The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-24
He IS LAST OF
The BANDITS
OffIcers Are Hot on Trail Of
Outlaw Bill CraVens.
HAS A VERY CORY RECORD.
Governor Of Oklahoma Has Offered a Big
Reward for Capture Of Desperate,
Dead or Alive.
HAS A VERY CORY RECORD.

rnlcss unknown 10 the officers Of the
law. there is new crop OF bad me-. ~
pening on the ranges OF Oklahomn' 'hdt
section Of the southwest soon VIII 49, r'-
OF its outlaws Deputy United States mar
shals are now on the trail Of a maa who
e. inferred Ia as The last of the IAN
dts" aud when he has been rounG"d up
ana assisted over the Great Divide inc
Jesse James type Of desperado vii have
become extinct in the territory
1ris last Of the bandits is Bill cra-
vens. sole survivor OF tha Id Dalton
gang Of outlaws Halt dozen murders
and twice as many held robbeTies are
charged up against him as an individual
and as a member Of one OF another Of the
several gangs az thieves with which he
has associated ne IS accused of participa-
tlon IN many other crimes
Missouri has supplied most Of the des-
peraaoes ths, have operated In Kansas
and the Indian territory, bat choice
Few. IKE this man Cravens, are products
OF The Sunnower state.
Crayens was born In Chautauaus coun-
~. Kansas. and until nine years ago,
when he wen, % the Indian territory his
depredations were connned 90 that state.
lie was scriy and quarrelsome as a boy
and before ne was out OF his teens he
was a fugitive from Justice, having shot
his man in an attempted hold-up.
IN the Indian territory CraNens settitd
~. WHORE ne uf1lCKiN
won q reputation ss "bootlegger or
'knifer In a little time his hand was
acainst every man. and every man 5
hand against him. lie dened the deputy
u,arshals aud ranged from the Northern
Usage reservation down through The
Creek nation. into Pottawatomie county.
where ne was protected by the Bryant
gang.
For time he was connected with the
Cook gang of outlaws. but as ne lacked
brains enough 10 be leader and refused
20 be n follower. he did not rank high
with these notorious stock thieves.
GANG DEVOID OF MERCY.
Cook soon afterward was killed in q
fight over land claim by a settler nam
2. Bennett, and his gang scattered. Cra
vens then fled 60 the Cherokee nation
and there became associated with the no
IOrlOuS Henry anu I'A WV ~
crime, Lige Higgins.
THIS crowd committed several murders
while engaged in robberies. some OF
them OF the most cold-blooded sort,
They never were known TO show any
mercy To their victims. Crayens was with
them at this time, but the authorities
while morally certain that he had a
hand In some OF the murders. were una
BILE to produce any direct proof against
him
When the Starr gang was broken M
Cravens went back 10 Kansas. where h'
remained under cover until his funds
gave out en- he robbed a store at He
wins that state. holding the proprietor
up with revolver lie escaped the posse
sent I'm pursuit OF him. and week late
was back ia the Usage nation.
Here he joined with another OF his kline
known as Kid McElhenny. The pair be
came so boid In their thieving operation
that posse OF officers from Kay count,
started out SO take them. dead or alive
Outlaws were warned OF the coming o
the officers and undertook 10 ambusl
them
The officers We're on their guard how
ever. and when they had ridden into tn
ambush they remained right there an'
fought so we'll that they killed McEl
henny and took Cravens n prisoner n
UHNfifE SufTtHhtIth a. Th'A hN liS Id
was shO down.
Nothing could be proved against era
vens at that time except that he ha
offered resistance 10 officers OF the Law
so he was surrendered 10 the sheriff o
Chautauqua county and taken back I
Kansas FOR trial for robbing the store q
Bewlns.
There could be no question OF his Gull
in that case; too many persons had see
~ Il Il. -,
and sentenced TO serve fifteen years q
hard lahoy n the state penitenuary.
ESCAPES FROM IMPRISONMENT
II was supposed then that the last ha
been heard Of CraVens. but II hadn't ~
was sent with other conyicts TO toll
the lower workings Of coal mine 7
some way not known he secured quar-
tity OF tin foil In the depths of the min
~ fashioned a rude wooden model Of
revolver This he covered with the q
foil. and then he was ready 10 try 10
hand al bluning
with two other convicts he forced Va
way up the coal shaft Coming unc'
pectedly upon a guard. Cravens held hi
az bay with his imitation revolver whi
the others disarmed him. This guard va
gagged and bound, and then they wei
on.
~ mouth or the smart tneNCHue nj
on another guard This man. whose nan
was Schwartz was not 90 be intimidate
When ordered TO throw up his hands
promptly began shooting ~ the convict
one of them fell dead AT the first nr
and then Crsvens opened on Schwar
With the revolver hc had taken from n
guard In the mine.
u n said that he shot Schwartz in n
back. and that he shot him sccoi
time when he was down and dying or
vcns and the other convict whose nan
was Estelie. then fed Tor their lives
posse Immediately was organic
and went IN pursuit. Tho conNicts n,
only a short start Of tho posse. and
nlghtfall they were rounded up I'm a bar
The posse surrounded the barn call
upon the conyicts 20 surrender Crave
replied that ne would not be taken All
and that N the posse was ont for ki
Ing II had better start I'M Al once as
felt little hungry FOR blood himself
ESCAPES FROM BLAZING BARN
10 was decided 10 smoke the convi,
out and then shoot them down ~ th
ran. Under fire 81 the conyicts one Of I
posse approached close enough a. thr,
blazing torch into the barn. and
Instant later the place was IN flames
A..