The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-10-14
cowsoYs SEEM eulLTLess.
Montgomery Probably Murdered by
An outlaw.
[By Aaaoclated Press. ]

lBy Associated Press.l
Winfield Kss., oct. 1e.-Recent Dc
velopments in the Montgomery murd
er case point more and more to the
murderer having been an outlaw rath-
er than a cowboy. He undoubtedly
came here from Arkansas City and it
is almost sure that he walked back
most OF the way. He may not have
gone beyond Arkansas City, though
it is probable that he went into the
Kaw Indian resarvation on the east
side of the Arkansas river. He may
be the man who killed Ed Choates,
the night agent at Winfield a year
ago. but this is mere speculation. The
theory of the territory officers that
he was Ben Cravens. the convict who
escaped from the Kansas penitentiary,
is regarded here as reasonable. There
is story that Cravens was shot in
fight last speing and was dragged
away by his associates to n place
where he afterward died. He often
stayed with a man named webb, not
Far from the south end of "1O1" ranch
! Those who live near the reservation
| dispute the suggestion that he is dead
ana say he might have been the muir
derer. Bert Wetty, his aid in the
murder of Alvin Bateman at Red
Rock is in jail at Guthrie, waiting to
be tried next month. He was one Of
the leaders in the jail delivery at
Guthrie and was captured by Mont
gomery.
Montgomery Was After cravens.
Fred Randel, charged with horse
stealing, rcsiuted arrest when Sher-
If Gates. Of Woods county. attempted
to capture him on the '1O1" ranch "a
week ago last Saturday. and Gates
promptly killed him He mad a part
ner who had been seen near the ranch,
and people who live near the ranch
and do not believe the story that Cra-
vens was killed, say it was Ben Cra-
gems. Montgomery had been follow
ing depot thieves recently. and, ac.
cording to officers in Perry, Cravens
was one of them.
The railroad company's representa-
tives now expect a long and tedious
chase for the murderer. The com
pany is putting some money into the
search, for 1t cannot afford to have
| A. -, 1.gt1,d ,,,ftl,o,,t br;..oi,,a, the
murderers to justice. 1t is very mucn
The same as when a United States
officer is killed, the men who com
init such crimes must be made to
know that they will be followed until
found no matter how far the trail
leads or what it costs. 1t is the only
protection the company has, for its
trains run through a section of terri
tory where some men have little com
junction about killing or destroying
property. Montgomery who was a
man u mild manner among his
friends had a reputation in Oklahoma
and the Indian territory, surprising
to men who knew him few years age
in Kansas. Onicers say they would
rather have had him with them when
a difficult task was in hand than any
other man in the territory.
A Newl<irk Clue.
Information from the barn where
the dogs stopped at Arkansas City
has been Given out piecemeal by the
liyerymen. The dogs did not stop
at stall where a mule team stood,
but the team in the next stall belong
cd to two men who called at the barn
after midnight and took the team
away. H. W. Fisher. who had charge
? of the barn. told a reporter that the
team came TO the barn before O'Clock
: In the evening. The horses were such
as n llveryman might keep for his
best team. This describes the team
hired from Kirk, the liyeryman at
Newkirk, Saturday. The men who
hired the buggy did it by telephone
giving ,he name of Mcclure, the own
i er Of the principal hotel IN the town
g A boy took the team to the hotel. Nc
n Guire was very angry when he foune
!, that his name had been used ficti
o tiously The names registered by thu
d men were of a business man in a near
by town and a Kansas city tFavelin,
o man.
Il