The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-04-05
CLY3E's CRIMINAL CAREER
Particular Of His Latest Kir.
ilg-H,s Aged MOtner
HeartbrOkeM.

heAftDfOheN.
Ponca city. April 4-(speclal 1.-THE
lswinney killing here last night has been
the talk OF the city all day. Great ex-
lcltement has prevailed since the deed was
done. 1t appears that the deed was done
in a fit OF anger and came about through
a drunken brawl. Mattox has been in the
habit OF coming IN from the Usage Nation
and getting ON a big drunk when he
came to town he always associated Him
self with the drinking and saloon element
lit has been feared frequently that he
would somcume commit another crime.
Mattox has been employed for some time
past as general manager OF soldani's ex-
tensive pasturage Interests In the Oa,g
country swinney is lessee Of a pos tlon
of the pasturage, being a cattle raiser.
and II is supposed that trouble between
the two arose over some dispute I'm mat
ters concerning the leasing by Swinney.
THE two had been drinking considerable
all the day and met in White House club
saloon. The quarrel ensued and Mattox
stabbed swinney three times in the alb
domen with fatal effect. The statement
THAT swinney crowded him is contradict
ed and is not believe at all.
Mrs Charles s. w. Hatch, the mother
OF Mautox lives here and is heart broken
over the affair Last Christmas Mattox
came here and while on a big drunk 8t-
tempted to knock out all the N,ndows in
the city. He was chased out of the town
by the officers and it was thought that
ne would stay away, and not come back
so long as he was wanted for this disturb
iance This act almost broke his mothers $
heart. She has the sympathy OF the peo-
pie here. Sentiment here is all against
him.
When Mattox was released from the
lprison by President Mckinley. he prom
ised that he would live for his mother who
had made many sacrifices for him and
that he had duty to perform. That he
had no other aim In life than to livxe the
right kind OF life and that he hoped that
the newspapers would gave him chance to
become good citizen.
clyde Mattox IS 81 years Of age, but
since he was p years old ne had one OF
the most picturesque careers in the west.
He has just killed his third man. The
young man was sentenced to be hanged
twice, was tried for murder five times,
admitted to bail once. broke Jail once and
was finally pordoned I'm 1898 by President
Mckinley.
The career Of clyde Matttox Is one Of
the most notorious of those growing out
OF the opening OF Oklahoma. In 1859 he
was a smooth faced boy Of 21 and was
effemlnate in appearance. He had lived
in Texas, where Sc gained a reputation as
a shooter on April p. 1889, he made a run
| into Oklahoma and was one OF the first set
tiers in Oklahoma City The town was
scarcely an hour old when this boy from
Texas made a gun play that attract
ed attention for its nerve, coming as it
did among iawless men. He was appoint
ed city marshal when a temporary gov
eminent was organized but trouble ar
ose out of several rival factions, each Of
which tried to organize city government
and appointed different city marshals
/ It was not long before Mattox and a
/ rival city marshal olashed. Both fired.
Mattox killed his man. but fell with a
bullet IN his lung. Ii was claimed that
MattOx murdered his man, but nothing
was done and when his lung healed he
went on spree and got into fresh trouble
/ IIo shot and killed an offensive old negro
named John Mullen and was then arrested
! for both murders and taken to Wichita
for trial. 4 verdict Of self-defense was
returned in the first case that of murd-
ering the rival marshal. In the meantime
the women OF Wichita created a sensa-
ton in Mattox's favor because OF his
youth and feminine appearance and no
was taken to Topeka. For the second
murder the young man was found guilty
and sentenced TO be hanged. day or two
before the execution president HARM
son commuted the sentence and later a
new trial was secured.
Two successive trials resulted I'm hung
iuries and Mattox was admitted to bail.
His case was practically abandoned when
he made a bad move. At Perry, Ok, Mat
Itox INDUCED in another gun-play and shot
at a man. His bond was cancelled and ho
was returned 20 the Wichita jan In the
Ispring OF 1894 he was again tried for muir
der, found guilty and in June was for the
second time sentenced to be hanged. A
few days after sentence was passed, Mat
tox crawled through the iron bars Of an
up stairs window Of the Wichita jail and
escaped. II was about o'clock IN the
evening and several persons witnessed
the escape but Mottox went about II so
coolly that the orlookers thought be was
tentlon to him. reward OF $1,000 was Of
fered for his capture.
Next afternoon Mattox coolly boarded
a Missouri Pacific train at El Dorado. lie
was reading an account OF his own es-
lcape when conductor Hayden suspects
his Identity and telegraphed ahead TO the
marshal Of Yates Center. At Yates Center
Mattox was overpOwered before he could
draw teh revolver hidden under his shir.
Upon his return to the Wichita jail. the
lsheriff asked him 10 demonstrate to the
lcouty commissioners how he had escaped
through bars nine inches apart and he
did It so quickly II at he almost escaped
n second time. MattoK was on the groue-
before the sheriff could get around 20 tn'
outside A passing citizen by the meres
accident captured the man.
Mrs s. W. Hatch the condemned mans
mother then started out 20 secure he
sons pardon. She issued ar appeal TO ,n
mothers Of America. II was a wonderful
document. She enlisted the sympathies o
Jose pm Jefferson, the actor and he SECURE
her an interview with President CIeve
land. but the president refused to gran
Z a pardon When Cleveland was inaugu
E rated a second time, Mrs Hatch appeale
4 to every democrat OF prominence for ald
When Mckinley became president sh
found an excellent excuse TO enlist tn
: republicans in her cause and finally w0
l her point.
e The Oklahoma people did not relish IA
pardon Of clyde Mattox Of January Il
= llSgS as many claimed that he WAS "a uttl