
to leap in the air, lose his gun and fall
forward on his face He had been
struck in the back of the head and il
brought him low. He was one of the
notorious Wyatt gang, and his last
crime was in connection with the rob-
berry of the Rock Island express at
Dover He has killed two or three
marshals
The pursuit of the Zip Wyatt gang
and the capture of their intrepid leader
forms one of the most thrilling chap
tiers in Oklahoma's history. The whole
territory was organized into vigilance
committees to assist in the capture
and such another man hunt has seldom
If ever been witnessed in any country.
Isaac Black, one of the foremost MEM
bers of the gang, was surprised while
eating supper at the home of a farmer
and killed. Wyatt. who was with him.
ran into a corn field amid a hailstorm
of bullets. and mounting a fleet horse
he headed for the mountains with part
Of the gang. One by one the despera-
does fell into the hands of the mar
shsls. Wyatt was wounded in the right
side. and so exhausted from loss Of
blood that he had to be tied to his
horse. Finally he was brought to bay
in a corn field. A Gordon was formed
the vigilantes covered him with Win
chesters and ordered him to surrender.
The outlaw pulled two revolvers for
answer, and began to shoot. A dozen
guns were fired at him almost stimuli
a bullet in his hip and two bullets in
his leg. A bullet in the shoulder finally
disabled him. Before his trial he. died
breathing vengeance against hisf CAP
tors. Since the wiping out of the Zipf
Wyatt gang a new outlaw leader has
been making life interesting for settlers
in the Cherokee strip. He is known as
white Horse Doolin." He has led a
number of successful horse stealing
raids.
WOMEN ENGAGED IN BANDITRY.
The most remarkable feature of out
lawry in the territory is that in nearly
every gang of importance women
dressed like men participate in raids
and receive a share OF the plumber
Again, as farmers wives. they visit the
town at which a robbery has been
planned and acquaint themselves ac-
curately with every detail. This ac-
counts for the success of many OF the
raids Tom King. the notorious female
horse thief. cattle rustler and bootleg
ger when finally lodged in the Ell Reno